Chapter July 29th, 1969

My secret is safe! But the price has been high – far too high!

For the first time since my return to the past I wept tears. I broke downand cried like a…child.

I had finally fallen asleep some time after 03h00, but had been rudelyawakened at 05h30 by my mother’s shouting from my bedroom.

“Oh, God, no! Claude! Claude! Come quick! Oh, God, Hannah!”

I had rushed to my bedroom and arrived there just as my father had gonein. As I entered, my mother shouted again, “Claude, don’t let Connie in here!Don’t let him see this!”

My father had swiftly grabbed my arm and pulled me out the door. “Go backto Claudia’s room,” he said pointing a shaky finger. Go now, please.”

I obeyed! I obeyed, because in the few moments between entering mybedroom and being led out, my eyes had taken in the whole scene.

The empty bottle of pills. The blue lips. The skin too pale. And, worstof all, the lifeless eyes that stared at the ceiling, but saw nothing!

Yes, I obeyed. I went back to Claudia’s room and wept like never before.Not in this life or any other.

Between my sobs I had heard my mother’s voice again.

“Oh, God, Claude, it’s all my fault! She wouldn’t have known about thepills in the bathroom cabinet if I hadn’t …”

“Stop it, Beth! Pull yourself together now. We need to call anambulance!”

She started shouting hysterically. “An ambulance? What’s that gonna help?Look at her, Claude? She’s gone! She’s gone, Claude! You hear? She’s dead!”

My father was about to say something. “I…”

“The police, Claude! You have to phone the police!”

“Right,” he said sounding uncertain. “Then with more conviction, “Right,I’ll do it right away!

A few moments later I heard my father talking on the phone, but hisconversation was drowned out by my mother’s voice.

“Oh, God, Marta! Marta…Marta…Marta! First Marnie and now Hannah! Oh, God,Marta? What am I going to tell you? What is there to say? I’m so sorry. God,I’m so sorry!” Only then did she also break down and start to sob bitterly.

I had stoodon the front lawn and watched as Hannah’s covered form was stretchered into thewaiting ambulance. As they pulled out of our drive, the flashing red lightceased calling attention and they calmly and quietly disappeared down the hill.The need for haste had long since passed.

I eyed thecurious neighbors with disgust. They had all descended on the front sidewalklike a bunch of eager vultures waiting to pounce.

My parentsand Detective Inspector Tallis (I guess a small town has a small police force)exited the house.

My motherstarted crying again and Tallis held her arms gently and spoke reassuringly andconsolingly, but my mother kept shaking her head in denial.

On his wayacross to the waiting police vehicle, he ruffled my hair and said, “I guessthis has been pretty hard on you too?”

“You have noidea!”

“Yeah, what’syour name?”

“Cornelius.”

“No kidshould ever have to go through something like that. I’m really sorry!”

“Seems like youalways do?”

“What’s thatsupposed to mean?”

“DoesSedgefield only have one Investigating Officer?”

“Yeah, that’sright! Me! How’d you figure that out?”

“I seem to beseeing a lot of you lately.”

“Yeah? Likewhere?”

“My school,Marnie’s funeral, you brought Hannah over, and now, here you are again to takeher away. I’ve seen your name in the paper a few times regarding the Du Maillecase too.”

“I don’t knowa lot of kids who read the papers? You certainly are a bright young man –very…observant.”

“Well, it’sgreat to know Sedgefield is safe for us kids again. I sleep better nightsknowing he’s safely behind bars now.”

“We don’tjust catch bad guys you know. Serve and Protect – that’s our motto! But lately,my wife says she feels like a widow herself with all the time I’m spending onthe job.”

“Why’s that?”

“The forcedidn’t think a quiet little town like Sedgefield justified having more than oneInvestigating Officer. And now I got my hands pretty full with a whole bunchof…stuff that has hit my desk almost at the same time.”

“You preferit quiet, hey?”

“Just betweenyou and me, kiddo, I’m lovin’ it!” Then he quickly added. “I don’t mean aboutwhat happened here. I mean about being able to do some real detective work fora change.”

“LikeSherlock Holmes?”

“Bingo! It’sthe reason I joined up in the first place.”

“Yeah, it’sjust unfortunate that before you can catch a murderer – someone has to die?”

“That’s theGod’s honest, unfortunate truth! Very clever! You think that one up yourself?”I nodded. “You really are a bright for a youngster.”

“How is Mrs.Marnowijk?”

“Well,sometimes this job has some unavoidable lows. I guess I’m gonna be the onewho’ll have to give her the bad news. She’s already in a terrible state as is.”

“I guess youmust also be feeling a little responsible for what happened.”

“Also?”

“My motherblames herself too. But you were the one who set this whole thing in motion.”

“Not me! Theone who murdered Marnie Marnowijk is the one to blame. Maybe this is justpayback for her terrible crime.”

“Her? Are youso certain you’ve arrested the right person?”

“The onlyother person it could be is…was…” He indicated in the direction the ambulancehad disappeared. “But my instincts tell me that it couldn’t have been her.Uh-uh! No way!”

“Well then,good luck with your sleuthing.”

“Thank you.It’s gonna be another long day. I’ll have to check later with the morgue toverify there was no…foul play involved. But I already know the answer.”

There wouldbe an autopsy. It was required by law.

The thoughtof Hannah’s beautiful body being…defiled and damaged once more, incensed me.But at least this time there would be no pain. Nobody was ever going to hurtHannah Marnowijk ever again. If there is a heaven and a hell, Hannah would notbe seeing her father again either.

Only now, inretrospect, can I see that our relationship was a runaway freight train headingtowards disaster. It was always destined to end in tragedy.

Once again,in trying to do right – to right the wrong – I have only brought about moremisery and death.

I once said,concerning our relationship, that only time will tell where it will end.

Well, Timehas spoken!

And Time is afour-letter word!!!