What We Remember by Ford Michael Thomas

What We Remember by Ford Michael Thomas

Author:Ford Michael Thomas [Thomas, Ford Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00


CHAPTER 30

1991

James stared at Charly for a long time. Then he shook his head.

“That’s simply not possible,” he said.

They were seated in the visiting room at the jail. James, dressed in an orange coverall and wearing the white tennis shoes he’d been issued upon processing, was one of four men receiving visitors. The others were chatting with their families; one had a child of two or three on his knee and another spoke animatedly with a man who from the resemblance between them was almost certainly his brother. The third held the hands of the young woman seated across from him between his own hands. He whispered something to the woman that made her laugh.

After hearing nothing but men’s voices for the past several days, James was startled by the sound.

“It’s not possible,” he said again.

“I have the letter,” said Charly.

“Show me,” James told her.

Charly shook her head. “You know as well as I do that I can’t bring it in here. They search everything. The last thing we need is for it to be confiscated or go missing. But don’t worry, I memorized it.”

She recited the letter word-by-word in a flat, almost monotone, voice.

“You sound like a robot,” James remarked.

“I’m trying not to inflect,” said Charly. “I want you to hear the words, not what I might think about them.”

James understood her point. It was difficult when reading evidence or testimony to maintain a completely objective tone. You tended to stress one part or another, to imbue the words with your own take on them, which might or might not be the original intention of the speaker or writer. Once again he admired Charly’s excellent skills as a lawyer, although he would have preferred to see them used for someone else’s benefit than his own.

When Charly was done James said, “That’s it?”

“Short and to the point,” Charly agreed. “What do you think?”

James could only give a short laugh. “I don’t know what the hell to think anymore,” he said. “Christ, I’m in jail for murdering the father I was told committed suicide because he was sick. Now you’re telling me he did it because he murdered the mother of my high school girlfriend and that my mother covered it up. You tell me what I’m supposed to think.”

“Do you think your father could have killed Rebecca Derry?”

James sighed. “You know as well as I do—anyone can do anything under the right circumstances.” The image of his father yelling at him flashed across his mind, a memory of being afraid that he was going to be hit. Yes, he thought, he could do it.

“It would explain why he was so against your dating Nancy,” said Charly.

James looked at her. How had he not thought of that?

Because you’re not being objective, he reminded himself.

Once again, his admiration for his girlfriend grew.

“It would,” he said. He hesitated before continuing.

“Her mother’s death really did a number on Nancy. She pretended like everything was fine, but it wasn’t. I don’t think anybody knew how much she hurt.



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