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“No.” She pauses. “But the house was empty when I got up this morning, so I just snooped through Dad’s desk. They were in a thick, unmarked folder in the back of the file drawer.” She actually giggles through her tears.
“At least something was easy in this whole mess,” I reply with a sigh. “Mom’s were still at the bottom of her cedar chest. If you send those to Jürgen, I’ll send the ones I have too.”
“I’ll get them sent today,” she says. “I just have to drive by the house and pick them up.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it. Especially with all you have going on today. I just want to put that payment to Jake behind me.” I blow out another blast of anxiety-filled air. “Other than that, my attorney doesn’t see any issues.”
“Well, yeah. As long as you didn’t commit any other crimes, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about, right?” she replies with just a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
“I know, but with everyone accusing me of things and making up their own versions of the story, it gets a little unnerving,” I try to explain. “I still haven’t gone online or even on Facebook.”
“You have better things to focus on anyway,” she says, verbalizing the obvious. “How is Tyler doing?”
“He groaned and moved his hand a little this morning. I think he’s starting to come out of it.” I look up at the sky and silently pray that he will make it. “He will be able to set the record straight on what happened to him.”
“Hopefully he will remember,” she replies, sending a chill down my spine.
“I never thought of that. Yeah, I sure hope he remembers what went on.” I slip into the back of the limo to head back to the hospital. “I’m going to check on him now and then I’ll hop a jet for Tullahoma.”
“That would be sweet of you,” she replies in an appreciative tone. “My sister comes in this afternoon and the rest of her family lives right around here.”
“When is the funeral?” I ask, figuring it would be at least a couple of days.
“She didn’t want one,” she says, sounding a little disappointed. “She just wants us to get together at our favorite spot, say a few words and spread her ashes.”
“That sounds kind of nice, actually. I’m definitely not a fan of traditional funerals.” I think back to the mixed feelings I had on the day of Dad’s funeral. “I’ll let you know when I’m in the air.”
“Okay. Thank you, sweetie,” she says before hanging up.
I haven’t been called sweetie in a long time. Mom used to say that when we were little boys. What are the odds that we would both lose a parent at such a young age, both in their mid-fifties. My thoughts turn to Dad and how he completely obliterated Ray’s family business. I get a nervous feeling when I think about meeting him later today. I’m not sure I’m ready for this.
Chapter 10
Trey
When I step off the plane in Tennessee, I’m greeted by Mandy idling in a beautiful black Mustang convertible. Approaching the car, she looks like a different girl with her aviator shades, a white blouse and distressed jeans. A warm feeling passes through me the instant I see her beautiful face. She flashes me a subtle smile in spite of the sadness that has filled the day.
“Hey big guy… need a ride?” she asks as I toss my bag in the back.
“You look amazing and where did you get this sweet ride? I’ve always loved these old Mustangs. Is this a sixty five?” I ask, amazed by the nearly perfect condition of such an old car.
“This was Mom’s first baby.” She smiles reflectively, running her hand along the steering wheel. “It’s a sixty five K code.”
“K code?” I ask, unfamiliar with the term.
“It’s got the high performance two eighty nine. America’s original muscle car,” she says with a glimmer in her eyes. “Sit down and hang on!”
She drops the clutch the instant my door closes and burns through the first three gears, leaving a haze of burnt rubber lingering behind us. “Holy shit, woman!”
“Mom taught me how to drive.” She laughs. “Not many kids learn on a four speed, stick shift.”
“No shit! I didn’t drive a stick shift until I was out of college,” I reply, still feeling a bit stunned. Mandy on the other hand looks completely at ease with her hair blowing in the wind, as we fly down the highway toward Lynchburg. “The countryside out here is gorgeous.”
