The Vanishing Point Read Online Free PDF

them.”
    â€œI would love to see the journal published,” Claire admitted.
    â€œYou must know a great deal about Jonathan by now.”
    â€œOnly what has been written by him and about him. I certainly don’t know him as you do.” It was as close as Claire could bring herself to flattering Ada Vail.
    â€œHe was our son.” Ada glanced at Otto. “But Jonathan had some strange companions after he got involved in the antiwar movement.” Her eyes took on an intensity that equaled her husband’s. Claire had an image of them in a dark room, two pairs of eyes glaring, like those of predatory animals. “The drugs, the hippie friends. There were sides to Jonathan that I never understood. I come from a military family. We sold our products to the government, and we always supported the war effort. In my family the men went to war. They didn’t dodge the draft.”
    Claire had nothing to say. She thought the unjustness of the Vietnam War was an issue that had been settled long ago. It hadn’t occurred to her that for some people it never would be settled.
    â€œYou are quite sure this journal was written by my son and is not a forgery?” Ada asked.
    â€œIf it’s a forgery, it’s a very skillful one.”
    â€œI’m not convinced that all the ideas expressed are my son’s.”
    â€œWe’ll have it authenticated by an expert,” Claire reassured her.
    â€œMake that your first step, then we will decide what to do about publication. If this is Jonathan’s work, there are passages I intend to excise before it can be published.”
    That was what Claire had feared she would say. It would take a very understanding mother to allow publication of a book that referred to her as a fucking old lady. Claire didn’t see a lot of understanding in Ada’s straight back and severe expression. She attempted to keep her voice sympathetic without being craven. “I understand how you feel, but scholars will view this as a historical document and will want it published exactly as it is.”
    Ada looked Claire right in the eye and said, “I won’t allow that.”
    Claire moved on to the next sensitive issue. “We would like to keep the original at the center, if that suits you. We can preserve it there under optimum conditions.”
    â€œThat would be acceptable,” Ada said.
    â€œHow do you feel about access?” When Ada and Otto had donated Jonathan’s other papers to the center, they limited access to scholars, which was a donor’s right.
    â€œAt the moment I’d like to limit access to the handwriting expert and to people who actually work at the center. No students. No press.”
    â€œWould you have any objection to my showing a copy to the grad student who found the journal? He was very careful not to damage the original by reading it. He is doing his dissertation on Jonathan. It would be one way of thanking him for bringing the journal to us.”
    Ada twisted a diamond ring on her finger, deliberated for a minute, then said, “That would be all right.”
    â€œThere is also the issue of the government investigation,” Claire said.
    â€œWhat investigation? They did precious little, if you ask me,” replied Ada, looking out the window at a gardener as he snipped off a couple of wandering pyracantha branches. “I had to hire my own private investigator, Nick Lorenz.”
    â€œEven so, the case was never solved, and the center was legally obligated to report the find to the ranger station in Grand Gulch as evidence.”
    â€œDid you see anything in that journal that would explain the disappearance of my son?”
    â€œNo. Did you?”
    â€œNo. After years of having Nick track down leads that went nowhere, I finally concluded that my son was murdered. In my mind, the prime suspect has always been Jennie Dell. The federal government bungled the investigation the first time.