a full force downpour, killing any remnants of the spectators’ curiosity about the accident, which I felt confident it was. While I didn’t know Brennan all that well, I believed him incapable of violence. Cory wouldn’t be attracted to him otherwise, that I knew for sure.
By now, the ambulance had driven away with the victim inside. No sirens this time, just flashing lights. A dozen sheriff’s deputies had begun to take statements from the spectators on our side of the street, some of whom seemed excited to be questioned while others were more subdued. I wondered if any of them had been in the nearby bars or the beer tent earlier and how accurate their recollections might be. Hopefully one of them would be more helpful to Brennan than me.
Ken had asked Brennan to accompany him to the Sheriff’s Department, placing him in the back of a department SUV that had arrived minutes after the ambulance. Cory had tried to go with him, but Ray blocked him and herded him back in the direction of the Mini Cooper, instructing him to return to the track and wait for him there. Cory put up an argument to go to the jail instead, but Ray convinced him otherwise. Ray then asked me to wait with Danny for a couple more minutes until he could rejoin us.
Danny offered me a chocolate chip cookie from the sandwich bag he held in his left hand.
“No, thanks, you enjoy them.”
“Okay. What happened?”
I filled him in minus any details about the victim.
“They took Brennan?”
“Yes.”
“And Ray’s helping them?”
“Yes, but he’ll be here soon.”
“And you didn’t see anything. Geez.”
Again, I knew that wasn’t quite the truth. I turned to watch for Ray.
THREE
I HAD RESERVED A room for us at the same motel—a family-owned, twelve-cabin basic close to the track—where Brennan and Cory were staying. Ray dropped Danny and me off, intending to meet Cory at the track and make a plan to obtain a lawyer for Brennan. I wanted to go with Ray to tell him about the redheaded man and to help Cory and Brennan, but at the same time, I didn’t want Danny too involved in this whole mess. From the moment he joined our family, we’d treated the evening news and the details of Ray’s job as X-rated. Danny didn’t need to know more about the poor redheaded man’s violent demise, and Ray was far better suited to deal with Brennan’s arrest.
Trouble was, the motel room was dark and tiny—maybe thirteen by thirteen with most of that space taken up by two double beds—and had no television to keep Danny entertained with his beloved SpongeBob. The room didn’t have a phone either. After one trip into the claustrophobic five by seven bathroom, I decided to take him across the street to the ice cream parlor, a popular spot in the town for many years.
When the vanilla scent of fresh-made waffle cones hit my nose, I thought I’d made a wise decision. The thirty-plus homemade ice cream flavors as well as a dozen fresh fudge choices were all enticing. An older couple in line ahead of us seemed to have difficulty choosing what to order. They taste tested a handful of flavors before ordering, giving Danny and me plenty of time to decide. I settled on a sugar cone of Southern Pecan Praline while Danny chose a double scoop waffle cone of Cake Batter and Triple Brownie.
Unfortunately, the deadly incident was bound to be the talk of the town, not to mention the flat-screen television mounted above the ice cream counter where we stood.
As pictures of the ambulance leaving the scene flashed, a newscaster’s voice announced, “We have new details in today’s tragic death in Watkins Glen. The Sheriff’s Department has a prominent contractor from Wachobe, New York, Brennan Rowe” —Brennan’s picture from his construction company’s web site appeared on screen—“in custody at this time. According to the Sheriff’s Department, Mr. Rowe is not under arrest, although an unidentified witness at the scene claims Mr. Rowe pushed the victim in front of the Cobra automobile that struck and killed him on impact in front of hundreds of race fans attending the Vintage Grand Prix Festival on the main street in Watkins Glen this evening. The name of the victim is not being released pending notification of his next of kin. When asked if the Sheriff’s Department suspected foul play, the department declined further comment at this time.”
As the newscast moved on to the day’s next top story,