“We don’t know,” Sala said. “Not yet.”
There was a moment of silence, then Eric said, “Do you know what I remember most about Mr. Henry? Everyone loved him. I’ve got to say I don’t like many folk here in Haggersville, but I liked him, too. I still miss the old dude, actually. And the brutal way he died, that flipped everyone out, including me. Someone had a real hard-on for him. It seemed impossible to me anyone hated him that much.”
“But someone did,” Landry said.
Ty said, “We’re hoping she’ll remember more under hypnosis.” She found herself watching each of them carefully as she spoke, but saw nothing more than simple interest.
Sala said, “Mrs. Sparrow, unlike your husband and brother-in-law, you’re not from Haggersville. When did you move here?”
Susan said, “It’s been what? About six years, Landry?”
He nodded, smiling at her. “I met you the first time right after you arrived. Remember, at Mario’s Pizza?”
Eric said, “Bro, I heard you were at Mario’s with Corey Jameson that night.”
“Shut up, Eric, that’s old news.” Landry turned to Ty and Sala. “It took me fifty-seven days to convince her to marry me. She was a hard sell, especially since every other single man in Haggersville was after her.”
Eric laughed. “You were lucky I was out of the country or I would have convinced her you were all wrong for her.”
“Boys, be quiet, both of you.” Susan’s voice was amused.
Ty said, “Let’s get back on track here. You’ve already considered the possibility people will wonder where all the bones at the bottom of Lake Massey came from.”
Landry said, “We’re expecting the usual gossip, but no one would seriously think those bones came from here. What makes the most sense to me is a serial killer has been operating in our area over many years, dumping his murdered victims into Lake Massey.”
Sala said, “The only glitch in the serial killer theory is finding Mr. Henry’s Star of David belt with the bones. Our FBI forensic anthropologist has started DNA testing them. Unfortunately it’s impossible to determine which bones were found closest to the belt buckle, and not far from the dock of Gatewood. We’ll ask Calhoun LaRoque for a sample of his DNA, since he and his father would share the same Y chromosome. Perhaps we’ll get lucky.”
Eric said, “Let me say it’s impossible his bones will be found. Calhoun LaRoque scattered his father’s ashes at sea.”
Landry was frowning. “I suppose it’s possible the medical examiner sent us the wrong body. Again, none of us unwrapped him to verify.”
Sala said, “We’ll question the medical examiner, find out what their procedures were five years ago. It’s a long shot, though.”
Susan looked at them helplessly, splayed her hands. “What else can we tell you? I assure you we did nothing wrong.” She stood, and suddenly Susan Sparrow looked like a general. “Now, I want to speak to Leigh Saks. I have known her for a very long time—well, I’ve known Gunny for a very long time. She has no reason to distrust me. Perhaps she’ll tell me something she was hesitant to tell you or something she didn’t consider important or simply forgot. It was five years ago. Perhaps I can help us clean up this mess as quickly as possible.”
All of them rose. Sala said, “Leigh is under guard now. If you wish to see her, Mrs. Sparrow, we’ll follow you. Will either of you gentlemen be coming?”
Landry shared a look with his brother. “I have some business I must see to.” He walked to his wife, smoothed her eyebrows with his thumbs. “We’re in no way to blame, sweetheart, don’t ever forget that.”
“I know. But I want this unpleasantness over and done with, Landry. I will not let this family be hurt.”
“There’s my girl.” Landry said to Ty and Sala, “In case you haven’t noticed, Susan’s a tiger.”
Eric said, “Since I already dealt with the Baddeckers about their deceased granddad, the service is set, and there’s nothing more to do, I’ll drive Susan to the hospital. Besides, I’d like to see Leigh myself. I’m thinking she sounds like a new, improved version, like someone I might ask out on a date. She’s your age, isn’t she, Susan? Maybe she’d appreciate a younger guy like me rather than a forty-plus old man like my bro here.”
Landry smiled at his brother and gave him the finger.
57
* * *
HAGGERSVILLE COUNTY HOSPITAL
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
Lulie Saks sat with Andrew Mellon and Dr. Ellis in the family conference room. “Thank you for hearing us out, Dr. Ellis,” she said. “We know Leigh is doing very well and we’re grateful for it, but yesterday you didn’t seem to fully understand how much she’s changed for the better. It frankly seems miraculous. Now that I’ve told you more about her and you’ve spent more time with her, can you tell us whether this will continue? And how it’s possible?” She swallowed. “Will she go back to being like she was?”
Dr. Ellis said, “No, don’t worry. Leigh will remain the way she is now. I’m sorry if I seemed to dismiss your question yesterday. Leigh was new to me, and so were you. I have to say, she seems quite bright, quite alert, not nearly as you describe her before her head trauma. I’ve discussed this apparent change with our neurologists and can think of only one plausible explanation. She might have been suffering from some form of partial seizure disorder until now. There are subclinical forms that can be hard to recognize, that even her local medical doctors justifiably could have missed.”
Lulie looked like she’d been shot. She clutched Andrew’s hand, squeezed so tightly her knuckles turned white. “You mean Gunny—Leigh—was having seizures of some kind all these years, and I, her mother, didn’t realize it? Didn’t see it? I accepted she was simple—poor sweet child—and I did nothing when I clearly should have? And her doctors missed it?” Lulie’s voice climbed an octave. “I could have helped her? A simple medicine could have helped her?”
Dr. Ellis lightly laid his hand over Lulie’s. “You are in no way to blame, Ms. Saks. There was no way you could even tell she was having a seizure. Neither could her doctor. You gave her a fine home, you loved her, helped her.”
“But I don’t understand. How could this happen?”
Dr. Ellis said, “We believe some combination of her recent brain trauma, then the surgery and the anti-seizure medication phenytoin, surgeons routinely give after neurosurgery might have stopped them for now. The focus causing the seizures might no longer be active, or at least be isolated. I can’t be more definitive, there’s simply no way I can be certain, but again, this is our best explanation. Our neurologists have recommended the very best medication.
“I know it seems like a miracle to you, Ms. Saks, and maybe it is. The brain is an extraordinary organ, and we aren’t close to knowing and understanding everything about it, it can behave in mysterious ways. It’s sort of like a supercomputer, very complex, its workings very intricate. As to Leigh’s leap from slow to extremely bright, part of that is most probably your simple shock at seeing the change in her—the focus, the understanding, the ability to speak fluently with no hesitation.”