by Leena Clover
“Have you talked to any more neighbors?”
“I didn’t get to it today,” Stan admitted. “I know you’re taking this hard, Meera. But try to prepare yourself. Your boy’s beginning to look guilty as hell.”
I was speechless. Stan hung up, promising to keep me posted on the latest. I put my head on Tony’s shoulder, trying to gather my thoughts.
“What do you know about him, really?” Tony asked gently.
“Pappa had his doubts. So does Dad, apparently. Sylvie, Motee Ba and I are the only ones who think Leo’s innocent.”
Tony gave me a meaningful look.
“What are you saying, Tony Sinclair? You think we are sentimental fools?”
His eyes softened and he hugged me close.
“You have a big heart, Meera. It’s one thing I really love about you. But you can be too kind.”
“I don’t care what you say.”
I really wanted to call Becky. Maybe she had found out something that would help Leo. I convinced myself to wait until morning.
Tony had warned me not to wake him up until 8:30. He also hinted I should switch off the phone’s ringer. I fell asleep before I could count to 5 and woke up under a barrage of pillows. Jeet and Tony towered over my bed, ready to strike some more blows. A shrill sound finally penetrated my sleep deprived brain. It was the phone.
Tony pointed his arm toward the door.
I took the phone and went into the bathroom. It was Becky.
“What’s up Becks? Everything alright?”
“Sure, Meera! It’s almost 7 AM. I’m just starting my shift.”
I bit back a curse. No wonder Tony and Jeet were mad at me.
“We didn’t get a chance to talk yesterday,” Becky was saying. “I thought we’d catch up before I get busy.”
I told her about the Grand Canyon sunset.
“I’m missing all the fun, Meera. But I’m glad I stayed back. Sylvie hasn’t been feeling too good.”
“What’s wrong?”
“She was running a slight fever yesterday. I told her not to rush in today. And I told Jon to stay back and take care of her.”
“That’s good of you, Becky!”
“It’s the least I can do. Never mind all that. Wait till you hear what happened yesterday.”
“Did you meet Leo?”
“Not yet. He wasn’t home when I went by Charlie’s.”
“Did you get to talk to anyone this time?”
“You bet! Joyce Baker. Another of Charlie’s neighbors.”
“Who is she?”
“She’s a sweet old lady with a house at the edge of the cul de sac. Her living room window has a great view of Charlie’s house.”
“Where was she all this time?”
“Right there. No one went to talk to her.”
“Is she the one with the twitching curtains?”
“That’s her. Sylvie says she’s nosy. And a big gossip.”
“That’s good for us, right? But is she accurate or does she just spread tall tales?”
“How would I know that, Meera?”
“What did she tell you?”
Would she have something nice to say about Leo? Becky almost read my mind.
“She was all praise for Leo. He’s as meticulous as Charlie. Does his chores right on time. Goes to the library every day too.”
“Did Charlie talk to this woman?”
“I’m not sure. I guess she just observed all this from that window of hers. She told me Leo was a good kid. Then she turned red when I asked about Anna Collins. She said she wasn’t feeling too good. So I had to leave.”
“Why would she do that?” I cried.
“I don’t know Meera,” Becky was thoughtful. “It’s almost as if she wants to say something about the Collins duo but doesn’t dare to. Who knows? Maybe that Don guy’s threatened her?”
“There’s a good chance of that, based on his record. What else did she talk about?”
“More of the same stuff you know. Charlie was very particular about his routine. He waved to her every time he took Bandit out for a walk. But he didn’t stop and chat with her.”
“I’ll ask Stan to go talk to her. Do you think she’s hiding something?”
“Doesn’t seem the type,” Becky said. “She seemed eager enough to talk. Just clammed up when I mentioned Anna.”
Becky hung up after that and I pulled out the index card with the question mark. I wrote down Joyce Baker’s name and added a reminder to send Stan over to talk to her.
