raspy voice. “Mama don’t you take my Kodachrome away!”
Bill let go and stalked into the nearest limo. Eric and Mitzy followed. The old man on his horse followed the somber procession, singing the whole way as they drew closer to Devon, following the road that would take them off campus. “I got my Nikon camera. I love to take a photograph. So Mama, don’t take my Kodachrome away.…”
“That’s Grandpa Reed,” a girl said.
Devon turned. She hadn’t even noticed, but Raven and Bodhi were standing next to her. Bodhi looked almost comical in a dark suit with his blond dreads in a knot at the top of his head, like a toddler forced to dress up for a grown-up occasion. Raven wore a long black flowing dress, which complemented the black hair in clumps around her shoulders. Devon turned back to Reed. He was fewer than twenty feet away now, plodding along behind the blackened faceless cars.
The old man saluted with two fingers from the top of his hat to Raven and Bodhi as he passed, still singing. Bodhi and Raven saluted him back. He nodded at Devon. Reflexively, she saluted, as well. It seemed like the polite thing to do. She wanted him to know that she knew he wasn’t a scary homeless guy. Crazy, yes: clearly. Although what was crazier, taking a nap in her bed or arriving late—in full cowboy regalia, singing and on horseback, no less—to his grandson’s funeral? And why was he in her room? She still had no idea.
The hearse and limos continued down the dirt road. Grandpa Reed followed on his horse. Raven sobbed next to Devon and Bodhi put a comforting arm around her, letting her cry into his chest.
“That guy loved Hutch more than anyone,” Bodhi said to no one in particular. “Bill and Mitzi think Reed has gone off his rocker. They’ve practically disowned the guy. But if you ask me he is the only sane one in the bunch. Hutch thought so too.”
“They disowned him because he’s crazy?” Devon asked.
“Because they’re a bunch of money-grubbing a-holes,” Raven said between sobs.
“Hutch’s parents,” Bodhi said to Devon over Raven’s head. “They’re going up to Reed’s land right now. Athena is buried up there too. At least Hutch will be with his grandmother on the vineyard.” He hugged his sister tightly.
“Saw the coroner this morning,” he added, still looking across the hillside.
“And?” Devon asked.
“He confirmed it was Oxy in Hutch’s system. A lot of it. But he said the weird thing was, usually with overdoses you find a few pills undigested in the stomach. Not with Hutch. The Oxy must have been crushed up before he took it. The only reason someone does that is if they plan on never waking up.”
Raven sniffed and stopped crying. She glanced up at her brother.
“Or, if they don’t know they were taking it,” Devon said.
CHAPTER 6
Name: Matt Dolgens
Session Date: Sept. 17
Session #2
“You did a nice job with the eulogy,” Devon started. Matt sat across from her in the leather chair, studying his fingernails. Another morning session and Matt had wet hair, fresh off the surf van again. He shrugged.
“I guess. The whole thing is kind of a blur,” he said, eyes still on his fingers. He zeroed in on a particularly long cuticle and picked at it.
“A blur because it was Hutch’s funeral or because it wasn’t your speech?”
Matt looked up at her finally. “What’s your point?”
“No point, really. I just noticed that Eric had your speech prepared.”
“So what? The whole suicide thing looks really bad for the family. The least I could do is say a few words to help them out.”
“Of course, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with helping the family out during a difficult time. I just want to know where you come into all of this. How do you feel about it? In your words, not Eric’s.”*
Matt turned his head at Devon, eyeing her up and down. “Look, I appreciate you helping me with my tie yesterday and all, but feelings? Really?” He drummed his fingers on his thigh, filling the silence in the room with his tapping.
Devon put her notebook down. Time to change tactics. “Fine, no feelings. We’re just here to talk. So, anything you want to talk about. Anything.”
“Nah, I’m good.” Matt bobbed his head to the beat of his finger drumming. He blinked at the walls, avoiding her eyes. He was revved up.
“You know, after Hutch, Robins really stressed that I report anyone abusing drugs, pharmaceuticals included.”