The Reticence 1 (Nantahala River)
Page 6
“Do you think a stranger abducted her?” Margo asked.
“What else could it be? I can’t believe anyone around here could kill her.”
“Not Billy or Jimmy Peters?”
“Billy, maybe, because he was so strange. No one knew what went on in his head. Jimmy was a lot younger, and he left Havermill a year after Billy did. Everyone supposed Jimmy went to live with his older brother. Jimmy wouldn’t have done anything to Mandy. He didn’t have the balls for that.”
“No? Why do you think that?”
“We have blood drives from time to time. The kids participate. Jimmy volunteered, took one look at the blood, and passed out. He wasn’t built for rough work.”
“Go back to the last time you saw Mandy. You’re leaving school. You have Tanya in the car. Who else was there?”
“Well, most of the kids were already gone. Except for the janitors, the school was near empty. But I did notice that Mr. Cummins’ car was still in the lot. I had no idea what he was doing. He was admin, and admin kept their own hours.”
“You think he could have taken Mandy?”
“Cummins was gay. Not in the closet, but not out there either. What most people didn’t know was that he had mental issues.”
“Mental issues? Such as?”
“He was a manic depressive. Bi-polar is the term they use now. I suppose it was the contradiction of being a gay preacher’s son. He was on medication most of the time, but when he wasn’t, well, I think he was capable of doing some wacko things.”
“Did he ever harm anyone?”
“Not that I know. But twice, when he came back from vacation, his face was bruised as if he had been in a fight.”
“Did Sheriff Males know this about Mr. Cummins?”
“Everyone knew. I mean, Cummins would come up with random excuses. He wasn’t ready to tell anyone the truth.”
“If he had violent tendencies, why didn’t the sheriff go after him?”
“Because he lived in a small apartment over the shoe store in town. There was no way that he could’ve kept Mandy there. And I don’t know of any other place he could use. That’s one of the mysteries, isn’t it? Where was Mandy stashed for four days?”
“With half the county searching for her, it must have been someplace special.”
“Don’t look at me. I was on the other side of the mountain with the sheriff and all the other volunteers,” Terry said, raising his hands.
“What kind of relationship did Mandy have with her father?”
“As good as it gets, I think. I mean, he wasn’t around much. Truckers need to be on the road, or they don’t make any money. He would come to her games once in a while if he were around. Otherwise, it was Becky who took care of things.”
“Becky and Mandy got along?”
“As well as can be expected. There comes a time when mothers and daughters no longer share the same dreams if you know what I mean.”
“Believe me,” Marcia said with a small chuckle. “We do.”
“Do you happen to know where Mr. Cummins went when he retired?”
Terry turned to Margo, and Marcia thought she noticed a hint of interest in his eyes. That wasn’t unusual. Lots of men looked at Margo and showed more than a little interest.
“Last I heard,” Terry said. “Cummins was in Charlotte. If you really want to know, check with the sheriff or the teachers’ retirement fund. They’ll know where he is.”
“Great. Thanks.”
“Is that it?” Terry asked.
“For the moment,” Marcia said with a nod of her head.
“Good, because I think I see the beginning of another shouting match. Excuse me.”
The sisters watched as Terry crossed the cafeteria and motioned for a boy to come closer. The boy obeyed automatically, rising to his feet.
“Let’s get out of here,” Margo said.
As they slipped back into the car, Margo let out a heavy sigh. “What do you think, a quick trip to Charlotte?”
“I don’t see how we can get out of it.” Marcia started the engine. “I’m not at all convinced that Cummins is our guy, but he might know something. A person who lives with secrets often knows the secrets of others.”
“Well said.”
As Marcia pulled the car onto the highway, Margo’s window shattered without any warning, exploding in a shower of glass.
Panicked, Marcia turned towards her sister.
Blood was running down Margo’s cheek in rivulets.
Dear reader,
That was a scary scene in the car, wasn’t it?
What happened to Margo’s cheek? I bet you want to find out. The next story is even more exciting, so dive into The Reticence, Book 2.
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Levi Fuller is an international bestselling author.
Levi writes chilling mystery-thrillers that keep millions of readers up at night.
Levi enjoys watching crime shows and mystery movies with his spouse. Levi likes drinking craft beer like IPAs, chocolate stouts, and fruit sours. He enjoys hunting wild mushrooms and getting lost in the woods, but his favorite activity is writing and creating entertaining new stories for his loyal readers.
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