It was barely 6:30 but I couldn’t sleep. I showered and dressed and decided to go on a drive. I left a note for the boys, just in case they woke up before I got back. I took the road to the canyon and put the car in cruise mode at 50 miles per hour. I didn’t plan to drive as far as the park. I was hoping the drive would clear my head. The sun slowly came up on my right. I parked in a small clearing and rolled the windows down, breathing in the moist, cool air.
My life had grown complicated in the last few months. Simple moments like these had become elusive. I enjoyed the solitude, thinking about nothing for a change. The cold air began to make me drowsy and I finally made a U turn back to the hotel.
The boys were still fast asleep and I took great pleasure in waking them up.
“You didn’t get us anything?” Jeet sulked.
I handed over two cups of coffee and popped the last bite of donut in my mouth. I wasn’t in a mood to share.
“Breakfast in 30 minutes!”
“Did you sleep well?” I asked Pappa as I cut into my three egg omelet.
I was getting used to these lavish breakfasts. Any meal I don’t have to cook is good enough for me. I savored the cheesy omelet with ham and green peppers, trying to ignore Dad who sat right opposite me at the table.
Sally placed a big bowl of fruit in front of him. He speared a piece of melon with gusto and beamed at her.
“Are you boys ready for our next stop?” Dad asked.
Jeet and Tony were grinning foolishly, thinking of Vegas showgirls.
“Just think about it. We’ll go hundreds of feet down inside, and see the turbines spin.”
I guffawed, spraying Dad with the contents of my mouth.
“He’s talking about the dam, you bozos!”
“What’s this nonsense, Meera?” Dad growled, wiping his face with a napkin Sally handed him.
“Sorry, Dad! This is just too funny. The boys are dreaming of naked girls and you’re talking about boring old machines.”
“She’s lying!” Jeet protested, turning red in the face. “We’re thinking of no such thing.”
“Speak for yourself,” Tony said under his breath.
“Don’t you dare take my baby to that kind of place!” Motee Ba rapped Tony on the shoulder.
“Motee Ba,” Jeet turned to her. “I’m over 18! I’m going to college!”
“Let’s see the dam first,” Dad said, hiding a smile. “We’ll talk about what to do in Vegas when we get there.”
All three women at the table glared at the men. Pappa finally looked up and realized he had missed something.
“What’s going on, Hansa?”
“You should book a day at the spa with your mother,” Dad said to me.
He turned to look at his mother.
“You should all go. My treat.”
“That’s a great idea,” Motee Ba said and winked at me.
I didn’t know how I felt about doing anything with Sally.
“Do you like going to spas?” I asked her.
She seemed well preserved for her age. Her skin was flawless, smooth and without any blemish. Some of it was genetics, but she had taken care of herself over the years. Sally Rossi exuded the kind of charm and class that came with wealth. I was sure she hadn’t been picking oranges in California.
Sally gave me a smile. It meant she would love spending a day at the spa with me.
We lingered over the breakfast table. The next stop was Las Vegas, a three hour drive. Ou
r hotel didn’t allow check-ins until 3 PM. Even with an hour or two at the Hoover Dam, the day was wide open.
Pappa asked about lunch plans and everyone pitched in with ideas. Sally suggested getting bread and cheese from the market and making sandwiches. We still had some chilies and tomatoes left over from the farmer’s market. Dad wanted to get something to go so Sally wouldn’t have to exert herself making the sandwiches.
My phone rang, or rather Tony’s phone rang. I got up from the table and walked a few steps away to answer it.
“Stan! I was going to call you after breakfast. We are just finishing up.”
Stan’s voice crackled over the lines, knocking the wind out of my sails. Tony’s phone slipped from my hands and shattered on the terracotta tiles of the restaurant. I heard a buzzing sound in my ears. I saw Tony spring up from his chair and rush around to hold me. I must have struggled because his grip tightened. Then I was burying myself into his arms, trying to forget what I had just heard.
Chapter 18
Motee Ba stroked my back gently, and Sally sat next to me with my hand in hers. Pappa sat in a chair tapping his cane. The boys sat on the floor in a corner, quiet for once. Dad paced the room restlessly, muttering to himself.
