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“Here in Nashville?”
“Not sure. We’ll be checking out places on and around Broadway.”
So close.
Feeling her legs weaken, she’d leaned on the side of his desk and noticed they’d stuck a typed list of honky-tonks on a link chart. The bars were all on Broadway with a yellow marker highlighting one place.
Thinking the underlined place had something to do with their investigation, she demanded an answer. “Which one?”
“Uh huh. That’s not something you need to know. We’re taking care of it, Miss Bolder.” The detective stepped forward while sweeping a hand aimed at the door. “We’ll keep in touch.”
When she hesitated, he courteously took her arm to lead her toward the exit. His determined attitude made Honey decide not to push things. Besides, she needed to be alone to adjust to this latest news. Maybe… just maybe after all this time, they would find the man who’d made her young life unbearable.
Sitting in her car with her head on her arms hugging the steering wheel, Honey remembered her sister’s kindness. Her belief in the goodness of people made a person feel like they were important to her... that their happiness mattered.
As far back as Honey could remember, she’d adored Katrina both as a sister and a surrogate mom. And as the years passed, it thrilled her how much they looked alike. She’d been told many times they could have passed for twins.
***
Suddenly, she was ten again. The day in question, Katrina hadn’t arrived for the weekly Sunday dinner at their parents’ home. The need to appear for this meal every week was deeply instilled in her family. In fact, Honey and her older brother had been excited to spring a surprise weekend treat for Kati’s birthday.
Living with a mom who cooked like an angel, they all looked forward to these incredible meals every week. Only traveling or sickness could keep Katrina away.
When she didn’t show up that day, they’d instantly suspected a problem. Worried, her father had left the house to drive to her apartment and met up with the local police who gave him the horrible news of her death.
Because of the age difference, Kati had been more like a mother to Honey than an older sister. The thought of living without her was unbearable. Devastation ruled her heart for many months. She had so many questions that no one would answer.
The next year passed filled with sorrow. Honey and her brother, Philip, were there when her father suddenly took ill and died within a month, doubling their grief.
Finally, her mother had been the one to put them back together. She’d cooked their favorite meal and commanded them to speak up and say what they’d loved most about their missing family members.
Once they’d lifted glasses of sparkling apple cider in a toast, her mom had spoken firmly. “From now on, we live life normally, in the way our Kati and Jay would have wanted us to. No more crying, nor ignoring our family customs, and no more living in the past. I want us all to move on. Got it?”
Her steely gaze moved from one to the other and stayed longest on Honey. “No more mourning.”
Though Honey had felt shocked at this cavalier attitude, there was no way she’d rebel, and so she’d nodded.
Her mother’s attitude softened and in a teary voice, she admitted, “Kids, I miss us… being happy. Let’s be a close family again. I expect us to continue gathering on Sundays with whoever you want to bring home. I’m happy to cook as long as you do your part and show up smiling.”
After that meeting, things went back to a new normal. No one ignored Katrina’s or Jay’s existence anymore; rather they talked about them often, bringing them into their conversations in a healthy way.
Honey never admitted to the others about the driving need she felt to solve the mystery of Katrina’s death. Not surprising, it had taken a paramount place in her mind, never letting up. Finally, when she grew older, she decided to visit the police station and demand to know what steps had been taken to find her sister’s murderer. As the years passed, she continued to visit the same detective on the case. And because of her insistence, he’d begun to take her seriously.
Once she finished her local education, following in her mother’s and Katrina’s footsteps, she’d gone to teacher’s college and soon took a job at the same high school, working with some of the teachers that had been there during her sister’s time. Sneakily, she’d pumped them for information about Katrina, but no one could remember anything of any importance, except to say that when she’d moved from the lower grades to the high school level, she’d found it a lot more demanding.
***
Noticing that it was still lunchtime, Honey knew she couldn’t go home and let her mom see her in this state. Instead, she decided to return to school. Working would keep her mind active and give her the needed space to calm herself.
As she drove, she experienced a sensation of futility and hated how it made her feel. Could she do anything to get answers? With the summer flowers sprouting everywhere, she knew it would soon be their vacation. Wondering if she’d be able to do her own investigating into the information she’d just learned, she opted to concentrate on getting through these next few weeks and make some plans.
On arriving back at the school, she noticed a group of kids hovering around, shrieking offensively at whatever they were watching. Pushing her way forward, Honey saw it was exactly what she’d thought it would be… another fight. This had become a constant occurrence, and she was sick of it.
Three girls were kicking the shit out of the fourth who’d rolled into a ball on the ground trying to protect herself. Having to break up battles with teens wasn’t an easy task but she dove in without hesitation.
Grabbing the one closest by the arm, she swung her away and shoved her finger in the kid’s face warningly. “Stay there.” Pointing at the rest of the agitators, she warned, “Keep back.”
Then she rushed to get in between the other two and their victim, shoving each away so they couldn’t kick or hit anymore. Once she had their focus on her, she gave them an order. “That’s enough. What the hell are you thinking? Tansy, three against one. Are you insane?”
