Jack Beale 00 - Killer Run

came running in with the news. The boys had been down by the river. Alfred came running home screaming how Thomas hit his head on a rock and was dead. That much was true, but something never felt right about it. There were rumors.”
    “Rumors?”
    “Not everyone believed that it was Thomas who had been killed.”
    Malloy put his tea down and leaned over toward Agnes. She had his attention fully. “Couldn’t their mother tell?”
    “Probably if she was right in the head. Accident really tore her up. Went into shock and clung on to Alfred. She never doubted his word, but she was never right again. After the funeral she never left the house. Alfred pretty much took care of her until she died. That was just a few years later. After her death, he disappeared. No one knew where he went or why. He was just gone. Then one day he was back running that antiques store. No explanation ever given, and I’m not sure that anyone ever asked. He was just there. But he was different.”
    “That’s interesting. What did you think?”
    Agnes sat back. She held her teacup in her lap and didn’t say anything for a few moments. Then, with what he could only describe as sadness in her voice, she said, “Oh, I don’t know. It was such a long time ago. I hadn’t thought about any of this until today.” Then, looking straight at him she added, “After what he had been through, wouldn’t anyone change?”
    Mary chose that moment to come back into the room. “Grammy, are you all right?” she said when she saw the sad, tired, faraway look on her great-grandmother’s face.
    Agnes looked up and smiled at her. “Yes, dear. The lieutenant was just asking me about something that happened a very long time ago.”
    Mary made a face and looked at him.
    “I was asking your great-grandmother about the Whitson’s.”
    Mary didn’t say anything, but she continued to look at him from the doorway, her body language saying volumes.
    Agnes turned toward Malloy. “She is such a sweet girl and takes good care of me.”
    “I can see that. You’re very lucky.” He understood Mary’s pose, so he stood and looked at his watch. He said, “Listen, I have to get going.” Then he turned toward Agnes and said, “It has been such a pleasure seeing you again. Mary is a delight, and I hope to see you again soon.”
    Mary followed him into the kitchen, where he received one more surprise. Just before opening the door for him, Mary turned and said, “You’ve been talking about that strange guy who has the antiques business?”
    “Yes.”
    Mary made a face.
    “What do you know about him?” Malloy asked.
    “Everyone knows him. In school, the story is legend. No one will swim in the river where his brother died. Everyone thinks his ghost is still there, and at Halloween, someone always dresses as the ghost twin. I know that’s not very nice, but he creeps everyone out. As the story goes, he is really Thomas, and Alfred was the one killed. Some people even say that it may not have been an accident.” She shrugged as if this were all common knowledge and began to turn the knob on the door.
    All that Malloy could think was how little he really knew about this place he had called home for most of twenty years. “Yes, well, thank you Mary. It was a pleasure. Would you mind if I stopped by again if I have any more questions?”
    She pulled the door open and a blast of cold air rushed in. “Of course not.”
    He stepped out into the cold, and as she pulled the door shut she said, “Goodbye.”

CHAPTER 77
    ALFRED AWOKE WITH A START , his heart was pounding as he looked around the room, and it took a few moments for his head to catch up with his eyes. As he shook the grogginess out of his head, he remembered where he was and his heartbeat began to return to normal. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was well after noon. His stomach grumbled. He needed to eat.
    Even though there were several fast-food restaurants nearby, none appealed to him, so he kept following Route 1 south. As he drove along, his thoughts returned to the quilts, the one he had stolen and the one that Max had. Which one was the real one? He was so absorbed in his thoughts, he forgot all about food. He drove past the outlet malls in Kittery, and when Route 1 crossed the Piscataqua River, he could see Portsmouth to his left. He followed signs into downtown.
    As he passed through a variety of neighborhoods, none quite historic yet, the twisting streets of Portsmouth led him