Henry Franks A Novel - By Peter Adam Salomon Page 0,19

voice quiet.

“In the dream.”

“Aren’t you my age?”

“Sixteen,” he said, moving his hair out of the way to look at her.

“How do you know she’s your daughter?”

Henry sighed. “She calls me Daddy.”

“Well, now I know why you don’t think it’s from before the accident.”

“Just felt so real. Then I woke up.” Henry turned and looked out the window as they passed the hospital. Police cars blocked the entrance where a local news van was parked, the antenna stabbing into the sky.

“It’s not as creepy as it looks,” she said, her voice soft.

“What?”

“The hospital.” She pointed out the window as they left the facility behind. “My dad’s cousin is in there.” She shook her head with a quick smile. “I’ve only met him once; he’s a lot older. Used to live in Waycross, I think. He’s been there as long as I can remember.”

“I’m sorry,” Henry said, turning to face her.

She shrugged. “My dad visits him every so often. He dragged me along once. Wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be from all the barbed wire, you know?”

The bus came to a stop and Henry followed Justine down the steps to the street.

“Almost as good as a breeze,” she said while swinging around in a circle, her hair flying out around her face.

“Almost.”

“Do you dream about dead people a lot?”

“Lately.”

“Been in the news.”

“What?” he asked.

“Dead people. Lots of dead people around town.”

They stopped where the low metal gate swung open to the walkway to his house. It wouldn’t stay shut; the hinges were rusty and the white paint was flaking off like dandruff. Since there was no fence anywhere else around the front half of the property, it didn’t much matter, really, if the lonely gate was closed or not.

“Sweet dreams, Henry,” she said, and rested her hand on his arm for a moment before she walked toward her house.

“Thanks,” he said; then, louder, so she could hear, he said it again, standing on the sidewalk watching her walk away.

Hinges squealed as the door opened. William jumped at the sound, turning around just as Henry walked into the kitchen. The hint of a smile on his son’s face faded as they stared at each other. William looked down at the bloodstains on his work clothes and tried to hide them behind his hands.

“Sorry,” he said as he pushed past Henry, pulling his consultation jacket off as he walked, leaving bloody fingerprints on the white sleeves as he slid out of it.

“Dad?” his son said, the word distant and barely more than a whisper through the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears.

He looked over his shoulder as he fumbled with the keys, trying to slide the right one into the deadbolt. “Didn’t have time to clean up after work,” he called as the key finally slid home.

He slammed the door shut behind him, the echo storming through the house like thunder. William threw the coat into the corner and ran to the bathroom. Heavy curtains covered the window in there, as well, and he was rushing too much to turn on the light. In the dark shadows he turned the hot water on and began scraping at his hands to scrub off the blood.

The water steamed and turned red as he held his hands underneath it. He scrubbed, over and over, rubbing his hands together. His fingers trembled as he tried to get all the blood off. In the darkness it was difficult to see if they were clean or not, so he just kept scrubbing.

Tears fell into the sink, mixing with the blood as he stood there, boiling his hands until they were sterile. Still, he didn’t stop until the water turned cold.

Discovery of Two Additional Bodies Leads to Calls for a Town Hall Meeting

Saint Simons Island, GA—August 19, 2009: In what has become an all-too familiar scene this summer, Glynn County Sheriff’s Officers were called to the beach beneath the village pier where an early morning fisherman discovered two bodies behind a piling.

Charles Bensen, 63, and his wife, Gertrude, 59, residents of Manchester, NH, were visiting family when they were reported missing earlier this week.

Preliminary autopsy reports list blunt force trauma as the preliminary cause of death.

“At this time, it would be counterproductive to speculate on any connections between this unfortunate occurrence and any other ongoing investigations,” said Staci Carr, District Attorney of Glynn County.

“We will continue to follow all leads and value all contributions from the community,” said Major Daniel Johnson of FLETC as they sealed off