Blindsighted (Grant County #1) - Karin Slaughter Page 0,54
knew how to get around. She may have been blind, but in some ways she was sighted. In some ways, Sibyl could read people better than someone who could see because she listened to what they were saying. She heard the change of cadence in their voices when they were lying or the tremor when they were upset. She had understood Lena like no one else in her life.
Hank knocked at the door. “Lee?”
Lena wiped her nose, realizing that she had been crying. She did not open the door. “What?”
His voice was muffled, but she could hear him loud and clear. He said, “I’m sorry I said that, honey.”
Lena took a deep breath, then let it go. “It’s okay.”
“I’m just worried about you.”
“I’m okay,” Lena said, turning on the iron. “Give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready to go.”
She watched the door, saw the doorknob turn slightly, then turn back as it was released. She heard his footsteps as he walked down the hall.
The Brock Funeral Home was packed to the gills with Sibyl’s friends and colleagues. After ten minutes of shaking hands and accepting condolences from people she had never met in her life, Lena had a tight knot developing in her stomach. She felt like she might explode from standing still for too long. She did not want to be here, sharing her grief with strangers. The room seemed to be closing in on her, and though the air-conditioning was low enough to keep some people in their coats, Lena was sweating.
“Hey,” Frank said, cupping her elbow in his hand.
Lena was surprised at the gesture but did not pull away. She felt overwhelmed with relief to talk to someone familiar.
“You hear what happened?” Frank asked, shooting Hank a sideways look. Lena felt a blush of embarrassment at the look, knowing that Frank had pegged her uncle for a punk. Cops could smell it from a mile away.
“No,” Lena said, escorting Frank to the side of the room.
“Will Harris,” he began in a low tone. “Somebody threw a rock through his front window.”
“Why?” Lena asked, already guessing the answer.
Frank shrugged. “I don’t know.” He looked over his shoulder. “I mean, Matt.” Again the shrug came. “He was with me all day. I don’t know.”
Lena pulled him into the hallway so they would not have to whisper. “You think Matt did something?”
“Matt or Pete Wayne,” he said. “I mean, they’re the only two I can think of.”
“Maybe somebody in the lodge?”
Frank bristled, like she knew he would. She might as well have accused the pope of fiddling with a ten-year-old.
Lena asked, “What about Brad?”
Frank gave her a look.
“Yeah,” Lena said. “I know what you mean.” She could not say without a shadow of a doubt that Brad Stephens might not like Will Harris, but she knew that Brad would cut off his own arm before he broke the law. Once Brad had backtracked three miles just to pick up some trash that had accidentally blown out of his car window.
“I was thinking of talking to Pete later on,” Frank said.
Without thinking, Lena checked the time. It was a little after five-thirty. Pete would probably be home.
“Can we take your car?” she asked, thinking she could leave hers for Hank to take home.
Frank looked back into the parlor. “You wanna leave your sister’s wake?” he asked, not hiding his shock.
Lena stared at the floor, knowing she should feel ashamed at the very least. The fact was, she had to get out of this room with these strangers before grief took hold and she became too paralyzed to do anything but sit in her room crying.
Frank said, “Meet me around the side in ten minutes.”
Lena walked back into the room, looking for Hank. He was standing by Nan Thomas, his arm around her shoulder. She felt herself bristle, seeing them together like that. He certainly had no problem comforting a complete stranger, no matter that his own flesh and blood was not ten feet away from him, alone.
Lena went back into the hallway to get her coat. She was slipping it on when she felt someone helping her. She was surprised to see Richard Carter behind her.
“I wanted to tell you,” he said, his tone hushed, “that I’m sorry about your sister.”
“Thanks,” she managed. “I appreciate that.”
“Have you found anything about that other girl?”
“Matthews?” she asked before she could catch herself. Lena had grown up in a small town, but she was still amazed at how quickly word got around.