The Silence of Murder Read Online Free PDF Page B

Church, then across the damp grass of the practice field behind the high school, where Ann, who used to be kind of a friend at school, told me couples go to make out.
    From here, it’s about a ten-minute walk. It gives me time to think. And to plan. Since day one, Raymond and Rita have gone with the insanity plea for Jeremy. I went along because it scared me to think about what would happen to Jeremy if the jury found him guilty. Raymond’s lined up doctors to talk about what’s wrong with Jer, and I’m supposed to help with the “human side.” But I hated telling those stories in court. My brother isn’t insane. He’s innocent.
    So far, the rain is holding off, sticking to the air like it’s afraid to hit earth. A girl younger than me is mowing her lawn with a push mower. She’s wearing a tank top and shorts and listening to her iPod. When she looks up and sees me, she wheels the mower around and cuts a strip through her lawn all the way to her front porch.
    Seconds later, a car pulls beside me. The driver gawks like I’m a traffic accident, then drives away. At the next intersection, an Amish buggy crosses. I close my eyes and listen to the clip-clop of the horse’s hooves on pavement, the squeaky jiggle of the buggy. I’d trade places with any of the four kids piled into the back of the buggy, or the mother driving. I could disappear into the black dress and white bonnet, the sensible shoes, and the sensible family.
    Raymond’s house is set on a hill, back from the road. It’s abrick one-story, really nice by Grain standards. Flower beds flank both sides of the walk. He must take a lot of real cases, not just freebies for the state, “pro bono,” like ours.
    I ring the doorbell, and the door is opened by a tall woman with thin brown hair and a big belly under a spandex top and cotton sweats. Raymond is going to be a daddy.
    “You must be Hope.” She stands on tiptoes to gaze out at the road. “Isn’t your mother coming in with you?”
    “No.”
    She motions for me to step in, so I do. Her smile makes her pretty. She puts one arm around her belly, like she’s protecting her child. “Come and sit down. Ray will be out in a minute.”
    I take off my soggy sneakers and wish I’d worn socks.
    “You don’t have to do that, Hope,” Mrs. Munroe says.
    “It’s okay.” I take a whiff of the house and wish Jeremy were here to breathe Munroe air. There’s nothing stale or musty here, just a hint of vanilla and maybe lemon. The white carpet looks new, and it makes me nervous to walk on it, even in bare feet. The furniture matches, and the only mess is on the dining room table, where papers are spread out all over.
    “Becca, is that Hope?” Raymond comes out of the hallway, wiping his face with a little towel. He tosses it into a room I’m guessing is the bathroom. “Hey, Hope. We better get down to business. We have a lot to cover.”
    “If you’ll excuse me,” Mrs. Munroe says to both of us, “I think I’ll go lie down for a while.”
    Raymond stops in his tracks. “Are you okay? Are you nauseous?”
    “I’m just tired, Ray. Offer Hope something to drink, will you?” She smiles at me.
    “I’m good, thanks.” I feel as if I’m watching one of those TV family shows, where people are nice to each other even though they’re related.
    She kisses Raymond on the forehead and disappears down the hall. He watches her go before settling us at the table.
    Soon as we sit, he gets serious. “What happened after court adjourned today can’t happen again, Hope.” He doesn’t raise his voice or sound mad, but I know he means business. I think Raymond Munroe might make a good dad. “You and your mother, and Jeremy and I, have to present a united front, whether court is in session or out.”
    “I know, and I’m sorry. But … but I don’t agree with you and Rita about Jeremy.”
    “I realize that, Hope. But even if we have differences, we have to appear as though we’re on the same team.”