Goodbye Earl(94)

Kasey loved how he shared things about himself but didn’t hog the conversation like some of the other men she’d dated. She told him that he was really good at this. This being a first date, this being drinks, this being a man in this world who was obviously handsome and successful and smart but who also didn’t seem to think the sun rose and set on his watch either.

“Honestly? This is by far the best first date I’ve ever been on,” Devon had said as they were leaving the bar.

“Honestly? Same,” Kasey said.



They kissed on her stoop at the end of the night. Kasey had been wanting to do it since the moment his sister showed her the picture. His mouth was dark beer and peppermint. It was two in the morning, and she was exhausted but all lit up with excitement for this newness, and Devon’s shirt smelled so good—like some sort of ridiculously expensive cologne, but only faintly, as if he’d simply walked past someone who whispered the name of it. She was debating between saying goodbye and inviting him inside when her phone vibrated. Kasey checked it immediately since it was so late.

It was Rosemarie.

Are you awake?? Can you call me

ASAP? Please?



Yes. Just a sec.



“I’m sorry. It’s my best friend and I need to call her right now. You can, um…you know what? Just come up,” Kasey said, motioning for Devon to follow her. She was a smidge drunk and trusted that he wouldn’t murder her, confident that Honora certainly wouldn’t have set her up with her brother if he were a murderer. Right? Right.



Once they were inside her apartment, Kasey put Devon on the couch with a glass of water and the remote in case he wanted to watch something. Quickly, she showed him how to turn it on and flip through. He was easygoing and content, leaving his shoes by the door and settling in, making himself at home. She excused herself to the bedroom and called Rosemarie.

“Hey—”

“Kase, I have breast cancer. It’s treatable but I have to get surgery and chemo and I know I’m telling you at two in the morning. I’m sorry…I didn’t forget about the fact that you’re three hours ahead of me, but I wanted you to know. I’m weirdly okay right now…although I know I won’t always be. Esme’s brother is my oncologist and she’s with me. My parents are on the way here,” Rosemarie said.

The room spun; Kasey had to sit to stop it.

“Roses, I’m coming too,” she said as soon as she could string the words together through the thick cloud in her head.

“Okay,” Rosemarie said.

After she got more details and told her how much she loved her, Kasey went to the couch and blurted everything out to Devon, who leaned forward and got such a sad look on his face Kasey started crying and couldn’t stop. He opened his arms and she curled into his lap. He held her there, listening and telling her everything was going to be all right. Kasey was a wreck, but she forced herself to think of things that were fixed and true. She had to.

Rosemarie will be okay. We can get through this. We’ll do anything for each other. We can get through this. We can get through anything.

We can get through anything.

She cried herself to sleep on Devon’s shoulder, and when she woke up in the morning, he was still asleep in his suit underneath her. He hadn’t budged.





2019


44





Joanna Castelow


Officer Neil: Mrs. Castelow, what was it you wanted to discuss?

Joanna Castelow: Just doing my part when it comes to the Trey Foxberry murder investigation if it helps.

ON: It’s a death investigation.

JC: Right. Death investigation. My sons told me Trey couldn’t swim, which I always thought was the oddest thing since they live so close to the lake. I mean, not on the lake like we do, but I don’t think I know anyone in this town who can’t swim. Makes no sense.

ON: Someone said he liked being on the water, like fishing and boats, but never cared for being in it. He might’ve had a cousin who drowned when he was a kid? I don’t know. Everyone reacts differently to those sorts of things.

JC: Well, I guess that makes sense in a strange way, doesn’t it? Figures. He was a strange man.

ON: How do you mean?

JC: He had no choice since he got it from his mama and daddy, I guess. My husband and I grew up with his daddy, Max. His mama grew up in Adora Springs. Max threatened to kill the girl he dated before he met Paula. Did you know that? That was in high school, but I’ll never forget it.

ON: No, ma’am, I didn’t know that, but you know that doesn’t pertain at all to this investigation.

JC: Right. Of course not, but this is really close to my heart because Caroline is one of my daughter-in-law Ada’s dearest friends. Those two have been inseparable since they were babies—all four of them have been. Rosemarie, Ada, Caroline, and Kasey. Kasey’s poor mother…everyone says that Roy Dupont killed Angie, but Roy never spent one day in prison, because the Foxberrys made it all go away. Well, I guess you know all this, don’t you?

ON: I can’t speak to any of that, Mrs. Castelow.

JC: Of course you can’t. Well, I saw Caroline and Trey arguing once right outside the B and B not too long ago. She was crying. I was at the window watching. I thought about it as soon as I heard what he’d done to her.