Here We Come (Aggie's Inheritance) (146 page)

Her
fingers
drummed
the
armrest
.
She
dragged
her
purse
from
the
floor
and
fished
around
the
back
seat
for
a
plastic
grocery
bag.
Miraculously, Tina’
s car had one.
Chauffeuring her children had destroyed the woman’s pristine interior.
Systematically,
she
plowed
through
her
receipts,
tossing
most,
and filing
one
or
two
in
the
checkbook
she
rarely
used.
It
was
at
least
good
for
that.

Gum
wrappers,
mint
wrappers,
empty
tic-tack
boxes,
and
a
torn
diaper
she’d
meant
to
use
at
night
with
duct
tape
ended
up
in
the
bag.
She
pulled
hair
from
her
brush,
both
fascinated
and
revolted
at
the
kaleidoscope
of
colors
in
it.
“I
remember
the
days
when
I
wouldn’t
have
dreamed
of
using
a
brush
someone
else
had
touched,”
she
muttered
as
she
dropped
the
hairball
into
the
bag.

One
clean
purse
later,
she
started
in
on
the
door
pockets,
console,
and
floorboards.
Who knew how long it had been since the last cleanout
—since
Christmas
if
the
wrapping
paper
under
the
passenger
seat
was
to
be
believed.
As
she
worked,
she
sang.
“
…be
it
by
water
or
by
fire.
O,
make
me
clean,
O
make
me
clean!
Wash
me,
Thou,
without
within…”

“Aaak!”
A
tap
on
the
window
startled
her.
Aggie
made
an
exaggerated
frown
as
she
opened
the
door.
“You
scared
me.”

“I’ve
never
heard
that
hymn.”

“It’s
a
bit
obscure,
but
I
learned
it
one
year
and
every
now
and
then…”
She
shook
her
head.
“Off
subject.
How’s
Ellie?
Do
they
have
her
yet?
Can
I
take
her
home?”
Her
neck
craned
around
him
as
she
tried
to
see
something.

“They’re
inside.
I
asked
them
to
let
me
bring
Ellie
out
myself.
I
need
to
serve
that
restraining
order
for
you
too
before
they
haul
her
off.”

A
sick
feeling
filled
her
gut.
“Oh!
I
didn’t
think
about
that.
Will
she
go
to
jail?”

“Definitely.”

“Can
I
post
bail
for
her
without
violating
anything?”

William
shook
his
head.
“Her
lawyer
will
take
care
of
it.
Stay
out
of
it,
Aggie
.
She
knows
it’s
wrong.
Don’t
let
your—”

“I
really
think
she’s
gone
a
little
insane
since
Doug
died.
Perhaps
if
they
put
her
in
the
same
home
with
Mr.
Stuart…”

William’s
phone
made
a
funny
sound—much
like
the
entrance
sounds
in
small
stores.
“Ok,
I’ll
be
right
in.”

He
opened
the
door
for
her
and
pointed
to
the
front
of
the
car
.
“Stay
there.
Let
her
come
to
you.
We
do
not
want
anyone
to
be
able
to
say
you
stepped
too
close.”

His
words
irritated
her.
Why
was
she,
the
other
victim
in
all
this,
be
ing
held
hostage
by
rules
intended
to
protect
her
?
Other
“mothers”
were
able
to
run
to
greet
their
returned
children,
but
she’d
be
shackled
to
the
stupid
vehicle
by
the
invisible
chain
of
the
law.