Ear-Witness Read Online Free PDF

she called. “I’m going to have a shower.”
    I took eggs and butter out of the fridge, and bread and maple syrup from the cupboard. Kelly leaned against the wall, watching, while I told her about the murder. After she heard the basics, she started asking questions.
    â€œIf Tammi was in the apartment when Ray was killed she must have seen the murderer, right?”
    â€œRight,” I said. “I guess.” I cracked the eggs into a bowl, and messed them around with a fork. Then I added milk and some nutmeg.
    â€œSo why didn’t he kill her too?”
    â€œMaybe he wasn’t mad at her,” I said.
    â€œJess! She can identify him!”
    I turned the gas on under the frying pan, threw in a hunk of butter and watched it sizzle. “Yeah,” I said. “She could do one of those drawings. Pick eyes and noses and join them together.”
    â€œHow many noses does he need?” Kel asked.
    â€œHa ha,” I said. “Maybe she was in the back bedroom and he didn’t even know she was there.”
    â€œBut wouldn’t she come out when she heard all that noise?”
    â€œI don’t know. Maybe not, if she was scared.” I soaked six slices of bread in the egg mixture, and put three of them in the pan to fry.
    â€œAnd why didn’t she call the cops?”
    â€œWhen they were fighting?” I asked.
    Kelly nodded.
    â€œMaybe she didn’t expect the guy to have a knife,” I said. “Here, you can set the table.”
    â€œWhat about after, when Ray’s dead?” She took the knives and forks from me and stood there, holding them.
    â€œWell, we don’t know exactly when that happened.”
    â€œLook, you’re the one who said you heard somebody falling in the night...”
    â€œYeah,” I said. “I think he was killed then. And that’s when she started bawling.” I took the cutlery from her hand, and set three places. Kelly didn’t even notice.
    Mom, all pink and shiny from her shower, opened the fridge door and peered inside. “I don’t know what I want,” she said.
    I poured three glasses of orange juice and handed her one.
    â€œDo we know when she called the cops?” Kelly asked.
    â€œThey came just after Jess left for school,” Mom said. “Tammi said she just woke up and found him dead. Right then. In the morning.”
    â€œEven though she cried all night?” I asked. “She’s lying!”
    â€œMaybe she was in shock,” Mom said. “Maybe she couldn’t function at all.”
    â€œAnd maybe,” Kelly said, “she was waiting for him to die.”
    Kelly has always had an absolutely wicked imagination, but this was too much. Mom and I stared at her.
    â€œThat’s a horrid thing to think about,” Mom said. “I can’t believe Tammi would do that.”
    â€œWhy not?” Kelly said. “If she hated him? If she had enough of being bashed around? Maybe she just sat there and let him bleed to death.”
    â€œYou’re sick, Kel,” I said. “I don’t think so. Tammi isn’t the smartest person I ever met, but she’s not mean. And she was really upset that morning. At least I thought so.” I looked at Mom. “What do you think?”
    â€œShe was really upset,” Mom said. “But that could be for any number of reasons. Watch the toast, Jess.”
    I flipped three perfect pieces onto a platter, which I put on the table. Then I carefully laid the last three in the pan.
    â€œHow else can we explain why she didn’t get help until morning?” Kelly asked.
    â€œWe can’t,” I said. “Let’s eat.”

    After breakfast we left Mom with the dishes and walked over towards the library, so I could return my book-report book and take out another. There was a tournament going on at the tennis courts beside the school, and we sat on a bench to watch. The players were all