Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes(50)

 

“There was glass inside!”

 

“But most was outside, meaning the window had been broken from inside.”

 

“I broke the window beating him out the window! What about the utilities being turned off?”

 

“They were cut with hedge trimmers with the name Gardner written on them and neighbors said they heard noise coming from your shed hours before the incident. One said they saw you going out to the shed.”

 

My heart plummeted into despair.

 

“I’m going to ask you again, Rose, and I need you tell me the God’s honest truth. If you answer yes, I can still help you but I have to know, one way or the other. Did you kill your mother?”

 

“No!” I nearly shouted, horrified she thought it possible.

 

“Did you stage the break-in to make it look like someone was after you?”

 

“No,” I answered, more resigned. It looked really bad.

 

“There’s a chance they’re going to arrest you for your mother’s murder and possibly other charges like filing a false police report for the break-in. The real question is if they will charge you with manslaughter or second-degree murder.” She focused on something over my shoulder, lost in thought. “I think you’ll escape a charge of first-degree murder, although you had the argument in the early afternoon and the murder occurred in the evening. They could very well accuse you of spending the afternoon plotting your mother’s death.”

 

I heard her words but they didn't sink in, floating on the surface of my consciousness, bobbing and teasing me with their seriousness. This couldn't be happening. Me, Rose Anne Gardner, accused of murder. I began to laugh.

 

Deanna’s eyes widened in astonishment, then she patted me on the shoulder. “You’re in shock. It’s okay, it's a normal reaction, actually.”

 

My laughter died away just as quickly as it started. “How much longer until they arrest me?”

 

“You’re not a flight risk and they’re still trying to piece things together. I suspect possibly a week, week and a half, depending if they find any new evidence. Everything they have is circumstantial. They’re hoping to find a solid piece of evidence before they file the charges so they’ll wait for results from the crime lab.”

 

I wasn’t sure if that made me feel better or worse.

 

“Go home, hang tight and wait. I’ll give you a call when I hear something.”

 

I drove to Violet’s, later wondering how I had gotten there. I remembered getting in my car and staring at the steering wheel for what seemed like forever, and then I was in Violet’s driveway, still staring at the steering wheel.

 

This couldn’t be happening.

 

Violet waited for me at the door, having seen me pull into the driveway, actual proof I did drive. I looked into her anxious face, not sure what to say.

 

“How bad is it?”

 

I told her everything then asked, “Can I go take a nap? I'm so tired, I’m about to fall over.”

 

She sent me to Ashley’s room. I snuggled down into bed in the Pepto-Bismol colored room and fell asleep, so numb I barely felt the tears falling down my cheeks.

 

Hours later, I heard a rustle of noise. I squinted into the assaulting late afternoon light. Ashley stood next to the bed, watching me.

 

“Hey, sweetie,” I said, still groggy from sleep.

 

“You look like Sleeping Beauty,” she whispered.

 

“Thanks, Ash. Come snuggle me.”

 

I laid on my side and she climbed in, pressing her back into my stomach. I nuzzled her wispy-fine hair and inhaled the scent of baby shampoo. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I pulled her closer.

 

“Tell me a story, Aunt Rose.” She clasped her hands over mine. The tenderness of the gesture poked my heart, reminding me that if I were convicted of Momma’s murder I would spend years in prison. I would never have children.

 

“A story?” I asked, trying to refocus as fresh tears burned my eyes.

 

“About a princess and a prince.”

 

I spun an elaborate tale about a prince lost in the woods, but rescued by a princess galloping by on her goat. The princess then helped the prince, who had lost his pet frog, which they found in the company of a rabbit family in a carrot patch. When the frog was found, the prince returned to his castle and the princess left on a quest to find the fabled, yet much coveted, magic red shoes.

 

“That’s not like the princess stories on TV,” she said, giggling.

 

“No, it’s not. But don't let other people tell you who you’re supposed to be. You just be you, even if you don’t do things like everybody else.”