We were all in Sally’s room, trying to process what I had just heard.
Stan’s voice rang in my ears and it still didn’t make sense.
“Brace yourself, Meera,” he had started. “The news is not good.”
He had paused, as if taking a big gulp.
“They found Leo Smith this morning. He’s gone. Took an overdose of sleeping pills.”
I had heard nothing beyond that. Leo’s face swam before my eyes. I was never going to see him again.
“Call Stan and get the details,” Motee Ba ordered Tony.
“My phone’s broken, Granny,” Tony said.
“Borrow Andy’s phone.”
Dad stopped his manic pacing and stared at his mother.
“Really, Ba? Haven’t we had enough of this? Good riddance, I say.”
“Dad!” I cried.
Sally frowned and clutched my hand tighter.
“Don’t be unkind, Andy,” Motee Ba glared. “He never did anything to you.”
“We need to know what happened,” Pappa spoke up. “I promised Charlie I would keep an eye on that boy.”
Dad reluctantly handed over his phone to Tony. I don’t know how but Tony finally managed to get Stan on the line. He asked a couple of questions and then listened quietly for a long time. Then he thanked Stan and hung up, promising to keep in touch.
He stared at me, looking helpless. I could tell something unpleasant was coming up.
“Well?” Dad said curtly. “Speak up, Tony. We are waiting.”
“Audrey found Leo this morning. She heard Leo got out of jail. She went to Charlie’s house to clean and cook for him, like always. Leo was already dead.”
There was a stunned silence.
“He took a bunch of sleeping pills,” Tony added.
“So he didn’t go to Sylvie’s?” I croaked.
I hadn’t had a chance to talk to Sylvie. Then I remembered she was sick. Maybe she had forgotten all about inviting Leo to her house.
“There’s more,” Tony almost whispered.
“What is it, dear?” Motee Ba asked gently.
“Leo left a note. He owned up to killing Charlie in a fit of anger. He said he was sorry, but he couldn’t take it anymore. He was the only one to blame for Charlie’s murder.”
There was a collective gasp.
I was so shocked I couldn’t utter a single word.
Dad banged a desk, a queer gleam in his eyes.
“That’s it,” he roared, looking around at everyone. “We have had enough of Charlie Gibson and that kid. No one will say a single word about him again. Chapter closed.”
He gave me an intense look, daring me to protest. I didn’t have an ounce of energy to say, do or feel anything.
“Pack up, kids,” Dad ordered. “We hit the road in half an hour. Let’s hope we all learned a lesson today.”
His barb was directed at me but I didn’t care.
We walked back to our room and I began stuffing my clothes in my bag.
“Let me do that, Meera.”
Tony took me by the shoulders and coaxed me into a chair. Jeet brought a cold can of soda from the vending machine.
“Do you need some of Pappa’s brandy?” he asked. “I can go get some.”
I smiled at him weakly and shook my head.
“He called me so many times yesterday,” I wailed.
“You think he wanted to confess?” Tony asked kindly.
“I don’t know. Whatever it was, we could have sorted it out. If only he had told me what he was thinking, Tony…”
“You did all you could, Meera.”
“Did I?” I cried. “I don’t think so. I didn’t return his call. I could have sent Becky over to talk to him, or Stan. I could have called a helpline.”
“It wasn’t meant to be,” Tony droned.
“How can you be so cold, Tony? This is a kid we’re talking about. A seventeen year old kid who was all alone in this world.”
“He knew you cared about him, Meera. Didn’t you tell him he could stay with you in the fall?”
Tony was just trying to make me feel better. But his words struck a chord.
“That’s right. We discussed his future. He was upbeat. He was grieving over Charlie but he sounded positive. He was just going to get his stuff and go to Sylvie’s.”
“Looks like he was bluffing.”
“I’m sure he wasn’t,” I said firmly. “Something happened since the time I talked to him yesterday morning. What do you think changed, Tony?”
