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A suspicious Vinny calls Troy to find out if his less than favorite actress is still in the loony bin. See what's happening in this week's chapter of Bad Karma and the Family Plan. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!
I knew Ethan wasn’t likely to leave things alone,
and he didn’t. After a few minutes, I felt his fingers caress my thigh before
he asked, “So, Sherlock, what did you find out? Is the big bad actress on the
loose, a menace to society?”
“Ha ha, very funny,” I retorted, although I took no
actual offense at his comment. “No, she’s safely locked up and probably being
pampered to within an inch of her miserable life.” Okay, maybe that was petty,
but I didn’t really care.
“Feel better?”
“I don’t know.” I knew I should, having heard Troy’s
assurances of her location. I mean, he would probably be the first to find out
if Miss Looney Tunes were released, even for a day. Even so, I knew what I’d
seen…even if I didn’t know who I’d
seen. And maybe that was what bothered me—the not knowing.
“Vinny, why didn’t you let me talk to him?” That was
Sarah now, grumbling at me from the back seat. “I asked you very nicely.”
My bad, guess I hadn’t heard her request, too
focused on the matter at hand. “Sorry, Sarah,” I apologized. “But to be honest,
I doubt he had time. He’s anxious to get back to his sweetie. Don’t worry. I’m
sure you’ll meet him sometime.”
“Maybe I should move to Roanoke,” she joked…at least
I think she was joking. I didn’t know her well enough to be able to tell. I saw
Ethan glance into the rearview mirror at her.
“Is that something you’re considering?” he asked. I
turned a little, just to watch her expression. At the moment, she seemed a
little weary, maybe even somewhat defeated. Understandable, all things considered.
I would be too after what she’d been through.
She released a long drawn-out sigh. “I don’t know.
Right now, I don’t know where my head is…or my heart. Or much of anything else.
All I really do know is that I have to take care of Alex, to the best of my
ability. He’s my priority.”
I watched her set her hand on the arm of the
sleeping child—when had he fallen asleep? “He’s everything to me,” she said,
and I believed her.
“You’re a great mother.” Ethan echoed my thoughts.
“Don’t worry, Sis. You’ll figure it out. And you always have me and Vinnie to
turn to.”
“And me.”
That from Uncle Benny.
Our declarations produced a small smile from Sarah.
“I know. I’m so lucky to have all you guys in our lives. And Mom and Dad. Don’t
know what I’d do without you.”
“You’ll never have to find out,” Ethan vowed. And I
had no doubt of his sincerity.
Before long, we crossed over the Virginia state
line, into Tennessee, heading west on Highway 40. We passed through some road
construction in Knoxville, but before too long we’d left that in our rearview
mirror and were headed toward Chattanooga, only fifty miles away.
The first time I saw the road sign proclaiming the
distance to said Chattanooga, I turned a mischievous glance toward Ethan, whose
eyes twinkled back at me, even as I sang the inevitable words. “Pardon me,
boy…”
He quickly joined me in the lyrics, and Benny caught
up by the chorus.
“…is that the Chattanooga choo choo?”
Sarah chortled and obliged us with matching train
sounds, such a the choo choo and the chug-a-chug. Alex laughed at his mother’s antics, and for
the next few miles, the car was filled with the sounds of the old Glen Miller
tune.
to be continued
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