To Love and to Perish Read Online Free PDF Page A

way to pick you up. He hasn’t eaten and I think he should. I called the lodge. They can seat us at nine thirty.”
    I heard Cory say he wasn’t hungry.
    My ice cream cone stuck in my throat. Poor Cory. He was undoubtedly devastated, but Ray believed in “the show must go on” as did I. Most days Cory would have agreed with us. Today I wasn’t so sure.
    The local lodge Ray had referred to was known as the official racers’ hangout. On its walls could be found the photographs and autographs of many of the greats, especially the race winners of year’s past. The five of us would normally look forward to rubbing elbows there with this year’s best drivers. Tonight it seemed like it could be a strain.
    â€œWhat about Brennan?”
    â€œHe declined our assistance.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œLet’s talk about it later.” Ray’s tone implied he didn’t want to talk now while Cory was sitting next to him in the car. “Meet us at the motel. We need to wash up.”
    Danny had finished his cone and was eyeing the remains of mine. He could eat more; he could always eat more.
    I swallowed the last of my cone and my fears for Brennan. After all, now was the time to rally around Cory in support. No way did I want to be the one to suggest Brennan was anything other than innocent.
    _____
    â€œIt doesn’t look good for Brennan.”
    Ray’s voice was muffled as he pulled a clean polo shirt over his head and the fine hairs on his broad chest. At his suggestion, Danny sat outside on a woven lawn chair, listening to his iPod that he had retrieved from my Lexus. Cory had disappeared into the room next door without a word to anyone. I wasn’t positive he would come out again.
    Perched on the edge of the bed, I fiddled with the bedspread fringe. “Because of the photograph?”
    â€œThat and the eyewitness reports. A woman swears she saw Brennan shove this James Gleason into the road. A couple other people said they witnessed the two of them arguing near Milliken’s Corner just prior, and some other woman was with Gleason at the time. They’re looking for her, and the Department’s interrogating Brennan now.” Ray finished tucking his shirt into his jeans and started to re-buckle his belt.
    â€œI saw them arguing. And I saw the woman.”
    Ray stopped buckling his belt. “What did she look like?”
    â€œShe had on a hot pink raincoat. I didn’t see her face, just the raincoat. She was tugging on Gleason’s arm. It looked like she was trying to pull him away from Brennan.”
    Ray resumed buckling. “The department knows all that. They need to identify her.”
    His tone said I made a disappointing witness, but how could I have known the woman was important at the time? “Doesn’t Brennan know who she was?”
    â€œNo.”
    Well, he definitely knew the man with her. “What did you mean earlier when you said Brennan declined your help?”
    â€œCory and I drove over to the sheriff’s office. I found Ken, and he went in and told Brennan we would arrange for an attorney for him. Brennan said ‘Thanks, but no thanks. Tell them I’ll take care of everything myself and to stay completely out of this.’”
    â€œThat’s it?”
    â€œYep.”
    â€œWhat did Cory say?”
    â€œHe asked to see Brennan. Then he demanded. He got pretty worked up. I had to drag him out of there.”
    â€œWhy couldn’t he see Brennan?”
    Ray eased onto the bed next to me, his weight pulling me against his side. “Brennan’s in custody. The department doesn’t want him talking to anybody, not to mention Brennan had already refused our help. We had no choice but to leave. I’m lucky they told me anything at all.”
    â€œIs Brennan under arrest?”
    â€œI don’t know if they’ve read him his rights yet, but I doubt he’s walking out of there any