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Authors: Cynthia Henry
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far from your driveway by a friend of his. He called the police; they did some investigating and found a suicide note in the cab.”
Dear God!
The world froze and spun at the same time. Beth struggled to find her breath as her heart hammered and jumped as far north as her throat. She must have uttered a choked sob because her father rushed to her side as she fell into an upholstered chair beneath the framed portrait of her Grandfather Winston Williams.
“That makes no sense.”
Deej cleared his throat. “His wife just left him, Bethie.”
She felt tears now as they bubbled out faster than she ever could’ve halted them. “How did you find out?” she managed to ask as she lowered her head to the antique chest the phone sat on.
“We’re notified when any agent dies in an unnatural way. I thought you’d remember that. I must say this is the hardest one I’ve ever encountered.”
“Did they find him?” she choked out.
“I don’t think yet, but they’re looking.”
“I’ll be there in a few hours.”
“I’m flying out too. I’ll wait at the airport.”
And Beth did one of the rudest things of her life. She hung up the phone without saying goodbye.
***
Beth threw what things she could find into a suitcase while her father made flight arrangements in the hall.
Francine straightened and refolded what Beth had flung while her mother sat on the bed and watched. “I just don’t understand this, Elizabeth. He called last night and I spoke with him briefly before I summoned the children. There was no indication -- ”
Beth swallowed yet another sob. “I don’t suppose he’d tell you if he’d been planning to end his life, Mother.”
“No, I don’t suppose. But I want you to promise me that you won’t be riddled with guilt over this--”
Beth spun around and flashed a glare just as her father entered the room.
“I got you on a 7:40 flight. We’ll have to hurry.”
“Fine,” Beth said and threw a sweater she forgot she’d even brought into the mix.
“Please reconsider and let me accompany you, Sweetheart.”
“No,” Beth said without looking up as she grabbed a blouse.
“Elizabeth--”
Beth lifted her head to see her father fidgeting with his pipe. “Thank you, but no. Deej is flying in and I have a lot of friends in the area. I have to call Chris’ parents, but I want to have more details before I do. What I need is for both of you to stay here and tend to my children…” How absurd that this was what they were now--truly just her children. “ Our children.” She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes. “Promise me you won’t tell them anything until I know for sure what happened. Keep them from the TV and Noah from the papers. As soon as the press gets wind of the ace agent’s suicide, it’ll be a field day. That is what you can do for me, Daddy.”
“All right then,” he said with a sigh.
***
Beth bit her nails for the entire flight. With these ridiculous new ‘ no smoking’ rules, what choice did she have?
She was a widow now, though it probably wasn’t a fair title since she’d pushed Chris to this by walking away. But it was all so strange and uncharacteristic--like a puzzle piece that didn’t fit.
Chris was big on retaliation, and retaliation to him would mean carrying on so she would d amn well know that he’d be fine without her. He also adored his children and unless he’d been in a drunken stupor, she couldn’t imagine he wouldn’t have considered the effect it would have on his son and daughter that he was leaving behind.
The flight landed and Beth grabbed her carry-on. Deej was the first person she saw when she walked into the terminal. He didn’t say a word, just extended his arms, pulled her tight and let her cry into the scratchy polyester of his suit coat.
“Chin up,” he whispered.
“Chin up,” she whispered
Dear God!
The world froze and spun at the same time. Beth struggled to find her breath as her heart hammered and jumped as far north as her throat. She must have uttered a choked sob because her father rushed to her side as she fell into an upholstered chair beneath the framed portrait of her Grandfather Winston Williams.
“That makes no sense.”
Deej cleared his throat. “His wife just left him, Bethie.”
She felt tears now as they bubbled out faster than she ever could’ve halted them. “How did you find out?” she managed to ask as she lowered her head to the antique chest the phone sat on.
“We’re notified when any agent dies in an unnatural way. I thought you’d remember that. I must say this is the hardest one I’ve ever encountered.”
“Did they find him?” she choked out.
“I don’t think yet, but they’re looking.”
“I’ll be there in a few hours.”
“I’m flying out too. I’ll wait at the airport.”
And Beth did one of the rudest things of her life. She hung up the phone without saying goodbye.
***
Beth threw what things she could find into a suitcase while her father made flight arrangements in the hall.
Francine straightened and refolded what Beth had flung while her mother sat on the bed and watched. “I just don’t understand this, Elizabeth. He called last night and I spoke with him briefly before I summoned the children. There was no indication -- ”
Beth swallowed yet another sob. “I don’t suppose he’d tell you if he’d been planning to end his life, Mother.”
“No, I don’t suppose. But I want you to promise me that you won’t be riddled with guilt over this--”
Beth spun around and flashed a glare just as her father entered the room.
“I got you on a 7:40 flight. We’ll have to hurry.”
“Fine,” Beth said and threw a sweater she forgot she’d even brought into the mix.
“Please reconsider and let me accompany you, Sweetheart.”
“No,” Beth said without looking up as she grabbed a blouse.
“Elizabeth--”
Beth lifted her head to see her father fidgeting with his pipe. “Thank you, but no. Deej is flying in and I have a lot of friends in the area. I have to call Chris’ parents, but I want to have more details before I do. What I need is for both of you to stay here and tend to my children…” How absurd that this was what they were now--truly just her children. “ Our children.” She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes. “Promise me you won’t tell them anything until I know for sure what happened. Keep them from the TV and Noah from the papers. As soon as the press gets wind of the ace agent’s suicide, it’ll be a field day. That is what you can do for me, Daddy.”
“All right then,” he said with a sigh.
***
Beth bit her nails for the entire flight. With these ridiculous new ‘ no smoking’ rules, what choice did she have?
She was a widow now, though it probably wasn’t a fair title since she’d pushed Chris to this by walking away. But it was all so strange and uncharacteristic--like a puzzle piece that didn’t fit.
Chris was big on retaliation, and retaliation to him would mean carrying on so she would d amn well know that he’d be fine without her. He also adored his children and unless he’d been in a drunken stupor, she couldn’t imagine he wouldn’t have considered the effect it would have on his son and daughter that he was leaving behind.
The flight landed and Beth grabbed her carry-on. Deej was the first person she saw when she walked into the terminal. He didn’t say a word, just extended his arms, pulled her tight and let her cry into the scratchy polyester of his suit coat.
“Chin up,” he whispered.
“Chin up,” she whispered
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