Chapter 26

Her mouth was twitching. She couldn’t speak. Her husband was trying to calm her. He went to her and held her.

“Oh my God!” said Lea. “They were here? He heard me? She heard me?” she sagged back into the couches’ cushions, her tears seemingly without end.

“Apparently. She’d forgotten her purse is what she told me. When they came back to get it, the door was open or ajar, and they just came in and heard us talking in the dining room,” he said. “They listened and left. Not sure exactly what they heard, but it was bad, obviously bad.

“Now she’s quit the company. He’s nowhere to be heard from, and I’ve tried to call him at his place, but he may be staying with her; I don’t know,” he said. “Anyway...”

“I have to talk to her, Anna. And...” she stopped.

“And, Kari,” she said.

“Are you thinking what I think you’re thinking?” said Carlton. She nodded. Slowly nodded.

“Oh my,” he said.

“At least that,” she said.

“She’d gotten her job back as the salon. They needed two hairdressers. I suggested you of course; but when Martha got done laughing, she said she was too old to be hiring beginners,” said Anna. “And yes, Martha’s still working there, but it’s her daughter does most of the day to day stuff now.”

“Hmm,” I said. “Well, I have news too. When I told Mister Dunstan that I was finally getting married; he promoted me. I went from Janitor to clerk in two minutes; oh, and from $8.00 dollars an hour to $11.00. I guess you could say we’re in the chips now.”

She was smiling but something else was going on. “Got another piece of news. She’s asking me to come over and to talk,” said Anna.

“She being Lea?” I said.

“Yes,” she said.

“You gonna go?” I said.

“Thought I’d ask you first. I’ve cooled off some. But I figure that really, it should be your call,” she said. I nodded.

“Thanks for that,” I said. “Do go. I really can’t wait to hear what lie she’s gonna tell. I might write me a novel or something. It’d be good material I’m sure.”

“Okay, if you’re sure,” she said.

I saw her off; it was Saturday. I had okayed her to go to the Hansons’ and talk to the woman, but after the fact I had misgivings. Well, the die was cast, and that was the long and the short of it.

Just as Anna pulled up into the driveway of the Hanson’s mansion, another car pulled in right behind hers; it was Kari Baker’s car.

Anna got out and waited for the young wife to catch up to her. “You too?” said Anna.

“Mom called me. Said it was something important. But I mean you?” said Kari.

“I guess,” said Anna. The two women traipsed up to the door. It was open the maid waved them into them library. The visitors were waved into seats at the largish and circular table that Lea Hanson was sitting at. She was obviously very nervous.

“Something to drink?” said Lea.

Both visitors nodded. Lea signaled the maid, who had come in behind the other two, and she disappeared for a few moments.

Lily, the maid, returned with a pitcher of what appeared to be ready made martinis and three stem glasses. She poured for the assembled throng. She left.

“Anna, you may be of the thinking that I have asked you here to apologize for my words of recent memory,” said Lea. “I guess that that could be considered part of the reason, but if so, naught but the smallest part of it.

“Huh?” said Anna. Lea raised her hand to forestall any interruption.

“Ladies, I really do need you to both let me do the talking. When I’m done, you can ask questions, make comments, shoot me whatever you will. Please!” she said, in the most earnest of tones.

“Mom?” said Kari.

“Please, Kari. I mean it,” said Lea. The two visiting women looked at each other, then back at Lea and nodded.

“I need to say that while my husband knows that I have been thinking about and what I am about to do today. He does not know that I am doing it today: that is, telling you the biggest secret of my entire life, or that of your daddy Andrew Brown, Kari.

There was a long pause. A pin dropping would have sounded like a roadside bomb going off.

“Twenty-nine years ago, a good man was convicted of killing two bad men. That man was Andrew Brown. In the end, for reasons that are very complicated, he spent twenty-five years behind bars suffering awful things and those because of me,” said Lea.