#Wattys2015 The Ghost of James Fitzpatrick

Chapter 30

It was snowing in Arden this gray afternoon. Linda drove her daughter through town; snowflakes were knocked from the car windshield by the noisy wipers.

Sarah sat quietly and resting her head against the car seat and watching the tall buildings fly by. She missed James and could think of little else.

Linda turned occasionally to look at her daughter. She pulled into a parking lot, quickly found a spot and they both climbed from the car. Once out, Linda walked around the front of the car to Sarah who was zipping her coat up around her chin.

"I wish to hell your dad was here." She pulled Sarah's beanie down to cover her ears. "Are you ready to do this?" her mother asked.

"Do you think I'm doing the right thing, mom?" asked Sarah.

Linda kissed her daughter on her forehead. She leaned against the car, hoisted her purse up onto her shoulder and crossed her arms.

"I can't answer that for you Sarah, but I will say this. I've thought a great deal about the step you're about to take," her mom began, "and although I don't personally know John Zwicki, I do know he's been the principal for a long time, he seems to be a functioning member of society, and this is his life you're interrupting. His livelihood. If you're wrong about him... "

Linda rubbed at her temples as if to smooth out her thoughts.

"Look. I know you're not crazy, Sarah, and I know you and Josh make a lot of movie references with one another, so I'm going to make one that comes to mind for me right now."

Sarah smiled and leaned against the car with her mom.

"Remember in that movie Field of Dreams, how the husband wants to build the baseball field?"

Sarah nodded.

"Well, one of the things I really liked about that movie is that his wife believed him. She believed his story. You know how in most movies one will think the other one is crazy, but she believed him, and I appreciated that, because I would believe your father . If he called me tonight and said we needed to build a field, I would help him build that field just like she did."

Sarah turned to look at her mom.

"I believe you Sarah, and I know if your dad were here, he would believe you too. You've never given us any reason to think otherwise. We love you, and we will support you, but for your part, you have to know for sure. You have to know you're right."

Sarah absentmindedly reached for the little gold cross around her neck and smiled at her mother.

"I know I'm right mom."

She reached out to take her mother's hand and the two crossed busy John F. Kennedy Avenue and walked up the stone steps to the 1st Precinct of the South St. Louis Police Station.