All Tony could offer was a shrug.
“You need to dial it down, Meera. Uncle Andy won’t tolerate any more talk about Leo.”
“I need to talk to Stan, Tony,” I said, grabbing his arm.
“Sorry, Meera. I can’t help you there. My cell phone’s broken. You need a calling card for long distance.”
“I don’t have one,” I murmured.
“We’ll have to wait until you can get one, then.”
I thought about all the question marks I had on my index cards.
“We still have plenty of outstanding questions,” I insisted. “How can the police be sure Leo really murdered Charlie?”
“A dying confession is generally considered to be the truth, Meera.”
I shook my head. A lot of things did not add up. But I didn’t know the whole story and I didn’t have a way to talk to Stan. I didn’t have a choice but to fall in line with Dad’s wishes.
“I suppose you are happy now,” I accused Tony. “I turned out to be the sentimental fool, just like you said.”
Tony took my hands in his and stared into my eyes.
“I am not happy, Meera. Not at this price. I’d give anything to be wrong about this.”
There was a knock on the door and Motee Ba came in. Her eyes were red and swollen and I realized she had been crying. I hadn’t shed a single tear until then but I felt my eyes fill up. She hugged me close and we sobbed together, mourning a life that was taken from us too soon, without warning.
There are times like these when I wonder if God really exists.
“At least he won’t suffer any more,” Motee Ba said.
I didn’t know what suffering she was talking about. Surely being alive, however poor or alone, is better than losing your life? But what do I know.
“Do you think like all these people, Motee Ba?” I asked, agonized. “Do you believe Leo could harm Charlie?”
Motee Ba suddenly looked old and frail.
“All this time, I believed he was a good kid, Meera. I thought people were being unfair to him because he was alone in this world. All I saw was a child who had no one to call his own, who needed a guiding hand like any other boy his age.”
“Yes, yes.”
“I was thinking with m
y heart, sweetie. I know nothing of the ways of the world. I am just an old woman who raises kids.”
“You’re much more than that, Motee Ba. You raised Dad and his siblings, and you raised us! You can read a person, know what he’s thinking deep down.”
“That’s what I thought,” Motee Ba said slowly. “But I don’t know.”
I stared at my grandmother, shocked by the defeat in her voice. She’s the rock I have leaned on all my life. If my grandmother wasn’t sure about a thing, how could I be sure?
“Don’t say that, Motee Ba,” I sobbed. “We were right. Leo Smith was a good person. I’m going to prove it.”
Motee Ba looked uncertain.
“Your Dad is really angry about this, Meera. You can’t do anything that will disturb him more.”
“So you also think I should give this up?”
Her silence was answer enough.
“We’ve had our share of problems, haven’t we, Meera? Your father wants to show you a good time. It’s important to him. Let him do it, please.”
“How can I smile and party when my heart wants to grieve?”
“You don’t have a choice,” she said flatly. “Put on an act if you have to. That’s an order.”
“Does Sally think Leo was a bad one? Is that why Dad is so convinced?”
“Don’t drag your mother into this, Meera,” Motee Ba said sharply. “She’s having a hard time as it is.”
“She’s having a hard time?” I asked incredulously. “All she’s doing is holding hands with Dad, singing songs, and cracking a smile once in a while.”
“She’s cooped up in a car with a bunch of strangers. Strangers who keep expecting her to remember something or the other, speak in a language she doesn’t know, and expect fantastic things from her. Not to mention some people who judge her every minute.”
“That’s one way of looking at it!”
I rolled my eyes. Just thinking about Sally reminded me of how ridiculous my own life was.
“Wash your face and get ready. We don’t want to be late.”
I went into the bathroom and blew my nose. Motee Ba is always my silent supporter. Losing her as an ally shook my confidence. It looked like I would have to bow down to Dad after all.
“It’s just for a few days,” Tony tried to console me when I came out. “You can dig into this once we get back to Swan Creek.”