Read Online Past Forward- A Serial Novel: Episode 16 by Chautona Havig - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Chautona Havig
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voice grew louder with each word.
“ I ’ ll go to the clinic in Fairbury at the first sign of anything off. They have a few overnight rooms even. I have to get home .”
“ You could call. Tell her the trial is taking more from you than you expected. Tell her your phone isn ’ t working , but you ’ ll be home tomorrow and everything will be just fine .”
“ I ’m not going to lie, M om .”
“ Chad, ” Marianne protested quickly, “ I didn ’ t mean for you to lie. All of that is true — it ’ s just ambiguous enough to keep her from worrying and to keep you in this bed .”
“ Your mother has a point. Resting that lung —” The doctor stopped himself abruptly as Chad struggled to sit upright.
“ If I called, I ’ d tell her everything. But if you called …”
“ What do you want me to say? ”
As she fed the chickens, the distinct sound of the French horns in Tchaikovsky ’ s 1812 Overture erupted from her jeans. “ What! ” She fished the phone from her pocket and flipped it open at the sight of Marianne ’ s name. “ Oh Mom, my phone is playing music! I almost had a heart attack .”
“ What is it playing? ”
“ The 1812 Overture — the part with the French horns? You know, da de da de da de da — da da .”
“ Chad must have done it. Um, speaking of Chad, he asked me to call you .”
Willow ’ s voice grew wary. “ About what? Why didn ’ t he call? ”
“ Well, his phone is broken for one thing. He needs to get a new one. Anyway, he asked me to tell you that he ’ s been detained here in town for a few more days .”
“ Why? ”
Marianne continued as though Willow hadn ’ t spoken. “— and he probably won ’ t be able to call. If he does, it ’ ll be very late at night .”
“ Mom, what ’ s going on? Is there trouble with the trial? ”
“ Willow, ” Marianne said as though dreading the coming discussion, “ that ’ s all he told me to tell you except that he wants you to trust him. He ’ ll explain everything when he gets home .”
The protest that formed died on her lips as Marianne said “ trust .” “ Can you tell m e if he ’ s ok? ”
“ He ’ s ok — now. He ’ ll be home as soon as he can .”
“ Should I be praying? ” Willow whispered nervously.
Marianne ’ s cheerful voice wiped away the final traces of concern from Willow ’ s voice as she assured Willow that prayer never hurts. Willow stared at the phone for several seconds after her mother-in-law disconnected and wondered just how long it ’ d be before he came home. She ’ d heard of sequestered juries — did they sequester witnesses too?
Thursday afternoon, a detective arrived to take his statement regarding the shooting. “ Officer Tesdall? ”
Chad turned and glanced up at the detective expectantly. “ Yes? ”
“ I ’ m detective Haunsel with the Rockland PD. I have some questions if you ’ re up to it .”
“ I now understand, in a way I never could before, why victims and witnesses are so unreliable. I didn ’ t see it coming. I can only imagine that you found through the trajectory where the sniper was… ”
“ We found it. We found the guy on video… ” The detective pulled out glossy eight by ten print outs of the building across the street, the fourth floor, and almost a full shot of a man ’ s face. “ Do any of these look familiar to you? ”
Carefully, Chad examined each one clearly. Finally, he shoved them across his legs. “ I don ’ t trust my memory on this. He looks familiar , but I could have seen him or someone that resembles him, anywhere .” A thought occurred to him. “ Have you checked cameras from inside the courthouse? Was he in the courtroom? ”
“ They ’ re still going over those tapes. Can you tell us why he chose you? ”
“ I can only assume that it has something to do with my testimony… maybe he thought I was coming back after the recess but I wasn ’ t. I was excused
“ I ’ ll go to the clinic in Fairbury at the first sign of anything off. They have a few overnight rooms even. I have to get home .”
“ You could call. Tell her the trial is taking more from you than you expected. Tell her your phone isn ’ t working , but you ’ ll be home tomorrow and everything will be just fine .”
“ I ’m not going to lie, M om .”
“ Chad, ” Marianne protested quickly, “ I didn ’ t mean for you to lie. All of that is true — it ’ s just ambiguous enough to keep her from worrying and to keep you in this bed .”
“ Your mother has a point. Resting that lung —” The doctor stopped himself abruptly as Chad struggled to sit upright.
“ If I called, I ’ d tell her everything. But if you called …”
“ What do you want me to say? ”
As she fed the chickens, the distinct sound of the French horns in Tchaikovsky ’ s 1812 Overture erupted from her jeans. “ What! ” She fished the phone from her pocket and flipped it open at the sight of Marianne ’ s name. “ Oh Mom, my phone is playing music! I almost had a heart attack .”
“ What is it playing? ”
“ The 1812 Overture — the part with the French horns? You know, da de da de da de da — da da .”
“ Chad must have done it. Um, speaking of Chad, he asked me to call you .”
Willow ’ s voice grew wary. “ About what? Why didn ’ t he call? ”
“ Well, his phone is broken for one thing. He needs to get a new one. Anyway, he asked me to tell you that he ’ s been detained here in town for a few more days .”
“ Why? ”
Marianne continued as though Willow hadn ’ t spoken. “— and he probably won ’ t be able to call. If he does, it ’ ll be very late at night .”
“ Mom, what ’ s going on? Is there trouble with the trial? ”
“ Willow, ” Marianne said as though dreading the coming discussion, “ that ’ s all he told me to tell you except that he wants you to trust him. He ’ ll explain everything when he gets home .”
The protest that formed died on her lips as Marianne said “ trust .” “ Can you tell m e if he ’ s ok? ”
“ He ’ s ok — now. He ’ ll be home as soon as he can .”
“ Should I be praying? ” Willow whispered nervously.
Marianne ’ s cheerful voice wiped away the final traces of concern from Willow ’ s voice as she assured Willow that prayer never hurts. Willow stared at the phone for several seconds after her mother-in-law disconnected and wondered just how long it ’ d be before he came home. She ’ d heard of sequestered juries — did they sequester witnesses too?
Thursday afternoon, a detective arrived to take his statement regarding the shooting. “ Officer Tesdall? ”
Chad turned and glanced up at the detective expectantly. “ Yes? ”
“ I ’ m detective Haunsel with the Rockland PD. I have some questions if you ’ re up to it .”
“ I now understand, in a way I never could before, why victims and witnesses are so unreliable. I didn ’ t see it coming. I can only imagine that you found through the trajectory where the sniper was… ”
“ We found it. We found the guy on video… ” The detective pulled out glossy eight by ten print outs of the building across the street, the fourth floor, and almost a full shot of a man ’ s face. “ Do any of these look familiar to you? ”
Carefully, Chad examined each one clearly. Finally, he shoved them across his legs. “ I don ’ t trust my memory on this. He looks familiar , but I could have seen him or someone that resembles him, anywhere .” A thought occurred to him. “ Have you checked cameras from inside the courthouse? Was he in the courtroom? ”
“ They ’ re still going over those tapes. Can you tell us why he chose you? ”
“ I can only assume that it has something to do with my testimony… maybe he thought I was coming back after the recess but I wasn ’ t. I was excused
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