My Darkest Rose

Chapter 28

The Walls Come Tumbling Down

After Mandy went into town to set up Jack's phone line, he scoured the boxes in the bedroom for a phone. He found a baby blue handset that had once been in his sister's room and plugged it in the kitchen before heading into town for more supplies.

The ground had dried enough that he was able to pull the Jeep out of the deep ruts he'd dug trying to flee with Rose.

The annual Corn Festival was that weekend in Tacoma and the Dollar General was more crowded than usual. When he saw all the cars in the parking lot, he thought about turning around and going home, maybe coming back that night just before they closed, but then he remembered what Rose told him, to not be afraid.

Easier said than done, he thought, as he pulled the Jeep into a parking spot near the back. Before going inside, he went over the things he needed: bread, eggs, lunchmeat, cereal, milk, coffee, toilet paper. The more he thought about it, the longer the list grew, until he realized he was stalling.

Like pulling off a band-aid. In and out.

He thought he could ignore the stares, after all, he was an innocent man now, but as soon as he walked inside everyone there turned toward him. Digging his nails into his palms, he grabbed a cart and turned toward the produce aisle.

He wondered how long he could make it on cereal alone and thought of just grabbing a box and running.

No, I'm getting my damn groceries. Some balls, indeed!

He ignored the whispers and stares as he walked up and down the aisles.

"That's him," a woman said to her husband. They were standing a few feet away near the flour, but not so far he couldn't hear.

"Sorry," the man said to Jack, "She thinks she's whispering, but the whole world can hear."

Jack smiled and tried to look as if he didn't mind her rudeness. He was glad not to face open hostility, but so many eyes on him began to feel like bugs crawling over his skin.

Luckily, the line to the cashier ( Kari, of course) was short. He unloaded his groceries from the cart onto the counter. When he was done, he noticed a stack of newspapers near the register.

The headline read: Local Man Confesses to Murder

At first he thought it was about him, but then he saw below the headline were two photos. One of Robbie, the other a high school photo of Rose.

He picked up the paper and scanned the article.

Brother of missing woman, Rose Bernardi, admits to killing teenager Eric Holstetter. He is also a suspect in the death of Fauna Channing, sister of famous artist, Jack Channing, whose body was found in Moonwood Lake.

What the hell? Did Mandy know about this already? He didn't think so.

His phone rang as he looked up and noticed the cashier staring at him.

"You want the paper too?" Kari asked, annoyed.

"Oh," he said, digging his phone out of his pocket. "Yeah."

It was Mandy calling, but he couldn't talk to her just then with everyone watching, so he silenced the phone and put it back in his pocket.

He paid and helped her bag the groceries. The line had grown long behind him as he'd read the paper.

"Is it true?" a woman asked. She was two carts behind him in line and had short, dark hair and reminded Jack of his high school counselor. It might even have been her.