Graded in Red

Chapter Eleven

After leaving the scrap yard, I headed home, but my mind was a whirlwind. Jake's revelations about helping my parents, bonding with them over the past decade, had me seething. Never had they even hinted at this. My frustration was reaching a boiling point.

Should I zip off to Tulsa at a hundred miles an hour to confront my mother face-to-face, or unleash my fury over the phone? Impatience took over, and I jabbed at Mom's speed dial on my phone.

As the phone rang, I cranked the air conditioning down a notch. Mom always insisted car speakers were terrible, claiming my AC sounded like a hurricane and my turn signal was louder than a cathedral's bells.

"Hey, sweetie! What's going on?" Mom's overly cheery voice answered, a stark contrast to her usual morning demeanor. Must be sealing a deal or still hobnobbing at the Philbrook. She never bubbled with cheer before noon.

I skipped the pleasantries and cut to the chase. "Time in," I sighed heavily.

"Time out. Can't this wait? I'm heading to brunch with the director on Brookside, then back home to chat about whatever's bothering you."

Normally, I'd have let her go, but something gnawed at me.

"No, Mom. Time in. Jake's been secretly Mr. Fix-it at our place for a decade, and you never breathed a word about it."

The silence on the line was deafening. It felt like eons before Mom responded.

"Honey, you're not seeing the full picture. That night wasn't just about you getting hurt and embarrassed."

"You mean senior prom. What do you mean I wasn't the only one hurt? Do you remember what he did to me? They both humiliated me," anger tinged my voice.

"Margaret, life isn't always about you. We raised you better than to think everything revolves around you."

"What's that supposed to mean? Just say it," my hurt was palpable.

"Jake was hurt that night, too. Yes, what he did to you was horrible. But what that woman Bridgett did to him was just as bad or worse. I was furious with him as well, for hurting you. But, once your father calmed me down and told me what Jake had in confidence told him. I forgave him. And that is just what you are going to do Margaret. Forgive. That's the end of the story." My mom spit out the end the sentence through what I am sure was clenched teeth. She was not happy with me at the moment.

"Mom...what happened to him?" I suddenly felt my heart pound in my ears.

"Well, Margaret Turee, you are going to have to ask Jake himself. That is not my story to tell. Now, if you are finished throwing a temper tantrum, I am walking into Breakfast by Day. I'll text you when I'm on my way home. Love you."

She didn't even wait for my 'I love you' response back. She must have been really upset with me. Looking back at my behavior over the past few days I was embarrassed for myself. I couldn't believe how I acted. I didn't know what was wrong with me. It was like being back home in Broken Arrow had brought out teenage Maggie. I needed to be through with that.

"Jake was hurt that night, too. What he did to you was terrible, but what Bridgett did to him was just as bad, if not worse. I was furious with him for hurting you, but after your father explained what Jake had confided in him, I forgave him. And you're going to do the same, Margaret. Forgive. End of story," Mom's words sounded clipped, delivered with an edge of displeasure.

"Mom... what happened to him?" A sudden rush of concern pulsed through me.

"Well, Margaret Turee, that's a story you'll have to hear from Jake himself. It's not my tale to share. Now, if your little tantrum is over, I'm stepping into Breakfast by Day. I'll text you when I'm on my way home. Love you."

Without waiting for my reply, she hung up. Mom must have been really peeved with me. Reflecting on my behavior these past few days, I felt a flush of embarrassment. I'd acted out in a way I never expected of myself. It was as though returning to Broken Arrow had resurrected teenage Maggie. I needed to leave that behind.

I went over everything that had happened today, meeting with Tom. This morning, I knew in my gut that he was the killer. The way that he grabbed Bridgett. Their argument. All of that pointed to him being the killer.

​​After the conversation I had with him this morning, I genuinely didn't think it was him. I usually have a knack for spotting lies or detecting when someone's trying to wriggle out of something. It's a skill honed from years in Corporate America, where deceit was practically a second language. But with Tom, it felt different. I truly believed he was innocent.

However, I did learn something new that I didn't know before. If prom didn't turn out the way I thought Jake had planned it, then he probably had a grudge against Bridgett. I needed to find out what that grunge was. I knew that he was near the scene of the crime because he was checking bags at the gate. Could he have killed her earlier in the day and put the tape up blocking that hall?

Why would he kill her now? Ten years later? He has been living in Broken Arrow his whole life, he had to have seen her around town and apparently he didn't blow then.

I needed to get in touch with him. I needed to know what happened at prom after I was chased out. What did Bridgett do to him? Was it enough to kill for? I needed to know.