“You don’t recognize me, but I was one of the policemen who went to the motel that night and arrested that bum Jerry McCorkle before he could hurt Randy’s sister. I followed his case in court. He got his just deserts, I’m glad to say.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize you.” I don’t want to stay here and talk to you. You’ve just cost me a lot of money.

“How is the girl? What was her name, Lucille?”

“Lucy. She’s fine, doing well in school.”

“Glad to hear that. They don’t all end up okay.” He paused a moment and looked away, then back at her. “I’m sorry about the ticket, but you were speeding at quite a clip.”

“I’m sorry, too. Well, I’m off now.”

He bent and tipped his hat. His badge read Sergeant Dick O’Neal. “Take care of yourself, Sergeant Dick O’Neal, and thanks for helping Lucy.” Grace drove away slowly, her stomach quivering.

Randy sat in a lounge chair, his leg stretched stiffly before him, his cane close at hand. His head was thrown back, his eyes closed, and a book lay open on his lap. Grace’s car door closed harder than she had anticipated, and from inside the house a dog barked. Randy’s body jerked and came erect. He looked around, his eyes wild and frightened, and his hand reached for a gun no longer at his side.

“It’s me, Randy. Mrs. Grace. I am so sorry I startled you. I didn’t realize I closed my car door so hard.”

Randy ran his arm across his brow, then covered his eyes for a moment with both hands. He took a long, deep breath. “It sounded like…like a gunshot.”

“Forgive me.” She walked toward him, then hesitated, unsure if his spirit had returned to the here and now. He smiled, which reassured her, but she approached him cautiously. Then the front door of the house flew open, and the youngest Banks daughter, Audra, who had once informed Grace that she preferred the name Teresa Marie, rushed up to them and threw her arms about Grace.

“Mrs. Grace. You came. I was hoping you’d come. He’ll listen to you, for sure. You tell him it’s okay. He’s home. No one’s gonna shoot him no more.”

“You hush up, Audra.” Randy turned to Grace. “It’s nothing. Sometimes loud noises startle me, that’s all.”

“I’m not Audra, remember?” The child looked at Grace, who nodded. Then she turned back to her brother. “So what about the nightmares and screaming at night, waking us all up?” Audra hung behind Grace. “You sure do scare me, Randy.”