Off You Go Read Free Page A

child to raise. Like my daddy used to say, ‘the fattest cow
was hardest to corral.’ I know we’ve always spoiled her, and we
probably trained her to be who she was, but if she didn’t get what
she wanted, she would do her best to make us absolutely miserable.”
Faye sighed, exhausted by even thinking about it. “She’d been
pretty stable for the past six months or so. It was one of those
good streaks. I think she’d finally found a good combination of
medicine, and our relationship was getting better and
better.”
    “ What medicine was she
taking?”
    “ Zoloft.”
    Dewey was not a pharmacist but was familiar
with Zoloft. He’d thought about taking it in the past year.
    “ Can you tell me about the
night it happened? I know it’s probably tough to think
about.”
    She waved him off. “It’s all I think about.
A policeman woke us about 3 a.m. with the news. The person who
first called 911 was passing over the bridge and saw Gina park her
Land Rover at the top in the far right-hand lane heading downtown.
They saw her get out and climb over the rail to the walking lane.
Several witnesses have corroborated. The second call to 911 was a
resident of the Renaissance, those condos on the Mt. Pleasant side
of the bridge. They’d seen a person jump. This was all around 2
a.m. The police found the keys in the ignition and a suicide note
on the dashboard.”
    “ What did the note
say?”
    “ I’m sorry. That’s all it said. I’m
sorry. Love, Gina.” The woodpecker was
still pecking away.
    “ It was her
handwriting?”
    “ One hundred
percent.”
    “ How did the police
respond? Was there an investigation?”
    “ Of course. They did their
due diligence. They talked to people. They figured out she had a
history of mental illness. They put all the facts together and
decided there was no foul play. Simple as that.”
    “ I don’t see how there
could have been. Unless someone pushed her over, which sounds
highly improbable.”
    “ I know. I know.” She put
her hands on her lap. “Tell me why , then. There was a reason she
was smiling in that picture. I told the detective in charge, but he
dismissed it pretty quickly. Of course, he doesn’t care why she
killed herself, as long as no one else was involved.”
    “ What reason?”
    “ She was in love. A week
before, while we were trying on clothes at Hampden on King Street,
I noticed a little sparkle. It was in her eyes and the way she
walked and the way she talked, and I convinced her to admit it. You
know how we all are when we find love. We can’t help but bubble
with life. I don’t remember her looking that giddy since she was
seven years old. Lord knows, before that, she was a serial dater
and a heartbreaker. So she admitted it to me, but wouldn’t tell me
who it was, though.”
    “ Why not?”
    “ Oh, I don’t know. She was
always one to keep things to herself. It was the first time in her
life she’d felt that way. She probably didn’t want to jinx it. She
said she’d spill the beans soon. Anyway, I’m telling you this
because I know she wasn’t in one of her bad stages.” Faye’s smile
faded. “So why would she do it? Why would my baby do
it?”
    Dewey stated the most obvious. “Maybe this
person she had fallen in love with didn’t feel the same way. Or
maybe he or she broke up with her.”
    “ Gina’s not a lesbian, I
can promise you that.”
    “ I never rule anything
out.” Humoring her, he continued, “So maybe he broke up with
her.”
    “ Of course I’ve thought of
that.”
    They talked for a while
longer, and Dewey asked for the keys to Gina’s apartment, her cell
phone, and a list of her family, friends, ex-boyfriends, and
co-workers. He understood Faye’s need to understand why. Over the
past year, he’d spent many lonely nights wondering why himself. Why was he
an alcoholic? Why had he done such terrible things to his family?
Why did he have to drink? Why was he such a miserable person? Those
answers might never come,