The Sister-in-Law by Pamela Crane (great books for teens txt) 📗

call to the home of Benjamin and Harper Paris on Hendricks Way. When emergency workers arrived on the scene, Mr. Paris was pronounced dead from a knife wound to the chest. A murder investigation was then launched but quickly stalled, owing to lack of evidence and suspects.’

‘We had a body and the weapon, but no leads.’ Detective Levi Meltzer’s mustache wiggled as he spoke to the camera. ‘Sometimes a witness doesn’t step forward – out of fear, usually – but we’re fortunate when they do.’

The screen flashed back to the news anchor. ‘Neighbor Michelle Hudson heard the crash of glass the night of the murder.’

The wrinkled face of an old lady filled the television, and in the background I saw Harper’s house, slightly blurred. ‘I am considered the neighborhood watch because I don’t sleep much. I always keep an eye out on things. That night, when I heard glass breaking across the street, I naturally looked to see what it was. To be honest, it didn’t make sense what I saw, so I never said anything. At my age your brain can play tricks on you, you know? But eventually I figured I’d tell the police what I saw and see if they could make sense of it.’

‘The Durham Police Department hasn’t disclosed further details at this time, but they are confident it will help identify the killer and close the case.’

The ongoing repartee between Ms. Eidenschink and the food service worker slid into an absolute, cold silence. My thoughts turned like the gears of a clock, tick tick ticking down to some inevitable tragic conclusion. Outside the window, the clouds joined into an army of raindrops, like a billowing iron curtain. Lightning streaked across the gray.

The neighbor had seen us. Boom.

Another flash.

We’d be charged with insurance fraud. Boom.

And I was pretty sure that tampering with evidence was a jailable offense. I would miss my child’s birth, first breath, first wail. I’d never have the joy of waking to his screams just as I’m falling asleep. Or watching her chest rise and fall while she sleeps, ever nervous that her frail life hung in the balance of each breath. My sister had damned my life along with hers.

I had everything. And soon I’d have nothing.

I pulled my cell phone from my scrubs pocket and slipped into the hallway while dialing. Harper picked up midway through the first ring.

‘Did you see the news?’ I whispered before she got a full hello out.

‘No, why?’

‘They interviewed a witness – Michelle Hudson – who saw us that night. What if she identifies us to the police?’

‘Michelle?’ Harper scoffed. I could almost hear her eyeroll. ‘I can’t imagine that she would have seen anything but shadowy figures, if that. She’s as blind as a bat and a gossip fiend. I’m sure that’s all this is – a lonely old lady’s way of getting involved and feeling important.’

‘How can you be sure she didn’t see us?’ I needed more than Harper’s assumption. I needed certainty.

There was always the chance that Ben was in fact murdered, and Michelle Hudson saw the real killer. But I couldn’t hang my life on a chance.

‘Do you want me to go ask her?’ Harper offered. ‘I can talk to her, find out what she told the police.’

I considered it for a moment. ‘Do you think she would actually come out and tell you to your face that she saw you?’

‘Like I said, the woman is starved for attention. She would probably serve tea and scones while telling me she thinks I’m a killer. But really, Lane, she may have seen something, but there’s no way she saw us. I’ll talk to her if it will make you feel better.’

Who knew what would happen if Harper confronted Michelle. If the police were watching, it could put Harper back under suspicion. I couldn’t risk it. ‘No, don’t do anything yet. I’ll take care of it.’

If only I knew how to take care of it.

Chapter 19

Harper

Lane told me to sit tight and he’d take care of the Michelle Hudson situation, but I’d never been good at sitting tight. I probably should have listened to Lane, but I knew Michelle. We had been neighbors for years. What harm could possibly come from a quick chat?

When I arrived at Hendricks Way, my first stop was to pick up my mail. It was odd that the mailbox was empty, because even after forwarding it to my new address, I still got advertisements and coupons almost daily. I didn’t think much of it before heading down the sidewalk to Michelle’s, waving at Mr. Radcliffe, a friendly enough guy who lived across from me. He was the kind of neighbor who barely spoke two words in passing, but would mow your lawn out of the kindness of his big, quiet heart.

When Michelle answered the door, her hair neatly coifed and linen outfit pressed, it almost looked like she was expecting someone.

‘I suppose you’re here to find out what I saw that night.’ She stepped aside, inviting me in.

‘You always were to the point, Michelle.’ I stepped inside, prepping myself for the worst. If only I had known the worst was yet to come.

***

By the time I was done at Michelle’s I needed to pick up the kids from school. A year ago, I would have welcomed the kids home with freshly baked cookies and questions about what they had learned. With crumbs scattered across the counter, they would chatter about the friend who they played with or the answer they got right. But ever since ‘the accident,’ they came home to an empty kitchen and silence. It wasn’t fair to them, I knew this. But sometimes I simply didn’t have the energy to do better. Today, however, I did. I could climb mountains today.

Once upon a time my love for my children was endless. Until one day my son did something so unspeakably horrible that it tore right down the middle of that love. Now, my love had