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Back The Ursulina Save as PDF
Chapters (45)
  1. I know you'll never forgive me...
  2. Part One - Your Father
  3. Chapter One
  4. Chapter Two
  5. Chapter Three
  6. Chapter Four
  7. Chapter Five
  8. Chapter Six
  9. Chapter Seven
  10. Chapter Eight
  11. Chapter Nine
  12. Chapter Ten
  13. Chapter Eleven
  14. Chapter Twelve
  15. Chapter Thirteen
  16. Chapter Fourteen
  17. Chapter Fifteen
  18. Chapter Sixteen
  19. Chapter Seventeen
  20. Chapter Eighteen
  21. Chapter Nineteen
  22. Chapter Twenty
  23. Part Two - Your Mother
  24. Chapter Twenty-One
  25. Chapter Twenty-Two
  26. Chapter Twenty-Three
  27. Chapter Twenty-Four
  28. Chapter Twenty-Five
  29. Chapter Twenty-Six
  30. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  31. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  32. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  33. Chapter Thirty
  34. Chapter Thirty-One
  35. Chapter Thirty-Two
  36. Chapter Thirty-Three
  37. Chapter Thirty-Four
  38. Chapter Thirty-Five
  39. Chapter Thirty-Six
  40. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  41. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  42. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  43. Chapter Forty
  44. Chapter Forty-One
  45. About the Author

“You didn’t see anything unusual in your bank accounts?”

“No.”

“Can you think of anyone who had a grudge against Ajax?”

Ruby ran her slim fingers back through her hair. “Well, there was this thing with Norm.”

“You mean last winter? About Will?”

She shook her head. “No. This was more recent. The lawsuit is finally heating up again. The mine ran out of continuances, so it looks like the case should be going to trial before the end of the year. I got called back for more questions a couple of weeks ago.”

“What does that have to do with Ajax?”

“He drove me to the deposition. Norm was outside the house when we got there. He and Ajax got into it before I went inside.”

“Over what?”

“Ajax made some kind of joke about Will. I mean, you know what he was like. A queer joke. It was pretty ugly, even for Ajax.”

“What did Norm do?” Darrell asked.

“He pulled a gun on Ajax,” Ruby replied, “and he threatened to kill him.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

I’d seen Norm many times throughout the year, but I guess I was so caught up in my own issues that I didn’t really look at him. When we stopped at his house, I realized that he looked tired. And years older. He’d lost weight. There had always been a cheerful energy about Norm, a belief that nothing could ever defeat him or slow him down, but it was obvious that the crisis with Will last January had taken its toll.

He covered it well, though. He fussed over me, making sure I was comfortable. He talked about camping, photography, and college football with Darrell. But when we sat out on his back porch and Darrell told him about Ajax, I could see his facade drain away. He hadn’t shaved, and he scratched his chin with an exhausted look that said: What next?

“I suppose you want my gun to test for ballistics,” he said, guessing why we were there. “I’m sure Ruby told you about the threat I made.”

“Ajax wasn’t shot,” Darrell replied.

“No? Well, I suppose that’s a relief. What happened?” Norm glanced back and forth between the two of us, and then he leaped to the correct conclusion. “The Ursulina again? Seriously?”

“That’s confidential for now,” Darrell told him, “although I’m sure the story will be around town in no time.”

“Yes, of course.” Norm got up and leaned against the porch windows. The morning sunlight made his face pale. “I can’t say I feel bad about Ajax being dead. I mean, it’s terrible for Ruby and the kids, of course. But I never forgave him for spreading the story about Will.”

“Tell us about the threat,” Darrell said.