Page 118 of Wood Riddance
It was clear that, in both cases, a wrench had been used. I closed my eyes and visualized how one would have tampered with the equipment. When that didn’t lead me to an epiphany, I grabbed a few wrenches and tried to walk through why Henri’s marks were deeper on the bottom and positioned differently.
Around and around the tables I walked, studying each one carefully and comparing them. Wrench size didn’t matter. I’d already tried that test. So what was the difference here?
The direction of the striations was the most obvious variation. Could that mean…?
I picked up one of the wrenches with my left hand.
In order to loosen the slack adjuster left-handed, I’d have to hold it upside down.
Well, I’ll be damned.
This would explain the depth at the bottom. If a lefty loosened it, the scratches from the wrench would look different from the ones on my dad’s slack adjuster. And if it was held at this angle…
Shit. This was it.
I snatched my phone off the stainless-steel table and dialed Finn.
“Stretch. Come to the shop,” I rushed out “The wrench. I think I figured it out.” Without waiting for a response from him, I hung up and picked up the slack adjuster again.
Chapter40
Finn
Adele was a goddamn genius. She had walked me through her theory, showing me how the scratch marks left on the automatic slack adjuster by a left-handed person would differ from those of someone who was right-handed.
My mind was blown. She was right. I didn’t have to be a mechanic to recognize that. And even if I wasn’t so obsessed with her, I still would have believed that no one else in the world could have caught these details like she did.
“Norman admitted to tampering with your dad’s truck, right?”
“Yes. According to his arrest report, he’s right-handed. Parker confirmed it.”
I tapped the table beside the second slack adjuster. “And this was definitely a lefty.”
She nodded. “Parker is going through the lists of employees she created right now. We may have to do some sleuthing of our own, but there’s got to be at least one lefty on them.”
She was still working through theories when I carried her upstairs to bed. It was past midnight, and she was exhausted.
“Sleep first. We’ll deal with this in the morning.”
“Gotta call Parker one more time.”
I tucked her in. “No, She-Ra. You need rest.”
“Can you stay?” she asked, grasping my wrist and looking up at me with wide eyes.
As if there was any place on earth I’d rather be.
“Of course. I already told you I’d stay forever.”
She smiled, and this time she didn’t roll her eyes. When I shucked my clothes and joined her, she immediately tucked herself into my chest. Moments later, her breathing evened out. So I closed my eyes and focused on quieting my mind. This, right here, was it. I would do whatever it took to keep this woman forever. And Merry and our baby. We’d be together. The idea of breaking the news to her family was daunting, and life might be a challenge for a bit, but it would all be worth it.
I lay awake for a long time, letting my mother’s advice percolate. She was right, of course. For too long, I’d let distance and anger pull me away from Lovewell and my family. But no more. The future was bright and exciting, and I would no longer let my past tarnish it.
“Finn. Finn!” What felt like moments after I finally dozed off, I opened one eye and found Adele sitting over me, shaking my shoulders.
“Are you okay?” I asked, peering at the clock. It was four thirty.
“Yes. I’m fine. Richard.”
