Free Sins of September by Graysen Blue Page B

think, Ruth,” I hear him say. “This is the most bizarre thing imaginable.”
    Silence.
    “I think you need to hold off planning anything until we get to the bottom of this.”
    Silence.
    “I don’t know that they’ll do anything, but maybe we need to hire someone to look into it.”
    Silence.
    “I’m not sure what the cost will be. I’m not sure that if we pool our resources that would even buy us enough shoe leather to do any good.”
    Huh.
    “Look, talk to Henry when he gets home and then give me a call in the next day or two and let’s work out some kind of a game plan, funds permitting.”
    Silence.
    “September’s home—I’m gonna let her know, but I think Scout’s too young to be told this shit.”
    Silence.
    “Yeah. I’m down with that. Take care. Talk to you soon.”
    By this time, my heart is beating faster, because something big is definitely going down. Jesse reads my expression and body language.
    “Come here,” he instructs, patting the couch cushion beside him. “I need to talk to you, darlin’.”
    And I love when he uses endearments with me . . . no matter how bad the news is, I’m in his court.
    I sink down into the cushion next to him and watch as his large hand takes one of mine into it, his thumb brushing across it gently with care.
    He turns slowly to gaze at me with those sapphire eyes of his and it’s totally starting to freak me. “I got a call today from a guy named Jackson at the State Department. He called to give me a heads up before the official letter gets here in a day or two. The DNA testing done on the samples from you girls—along with the tissue samples of the . . . uh . . . remains aren’t a match.”
    “I don’t understand?”
    “Well, it means that whoever those tissue samples belonged to couldn’t have been Libby—your mother.”
    He lets out a long sigh, and pulls his hand from mine, putting both of them over his eyes and shakes his head. “This is too much. Just too damn much.”
    He gets up from the couch and heads to the kitchen for a beer.
    “So Mama’s alive?” I ask to no one in particular. “Then where is she?”
    Jesse’s back, taking a long swig of his Budweiser. “I don’t know what the fuck to think. She may be alive. She may be dead. Who the fuck knows?” He’s clearly agitated and frustrated. “I mean it’s not like we’re even dealing with a country that has a sound government. Shit!”
    He finishes off his beer and goes back for another one just as Scout comes bounding into the house. “Dad,” she calls out. “You’re home.”
    “I am, sugar,” he says, setting his beer on the counter and picking her up for a bear hug. “Did you have a good day at school?”
    “Yep! And guess what? Amber asked if I could spend the night. Can I?”
    “Amber from down the street?”
    She nods, anxiously awaiting his answer.
    “Well I need to make sure it’s okay with her mom if you stay. You two didn’t cook this up by yourselves, did you?”
    “No, dad,” she grumbles. “I know better than that.”
    He laughs and musses her hair. “Let me give them a call to make sure.”

    I’ve cancelled my plans for tonight. I feel like I need to stay home with Jesse. Clearly, he’s shook up; I’ve never seen him pound down the beers like he’s doing this evening. He’s sucked down eight by my last count.
    I drop Scout at Amber’s house and check with Mrs. Lawson to see what time I should pick her up the following day. She says mid-afternoon is fine.
    Back home, I pop a frozen pizza in the oven for Jesse and me.
    I grab a soda and join him in the living room with the baked pizza.
    “Ah, good girl. How’d you know I love pizza with my beer?” he asks, cracking a smile.
    “Lucky guess.”
    “Hey, didn’t you have plans tonight?” he asks, taking a bite of pizza.
    “I did but I changed them.”
    “Why’s that?”
    I feel his gaze on me and I’m not sure how to answer. I have my reasons. I just don’t want to share them with him