When the Dead Speak

Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Sam looked up from the large volumes of back issues of the Chasen Heights Post Tribune. Jake was standing in the doorway of the conference room at the Chasen Heights Public Library.

"How did you know where to find me?" Sam asked.

"It's what I would have done. Your father was a reporter. Hap had a story to tell. There might be a clue in the papers." Jake pushed several volumes to the opposite side of the conference table. "How did you sleep?"

"All I saw were the lightning bolt shapes. I missed Abby this morning. She must have left early. I wanted to ask her about my father's car accident."

"So you slept through the alarm?"

"What alarm?"

"There was someone in the yard last night right after Abby and Alex came home. Alex and I searched the yard, but we didn't come up with anything."

Sam shrugged. "Probably a deer."

"What have you found so far?"

"I actually started in January of 1977. It was a one-year project rebuilding that overpass. My father started getting involved in the political campaigns in February."

They skimmed the pages in silence searching for any bylines with Samuel Casey's name. "I need a break." Sam pushed herself away from the table, stood up and stretched. She walked slowly around the room trying to get the circulation going in her legs.

For the next twenty minutes, Jake worked his way backwards through the pages from August, July, June. Then he came across an obituary in June. "Sam," he called out.

She walked over and leaned on the table. The obituary was on Samuel and Melinda Casey. It was very complimentary, listing all of Melinda's charitable work and Samuel's literary awards. It mentioned the only surviving relative as their five-year-old daughter, Samantha. No mention was made of the car accident. Only that they were pronounced dead at the scene.

Jake asked, "You've never seen this before, have you?"

"No." She sat down and read the obit again. It contained pictures of the happy couple, youthful and vibrant.

Jake placed his hand on top of hers and gave it a squeeze.

"You okay?"

She didn't look at him, couldn't take her eyes off the page. But she felt the electricity flowing from his hand to hers. She felt her hand squeeze back, hold on tightly. His skin was warm, almost hot. Her eyes moved from the page to his hand and he quickly removed it.

"I guess I expected it to say more about the accident," Sam said.

"Maybe it's in the Wednesday edition."

He turned the pages as he worked his way back through the hard bound volume. It wasn't in Wednesday's paper or the one prior to that. But it did make the headlines in the Monday edition.

Sam inhaled deeply, her breath coming in short gasps.

EXPLOSION KILLS AWARD WINNING

REPORTER AND HIS WIFE