Unintended Consequences - By Marti Green Page 0,56

been denied. They weren’t going to dig her up. But he knew that rulings got appealed. Maybe this wasn’t over. Damn! His hands were clammy. His chest felt tight. He struggled to take a breath. Was he having a heart attack? He almost wished he were. Then this would be over. The terror of being discovered would be gone.

Slowly, the tightness subsided and his breathing relaxed. He was okay. He would come through this. God hadn’t spared him only to trip him up now, like some sort of cosmic joke. He thought about it. Was there another appeal? Maybe it was too late now. But if there was enough time, if they could appeal and the court let them exhume the body, then what? Even if they learned it wasn’t the Calhouns’ daughter, they still wouldn’t know who was buried in that anonymous grave. Only he knew the name of the child. Only he knew he’d caused her death, burned her body beyond recognition, and discarded her like worthless trash.

He’d done what he had to to protect himself. And he’d do whatever needed to be done to continue protecting himself.

CHAPTER

20

“I realize it’s only been a week, but have you thought about what you’re going to do with your mother’s house?”

Nancy’s question startled Sunny. She felt a rush of tears and struggled to hold them back. She couldn’t bear parting with the house on Aspen Road. Not yet, at least. Later, when the pain of her mother’s death wasn’t so intense. She knew, though, that her reluctance stemmed from a secret wish that they would return to that house when Eric finished his residency. That was just a little more than a year away.

Byron was a wonderful place to raise a family, with its tree-lined streets, good schools, and neighbors who looked out for each other. Her mother had met Nancy when she lived in the house next door. They’d quickly become friends and remained so after Nancy and her husband moved.

“I don’t want to sell it, Nancy. Maybe after Eric finishes here, when we know where we’ll end up. But not yet.”

“Don’t worry about it. I know a handyman who can close it up. You know, drain the pipes and those sorts of things. I hope I’m not being too practical for you now, but there are some matters you should deal with right away.”

“No, you’re right. Is there something else I should be doing?”

“Well, you need to cancel the phone and cable service, things like that. And do you know if your mom left a will?”

“No. We never talked about that. I never thought that Mom might die. I mean, of course I knew it would happen someday, just not so soon.”

“Well, whether she did or didn’t, you’ll need a lawyer to transfer the house into your name. Make sure everything is done proper and all. I can recommend an estate attorney if you’d like.”

“You’ve been a godsend during this whole ordeal, Nancy. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

After they finished their conversation and said their goodbyes, Sunny went back to cleaning up the breakfast dishes. She felt an ache in her chest when she thought of her mother, of their strong bond and their fierce love for each other. Her mother had been her best friend and now she was gone. Her ties to Byron were severed.

Manhattan life seemed so different from life in Byron. No one smiled. No one made small talk when they passed in the hallway or rode together in the elevator. Thank goodness for play dates, when children got together while their mothers watched and gabbed. At least then she had some women to talk to. Not that they talked about anything serious. Sunny called it “empty talk.” What movies they’d seen, what had happened on the latest installment of their favorite television shows, what gossip they’d heard. Sunny would never discuss with them the isolation she felt in this imposing city, how inadequate she sometimes felt raising a child, how she yearned to be living in a small town.

She’d had a wonderful childhood in Byron and wanted the same for Rachel. Instead of organized play dates, the children on her street would go door to door gathering friends. They’d ride their bikes up and down the block, make up games to play in their backyards, explore the nooks and crannies in each other’s homes. When they were at Sunny’s house, her mother would often be planted at the kitchen