Drawing Conclusions Read Free Page B

friend—” My fat her pointed into the air to retrieve the name.
    â€œ Charlie ,” I reminded him. “Teddy’s best friend is Charlie.”
    â€œYes, of course,” my father fumbled, trying to cover his oversight. “The three of you have socialized for years. But you must remember that every morning your brother returned to the labs, joining company with some of the medical profession’s key figures. You need to give your brother his due. This delay was proportional to his contributions.”
    â€œJust once, could you put the labs aside?” I pleaded, remembering how the missed dinners and business trips ate away at our family’s dynamic. I’d never understood how Teddy was able to remain neutral all these years. He loved my parents and he loved me, but he kept his worlds separate. Now I wasn’t sure my father saw Teddy in the context of family at all. “He’s your son first,” I slurred as despair mangled my words, “and a scientist second.”
    My father pulled his chin to the ceiling as if he were using gravity to draw his tears back into their ducts. I sensed a softening.
    â€œIn all my years as a doctor, I never thought I would attend the autopsy of my son,” my father began. “I want to assure you that I stood shoulder to shoulder with the medical examiner through the initial work-up.”
    â€œAnd you found nothing?” I said, dragging my sleeve under my nose.
    â€œOn this first round, no,” my father said and then cleared his throat. “A more intrusive examination occurred after I left, and it will take a few weeks to receive the blood and toxicology reports.”
    â€œDon’t protect me,” I said, recalling how my parents replaced my pet goldfish a dozen times rather than telling me the fish had died. “I’m okay with the truth.”
    â€œThe truth is I have no idea how your brother died, but I have asked the police to open an official investigation. That was my discussion with Detective DeRosa a few minutes ago. I came as soon as I got word from the board to proceed, and I’m here tonight to ask for your full participation. You and your housemates were close to Teddy. It’s important you speak freely with the police.”
    â€œThat goes without saying,” I answered, now wondering if my father had already tipped Detective DeRosa off to my challenging personality.
    My father leaned toward me, and for a second I thought he had lost his footing. I reached out to steady him but was met by a cold, dry kiss on the side of my head. “Thank you, dear,” he said.

four
    Typically, we rose at odd hours, but on this particular day, Trina, Jonathan, and Becky were gathered in the kitchen by 8 a.m.
    â€œWhere’s Charlie?” I asked as I opened a window by the kitchen table and breathed deeply in the direction of the water. The news of Teddy’s death was suffocating, and these small gestures were all I could do to alleviate my anxiety.
    â€œWe thought he was with you.” Trina placed a plate of fresh scrambled eggs in front of me.
    â€œI see you found the food,” I said. “Thanks for unpacking the car last night.”
    Trina and Jonathan came around the table, bookending me before I had a chance to run. Becky sat across the table and reached out to hold my hands in place.
    â€œThe funeral is tomorrow,” Becky said. “I have all day to design and sew a dress for you. It’s going to be a magical dress, because it will let you disappear and reappear as you please. It will carry you and envelop you and protect you from the freaks.”
    â€œBecky, you’re a freak.”
    â€œYes I am, and I love you and I want to help and this is the only way I know how.”
    â€œThen put the pedal to metal and start sewing.” I let her kiss my palms before she released me and departed in a swirl of heavy damask hiding her tiny frame.
    â€œRemind me how