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Authors: Kate Watterson
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Lukens just looked at her. “I agree he isn’t young but might argue you don’t want to upset you more.”
“If he does know who it is, that means he’s culpable in some way because he denied it. How is that possible? He’s the most honorable man I know.”
“Ah, so there we go. That’s what you’re afraid of.” Georgia’s voice was quiet. “That this man you revere is going to topple from his pedestal.”
Was it? Shit .
“No. I’m not afraid for me, but for him.”
“You are sure about that?”
God help her, she wasn’t.
Those forsaken bones had her in a tailspin and she was not sure she could survive the nosedive.
“Here’s the crux of it,” Ellie explained haltingly. “I could just walk away. I’m fairly sure there will be no huge investigation into this case if the bones are really old. The county always does its best with cold cases, but the budget is tight and there is plenty to do, trust me.” She splayed her hands on the table. “Am I doing more harm than good if I push it?”
Dr. Lukens laughed, but there was no mirth involved. “Oh, for God’s sake … you’re a detective. Just accept that about yourself.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’re scared of what you might find. That seems reasonable to me. I think if you feel you can live with brushing it off, do that. If, from what you just said, you don’t think you can live with it, investigate. Have you ever seen the movie A Few Good Men ? Great flick. There is a classic line in there that I think everyone who is involved in the law in any way needs to remember. I don’t think I’m quoting it word for word, but the gist is that a jury trial is not about the truth, it is about assigning blame. Are we having a discussion about this right now? So a person is dead, buried without ceremony, and you want to blame someone but you do not want to blame your grandfather, right?”
That was being simplistic, but it was pretty close to the truth. “We are having this discussion because I’d like your professional opinion on how it would affect him if I pursue this.”
“Let me sum it up. In short, will it bother you more to let it go, or if you can’t let it go? I think we both know letting it go is not an option for you. I also think you are wasting a great deal of energy on something that might be resolved without any more effort on your part. Perhaps the investigation will be straightforward and expedient and all your anxiety is unnecessary. Or can I venture to say maybe something else is bothering you and this allows you to think about what we are discussing instead. Possible?”
Ellie leaned back in her chair. It was possible, of course. Her relationship with Bryce was coming to a crossroads of sorts, or at least that was how she thought of it. She’d signed a lease on her condo when she moved down from Lincoln County and it was time to decide if she should keep it.
Maybe there was some benefit to therapy after all. “I have a personal life, of course,” she admitted. “It’s a little complicated right now.”
“Personal life. Complicated? Hmm, what are the odds?” Mildly, Dr. Lukens said, “Maybe we can talk about that next time.”
Chapter 7
The letter sat on the table. She’d labored over it, starting, stopping, tearing up the paper into bits and starting fresh again.
It needed to be perfect.
Poignant but firm. And final. So final that there were no questions, no suspicions … no search. The problem was the date. It had to be exactly right, all contingencies considered, no possible mistakes allowed. The bus schedule was taken care of, the suitcase hidden, the other little details tidied and straight.
Or so she hoped. Make sure you aren’t forgetting anything, her mother had always told her.
But it was doubtful she was referring to murder.
* * *
Jason thought that there was nothing worse than a cop funeral. It didn’t improve the situation that the skies had clouded over and a thin
“If he does know who it is, that means he’s culpable in some way because he denied it. How is that possible? He’s the most honorable man I know.”
“Ah, so there we go. That’s what you’re afraid of.” Georgia’s voice was quiet. “That this man you revere is going to topple from his pedestal.”
Was it? Shit .
“No. I’m not afraid for me, but for him.”
“You are sure about that?”
God help her, she wasn’t.
Those forsaken bones had her in a tailspin and she was not sure she could survive the nosedive.
“Here’s the crux of it,” Ellie explained haltingly. “I could just walk away. I’m fairly sure there will be no huge investigation into this case if the bones are really old. The county always does its best with cold cases, but the budget is tight and there is plenty to do, trust me.” She splayed her hands on the table. “Am I doing more harm than good if I push it?”
Dr. Lukens laughed, but there was no mirth involved. “Oh, for God’s sake … you’re a detective. Just accept that about yourself.”
“What does that mean?”
“You’re scared of what you might find. That seems reasonable to me. I think if you feel you can live with brushing it off, do that. If, from what you just said, you don’t think you can live with it, investigate. Have you ever seen the movie A Few Good Men ? Great flick. There is a classic line in there that I think everyone who is involved in the law in any way needs to remember. I don’t think I’m quoting it word for word, but the gist is that a jury trial is not about the truth, it is about assigning blame. Are we having a discussion about this right now? So a person is dead, buried without ceremony, and you want to blame someone but you do not want to blame your grandfather, right?”
That was being simplistic, but it was pretty close to the truth. “We are having this discussion because I’d like your professional opinion on how it would affect him if I pursue this.”
“Let me sum it up. In short, will it bother you more to let it go, or if you can’t let it go? I think we both know letting it go is not an option for you. I also think you are wasting a great deal of energy on something that might be resolved without any more effort on your part. Perhaps the investigation will be straightforward and expedient and all your anxiety is unnecessary. Or can I venture to say maybe something else is bothering you and this allows you to think about what we are discussing instead. Possible?”
Ellie leaned back in her chair. It was possible, of course. Her relationship with Bryce was coming to a crossroads of sorts, or at least that was how she thought of it. She’d signed a lease on her condo when she moved down from Lincoln County and it was time to decide if she should keep it.
Maybe there was some benefit to therapy after all. “I have a personal life, of course,” she admitted. “It’s a little complicated right now.”
“Personal life. Complicated? Hmm, what are the odds?” Mildly, Dr. Lukens said, “Maybe we can talk about that next time.”
Chapter 7
The letter sat on the table. She’d labored over it, starting, stopping, tearing up the paper into bits and starting fresh again.
It needed to be perfect.
Poignant but firm. And final. So final that there were no questions, no suspicions … no search. The problem was the date. It had to be exactly right, all contingencies considered, no possible mistakes allowed. The bus schedule was taken care of, the suitcase hidden, the other little details tidied and straight.
Or so she hoped. Make sure you aren’t forgetting anything, her mother had always told her.
But it was doubtful she was referring to murder.
* * *
Jason thought that there was nothing worse than a cop funeral. It didn’t improve the situation that the skies had clouded over and a thin
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