Page 5 of Before You Can Blink
When I reached the door, my hand froze on the knob when I saw Sheriff McKinley speaking with Principal Taggart through the glass wall.
There was only one reason he could be here in conjunction with my summons to the office. He’d found out I was the one who had spray-painted the mural on the water tower.
Pop would tan my hide for this one. The Sullivan name was one held in high regard in town, and he was gonna blow his top when he had to bail his only son out on a vandalism charge.
Accepting that I was caught, I pushed into the office, ducking my head as I greeted the secretary. “Afternoon, Ms. Harris.”
Her lips curved into a sad smile. “They’re waiting for you inside, honey.”
Dragging my feet like a dead man walking, I made my way to the open door to Taggart’s office. I took a steadying breath before knocking on the wood frame to alert the men inside of my presence.
Two sets of eyes landed on me, and the identical grim expressions on their faces told me I was sunk.
“Jett, why don’t you come in and take a seat?” Principal Taggart motioned toward one of the chairs set opposite his desk.
Conditioned to follow orders, I stepped inside before dropping onto the chair. The quiet latching of the door behind me had my head whipping around, and when I saw Sheriff McKinley’s large body between me and the only exit, I gulped. Nothing like a little preview of what I could expect when he locked me into a cell at the station later.
Clasping both hands atop his desk, Principal Taggart began, “Jett, I’ve called you down here today because I’ve received some upsetting news.”
Sweat gathered on the back of my neck, and I squirmed in my seat. “Sir, I can explain—”
He lifted one hand to cut me off, and I zipped my lips immediately. It was probably for the best; if I ran my mouth, I’d likely land in even deeper trouble.
Taggart curled his fingers in a beckoning gesture to the man standing at the door. “Sheriff, do you want to take it from here?”
The sheriff stepped forward and leaned against the principal’s desk so that he remained facing me. “Earlier today, we got a call that your daddy collapsed while out on a job.”
My back went ramrod straight. “This is about my pop? He okay?”
Sheriff McKinley let out a heavy breath. “I’m sorry, son, but he’s not.”
Heart racing, I stood. “Which hospital is he in?”
“He’s not in the hospital.”
My brows drew down. “What do you mean he’s not in the hospital?”
Peeking over his shoulder, Sheriff McKinley looked to Principal Taggart for backup.
“What the sheriff is tryin’ to say, Jett, is that your daddy has passed.”
A buzzing filled my ears, and I shook my head in disbelief. “No, you’re wrong. My pop only just turned forty last week.”
Sheriff McKinley nodded in understanding. “No one can blame you for having a hard time wrapping your mind around the fact that he’s gone. Milton was far too young to be taken from us, son. On that, we can agree.”
Chest growing tight as the truth began to sink in, I rasped, “Whathappened?”
“Based on the eyewitness account, the county coroner suspects that it was an aneurysm. If that’s the case, he didn’t suffer. He was gone before he even hit the ground.”
If what he was saying was true, one minute my father was alive, and the next he wasn’t. Just like that, as if God snapped his fingers and decided on a whim to take him from this earth.
A thought struck me like a bolt of lightning, and I gasped aloud. “My ma. I need to get to her.”
I made it halfway toward the door when a hand landed on my shoulder. “Not sure that’s a good idea, son. She was in a bad way when I left her.”
“No fucking shit. Her husband just died!”
Jesus, saying that out loud for the first time was like a knife piercing my heart. My palm pressed tight to my sternum in an effort to quell the all-consuming agony emanating from within my chest.
