Critical Impact by Linda Hall Read Free Book Online

closed church? What kind of a church is that? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
    â€œI hadn’t, either.”
    Her mother stayed a little longer. They talked fashion while Anna flipped through magazines.
    After her mother left, Anna tried not to think about her situation. Yet she couldn’t help worrying about it. How could she expect her mother to wash her hair all the time? Would she ever get the use of her hand back? Had God forgotten her?
    Midway through the afternoon, she heard Marg in the hallway. She lifted her head from the pillow. She recognized the woman’s raspy voice. She was talking to a man, someone Anna didn’t recognize.
    She heard Marg ask, “And what’s going to happen? What are your big plans now?”
    And then the male voice answered in response, “It’s being taken care of as we speak. There is nothing to worry about.”
    Anna laid her head back down on her pillow. It’s being taken care of? What was being taken care of? Did this have something to do with what happened at City Hall?

FIVE
    L orraine Jonas, Hilary’s mother, lived at 51 Rimshot Road. It was a small, detached bungalow, white with faded salmon-pink shutters. A porch, which looked like an add-on, took up the entire front of the house. A couple of Cape Cod chairs faced front and looked badly in need of paint and repair.
    A diminutive woman with shaggy gray-brown hair and massive thick glasses answered the door. When Stu and Liz identified themselves, the woman sighed deeply.
    She opened the door without a word, and they followed her into her front room. Despite the fact that the outside world was awash in autumn sun, the blinds were drawn and the air inside the house was thick and stale. A ratty green recliner faced a small flat-screen TV and beside the chair was a rickety metal TV tray with half a cup of coffee, a plate of toast crumbs and another pair of glasses. The television was tuned toa midday talk show. The occasional laughter seemed out of place.
    â€œI don’t know why the police keep coming,” she said. “I’ve already talked with everyone. They already looked at her room and took her computer. I don’t know what more there is.”
    Lorraine remained standing. So did Stu and Liz. Liz said, “We are as concerned as you are about finding out who did this.”
    â€œI don’t know who would want to hurt her.”
    â€œThat’s why we’re here,” Stu said.
    Stu removed the blog sheets from a folder and handed them to Lorraine.
    She glanced at them. “What are these?”
    â€œHilary wrote an online blog. In it she wrote about being threatened and stalked.”
    Lorraine handed the sheets back to Stu. “I don’t know nothing about that. I don’t know nothing about computers. The other policemen who came took her computer. Took all her stuff. Good stuff, too. Said I would get it back. Haven’t heard a thing.” Her hands were shaky.
    Liz continued, “Did Hilary give any indication that she was being threatened? Do you know if she was afraid of someone?” Liz handed her another sheet, which Lorraine promptly turned over. It was plain to see that she didn’t want to read it.
    She said, “I don’t know. She never told me.”
    Stu said, “So you have no idea who she was writing about?”
    â€œI know she talked about her beauty school teacher.”
    Stu looked down at her sharply. “Her beauty school teacher?”
    Lorraine nodded. “She wasn’t too happy there. That could’ve been who she was writing about.”
    Liz gave Stu a look. “What makes you say that?” Stu asked.
    Lorraine ran a gnarled hand through her bushy hair. “She never liked that lady much. Said she worked them too hard, was unfair and played favorites.”
    â€œHow was Hilary doing in class?” Liz said.
    â€œNot so good. She didn’t tell me much, wouldn’t tell me