Back To 1981, No More Wife, No More Mother Chapter 05

Back To 1981, No More Wife, No More Mother Chapter 05

The noise in the yard died the instant the sirens started wailing.

Two county patrol cars pulled up outside the white picket fence. The red and blue lights swept across the balloons, paper plates, grill, and James’s new shirt—and they also lit up Nicole’s face, which had turned ghost white.

Sheriff Robert Daniels stepped out of the first car, followed by two deputies. On the other side, two volunteer firefighters were already dragging hoses toward the garage.

James froze for a beat, then plastered on a fake smile and hurried over.

“Sheriff Daniels, this is just a small party. There must be some kind of misunderstanding.”

Robert didn’t return his smile. His eyes scanned the yard, then settled on James and Nicole.

“James Whitman, Nicole Harrington.” His voice wasn’t loud, but everyone could hear it. “You’ll need to come down to the station with us. We’re investigating stolen postal items, forged college documents and scholarship fraud.”

The second the words left his mouth, the yard erupted.

The smile froze on James’s face.

Nicole shrieked. “No! You’ve got the wrong person! I’m the one who got into state university!”

Robert looked at her coldly.

“You can explain yourself at the sheriff’s office.”

The two deputies stepped forward. James backed away instinctively. Nicole grabbed his arm, her nails digging into his skin.

“It’s Grace!” Nicole wailed, tears streaming down her face. “She’s the one lying! She’s jealous of me, always has been!”

Just then, the side door of the garage pushed open from the inside.

Through the thick smoke, I stepped out, holding a wet towel over my mouth and nose. My face was smudged with black soot, and a dark crust of dried blood crusted over the gash on my forehead. But I stood straight.

“Robert,” I said, my voice hoarse. “You came just in time.”

Everyone in the yard turned to look at me.

James went pale.

“Grace! So you were inside the whole time? Are you out of your head? You torched the garage just to set Nicole up?”

I didn’t answer him. Instead, I looked at Daniel, who was standing behind Nicole.

The fifteen-year-old boy’s face was white. His lips trembled. Moments ago, he’d been sitting on a folding chair eating pizza, watching the fire spread without a care. Now that he saw me walk out alive, he was finally scared.

I let out a quiet laugh.

“Daniel, why don’t you tell the Sheriff how the fire started?”

Daniel shook his head hard.

“It wasn’t me! I just… I just kicked over a gas can! Nicole said you’d already gotten out. She said it was just supposed to scare you…”

James spun around to face him.

“What did you say?”

Daniel flinched at his father’s shout. Tears started falling.

“I didn’t know she was still inside! Nicole said she deserved to learn a lesson. She said if I helped her, once she got to the college town, she’d take me to live in an apartment with a color TV and a VCR!”

Nicole’s face went completely pale.

“Daniel!” she screamed. “What are you talking about? You’re fifteen years old! Don’t blame this on me! You hate your mother all on your own!”

James’s eyes darted back and forth between Daniel and Nicole. For the first time, his expression cracked.

But I had no interest in watching them tear each other apart.

Robert looked at the wound on my forehead, and his face darkened.

“Mrs. Whitman, I’m sorry we’re late. The materials you gave me this morning—we’ve already checked them with the state university admissions office and the post office. A postal inspector from the county is on his way.”

The townspeople looked at each other in confusion.

“What’s going on?” Mrs. Turner couldn’t help asking. “Sheriff, are you saying Grace was the one who got accepted?”

Robert turned to face everyone in the yard.

“Yes. According to the state university admissions office, the person who was accepted is Grace Whitman. Her official admissions paperwork, state scholarship notice, and student aid documents were taken from her mailbox. Then someone forged her signature to transfer the admission and the financial aid to Nicole Harrington.”

The air seemed to vanish from the yard.

A moment later, someone gasped.

Nicole shook her head. Tears had smeared her makeup beyond recognition.

“No… no…”

Robert’s voice grew even colder.

“And then there’s the fire. Daniel Whitman, you’re coming with us too. You’re a minor, but you’re plenty old enough to account for what went on tonight.”

Daniel finally panicked.

“Dad!”

James didn’t answer.

He just stared at me, like he was seeing me for the first time.

And I stood there, in the smoke and the flashing lights, watching

them calmly.

This time, I wasn’t taking the fall for anyone.