Dead Silence Read Online Free PDF Page A

neighbor. At least Kennedy thought of her as a neighbor. His house sat on quite a bit of land, so there wasn’t anyone in the immediate vicinity. He liked Lindy, but the last time she babysat, she’d invited her boyfriend over and they’d watched R-rated horror movies with the boys.
    Kennedy no longer trusted her judgment. “Not Lindy. But you could go to Mrs. Weaver’s.”
    â€œNo, I hate it there!”
    Kennedy wished Raelynn’s parents hadn’t followed her brother to Florida ten years ago. Teddy got along better with Grandma Horton than Grandma Archer. But, of course, he only saw his other grandparents once or twice a year. “Teddy, we’ve been through this before. Considering our options, my mother’s is the best place for you. Anyway, it’s not all torture. She took you to the zoo in Jackson last week, remember?”
    â€œThat was fun,” he admitted. “But…now I’m bored. Can’t you come and get me?”
    â€œSorry, buddy. I’ve got to work today. You know that.”
    â€œThen take me with you,” he breathed into the phone. “I like playing in your office at the bank.”
    Kennedy maneuvered his Explorer to the side of the road. The street was still empty, but he needed to reach the napkins in his glove compartment and do what he could to keep the coffee from spilling elsewhere in the car. “I can’t. Not today. I’m meeting my campaign director and several key supporters for breakfast. Then I’ve got to speak at the Rotary Club. After that, I have a shareholders’ meeting.”
    â€œWhy do you have to run for mayor?”
    Kennedy wondered if now might be a good time to tell Teddy about Grandpa Archer. It would be easier to discuss the subject when Kennedy didn’t have to see his son’s face, when he himself could be more objective about the doctor’s findings. But he couldn’t expect Teddy to deal with that kind of news on his own. Not after losing his mother.
    â€œYour grandpa’s retiring, which will leave the seat vacant for the first time in thirty years. It’s something I’ve been planning to do since I was little.”
    â€œWhen’s the campaign over?” Teddy asked.
    â€œNovember. Then, win or lose, life should get easier.”
    Teddy groaned. “ November? I’ll be back in school by then.”
    â€œI know. This has been a tough year.” But certainly no more difficult than the one before.
    Yanking his mind away from those first few months without Raelynn, Kennedy went through his schedule and decided he could skip meeting Buzz and the guys at the pizza parlor later this afternoon. He liked getting together with his friends occasionally. They’d known each other since grade school. But Teddy’s needs came first. “Why don’t I pick you up at four o’clock and take you and Heath out for ice cream?” He supposed they could even stop by the pizza parlor afterward to say hello to the gang.
    â€œCan we go at six instead?”
    Kennedy stopped swiping at the coffee in his lap. “Six? That’s when I usually pick you up.”
    â€œI know, but Grandma said she’d take us swimming at four.”
    â€œSo you have something fun planned.”
    â€œNot until four!”
    â€œCome on, Teddy.”
    There was a lengthy pause. “Can we go camping this weekend?”
    â€œMaybe.”
    â€œSay yes, please? ”
    â€œI’ll say yes if you can manage not to argue with Grandma today.”
    A dramatic sigh met this response. “ O -kay.”
    â€œWhat’s Heath doing?”
    â€œWatching TV. Until we go swimming, that’s all there is to do. Grandma’s afraid we might get a speck of dirt on her carpet.”
    â€œI thought you were having fun with that mowing service you started.”
    â€œUh-oh, Grandma’s comin’,” he said and hung up.
    Kennedy knew Camille would