Free Silent Son by Gallatin Warfield Page B

looking for the bullet, but it was gone. Someone had gotten there first!
    Gardner and Jennifer sat at the dining room table of the town house, staring across their plates. Gardner’s baked chicken
     had been barely touched, and he repeatedly rubbed the back of his neck, a sure sign that the tension of recent events had
     lodged in his shoulder muscles. The interim police report lay to the side of his place mat, creased and rumpled by repeated
     handling.
    “Do you want more tea?” Jennifer was trying hard to maintain the appearance of normalcy. She had never seen Gardner so depressed
     as he’d been after visiting Granville.
    “Uh, no. No thanks, Jennifer,” Gardner replied, lost in thought.
    “Are you going to finish that, or do you want me to wrap it for tomorrow?” Jennifer asked.
    Gardner pushed the plate. “I’m done. Just can’t eat right now.”
    Jennifer stood and cleared her place.
    Gardner began to stand, but she motioned him down. “No. You sit there. I’ll take care of it. I have a surprise for dessert.”
    Gardner flopped back into his chair. “Surprise?” A brief smile flickered on his lips. Jennifer was a jewel: a brilliant attorney
     and a loving companion. She was tough as nails in the courtroom, and soft as satin at home.
    Jennifer soon returned with a chocolate eclair on a plate, his absolute favorite.
    “Thank you,” he said, pulling her down for a quick kiss on the cheek.
    Gardner took several bites of his dessert as Jennifer watched. When he was finished, he picked up the police report. “Did
     you read this thing?”
    Jennifer moved to a side chair, where she could see the writing. “You put me in charge, remember?”
    Gardner turned to the last page. “No suspects,” he quoted. “They’re not even referring to Miller as a suspect.”
    Jennifer touched the page and traced the words that Gardner had just read aloud. “Brownie’s hunch does not make him a suspect.”
    Gardner nodded. “But his instinct’s usually right on the money. I can’t believe they don’t have more evidence than this!”
    Jennifer’s hand moved to his arm. “Relax, Gard.”
    “God!” Gardner groaned. “Two people gunned down, Granville injured, and they still haven’t got any suspects!” Jennifer rubbed
     his arm. “Gard…”
    “Gotta do something. We, uh… you…” Gardner corrected himself. “It’s killing me. Just sitting here…”
    “It was your decision to step aside, and you know it was right,” Jennifer said. “I’m meeting with Brownie tomorrow. He has
     some new leads…”
    Gardner looked up. “Leads?”
    “A new witness. Possible identification of Miller and his truck near the crime scene.”
    “Why didn’t you tell me?”
    “Because nothing’s certain yet. I’ll brief you after I get the facts—”
    “But—”
    “Obey your own directive. Please,” Jennifer said. “It’ll make it easier on both of us.”
    Gardner started to protest, but stopped and grabbed the arms of the mahogany chair. “It’s hard to do that,” he said more calmly.
    “I know,” Jennifer answered.
    “I’m sorry I got testy,” Gardner said.
    “That’s okay,” Jennifer replied, moving over and sitting on his lap. “I
do
understand what you’re going through.”
    “But what if the witness doesn’t pan out?” Gardner said. He had slowed down, but he couldn’t quit.
    “We’ll deal with that when it happens,” Jennifer answered.
    “But we still need an ID. A
crime scene
ID…”
    Jennifer squeezed his neck and felt the tension.
    Gardner closed his eyes. The investigators could search and search, but only one person could really solve the case. One person.
     The only eyewitness to the crime. Granville.

five
    Granville was curled up in his bed, dreaming about bunnies. He had been home for three days now, and all his dreams had been
     dark and spooky. But this one was sunny. He and Dad were at the Bowers Corner petting zoo. Granville looked into the first
     cage. A large white fur