When the four of them entered the cubicle, Lulie turned to them, a finger to her lips. “She’s asleep. Dr. Ellis said it’s the best thing for her. Chief, Agent, I’m pleased to see you. Susan, Eric, what are you doing here?”
Susan whispered back, “It was my idea, Lulie. I wanted to see Leigh, talk to her. Lulie, you know Mr. Henry’s belt buckle was found with all those human bones in Lake Massey. No matter how light a hand Chief Christie and Agent Porto have, no matter what active measures we take, you know some people will wonder if we dumped some of our deceased clients into the lake, didn’t in fact cremate them. I’m hoping Leigh can remember more of what was said that day with Mr. Henry about that belt buckle, maybe help figure out why it was in the lake.” She paused, looked over at Leigh. “She looks so peaceful. It’s hard to think of her as being different now, as being, well, whole.”
Lulie felt tears spring to her eyes and swallowed. She didn’t tell Susan the medical determination Dr. Ellis had made, it didn’t matter. “I hadn’t realized the implications, Susan, but now I do. Let me assure you, Leigh hasn’t forgotten anything about that day. When she wakes up, she’ll be pleased to go over it with you. Now, let me introduce you to Congressman Mellon. He’s Leigh’s father. He came immediately when I told him she’d been hurt.” Lulie said nothing more, just stood back and smiled and watched Andrew take over.
Andrew shook Susan’s hand, then Eric’s. Eric said, “I voted for you, Congressman, always believed you were a stand-up guy.” He looked over at Leigh and smiled. “Glad you came, sir.”
Andrew said, “I am, too. Leigh worked for you, Mrs. Sparrow?”
Susan nodded again, but she never looked away from Leigh. She looked the same except for the big white bandage around her head. Her face was beautiful, her skin translucent. Susan said, “Eric’s right. It’s good you’re here. I didn’t vote for you, sorry.”
He smiled. “I find it hard to understand why some folks don’t vote for me. It’s always a blow. But I always hope they’ll come into the light at the next election.” He paused. “I would have thought everyone in this town would know by now that Leigh’s my daughter.”
Eric said, “The news hadn’t yet reached the house of the dead, Congressman.”
“Eric, please.” Susan looked at Lulie. What did she think about her daughter’s father showing up? If she were Lulie, she might have shot him. She said with a warm smile, one she reserved for the bereaved, “I’m so happy for you, Lulie. When Leigh wakes up, may I speak with her?”
“Of course. Look, Susan, I don’t want to see the crematorium bankrupted when I’m sure you had nothing to do with either the bones or the belt buckle in Lake Massey. Ty and Sala are smart. They’ll figure out what happened, you’ll see.”
Eric said, “Thank you for believing in us, Lulie.”
“Eric, your parents were fine people. They raised two honest boys.” Lulie looked over at her daughter, who was awake and yawning, blinking her eyes. “Let me tell her you’re here.”
Lulie walked to Leigh’s bedside, stroked her cheek with her fingertips. “Hello, sweetheart. How do you feel?”
Leigh smiled up at her mother. “I’m okay. Don’t worry, Mom.”
“Would you like to speak to Susan Sparrow? She and Eric are here to see you. And Chief Christie and Agent Sala.”
Yes, of course they were here, Leigh had heard them talking, clear as day. It was strange, but she hadn’t been aware she was awake. How odd that was. She called out, “Chief Christie, Agent Porto. Hello, Susan, Eric. I’m glad you came. I’d like to thank you for coming, especially Susan. You were a good boss, very patient with Gunny—with me.” She waited until Susan stood beside her. “Forgive me, but I’m still floating on the ceiling. But the pain medicine should clear out soon, and I’m hopeful of a soft landing.” She studied their faces. “I understand you must be worried about what people will think of the crematorium. And of course you realize many people don’t think all that deeply, they prefer always to latch onto the most titillating answer. But everyone knows the Sparrow family. You have no need to worry.”
58
* * *
Susan could only stare at the young woman she’d known for as long as she’d lived in Haggersville. Her eyes were a bit blurred from the drugs, but her voice—no longer was her sweet voice diffident, uncertain, always pausing to see if someone else wanted to speak. Now her voice was strong, confident, and what she’d said about people? “Yes, that’s it, exactly,” Susan said. “Chief Christie and Agent Porto told my family you’d changed your name from Gunny back to your given name, Leigh. I’m glad you did. It’s a lovely name.”
“Yes, it is, isn’t it?” Leigh looked beyond her, smiled. “Hi, Eric, it’s nice of you to come.” She patted the other side of her bed.
Eric walked to her, lightly touched his fingers to her hand. He couldn’t help it, he stared at her as his sister-in-law was doing.
Leigh asked, “Susan, do you have any idea how Mr. Henry’s belt buckle could have gotten in the lake?”
Susan knew she had to stop gawking at this young woman. “No, I don’t. Nor do Landry or Eric.”
Eric said, “We told the chief and agent that none of us saw his body. It was delivered in a shroud from the morgue. We moved him in his shroud into a closed coffin for the memorial service. Then he was cremated. We never saw a belt buckle, and it definitely wasn’t among his ashes.”
Susan shrugged, looking helpless. “We’re at a loss.”
“I see,” Leigh said. She remembered vividly what she’d heard had been done to Mr. Henry.
Susan leaned close. “Leigh, I’m sorry to ask you, but could you please tell us about that afterno
on you first saw the belt buckle? We’re hoping, praying, you’ll remember something else that happened in that meeting, something that might help Chief Christie and Agent Porto.”
Sala said, “Give it a try, Leigh. Think back to that afternoon with Mr. Henry. Picture it again. You’re there. You’re eating birthday cake. Is Mrs. Boilou in the study with you and Mr. Henry?”
“No, I told you, she took her slice of cake and left.” Leigh continued, her voice calm, and once again she gave a perfect recital of her visit from the moment she’d walked through his study door carrying his birthday cake to when he’d sworn her to secrecy about the belt buckle. “And so I left, went home, and told my mom how happy Mr. Henry was with his birthday cake. There was no problem about keeping the belt buckle secret. I forgot all about it until Agent Savich showed it Monday on TV.”