Silent Witness by Rebecca Forster Read Free Book Online

for the next few weeks? Maybe make sure Hannah gets home until I have a handle on this thing?''
    ''No doubt,'' he said solemnly. ''If Hannah will come with me. I don't think she likes me a whole lot.''
    ''Right this minute, I doubt Hannah likes anyone a whole lot,'' Josie muttered, sending him on his way with a nod. He would go back to the beach or to Burt's restaurant. Billy would hang out until he was sure he could sneak into his own bed without an angry word from his mother.
    ''Ms. B.?''
    Josie turned around before she opened the door.
    ''Yeah?''
    ''I'll keep this quiet. I mean, I appreciate you thinking I'm worthy to know about Archer's trouble. I just want you to know I'll help any way I can because you always help me any way you can.''
    ''Thanks, Billy. That means a lot. Just go to school. Keep an eye on Hannah. Go to class. That will help more than you know.''
    They had probably spoken more in the last five minutes than they had all through his troubles, but in those five minutes Billy Zuni meant more to Josie than he would ever know. Sometimes kids knew exactly the right thing to say to help and sometimes they knew exactly the right thing to say to hurt. Josie opened the door and stepped inside her house. She had a feeling that the hurt part was going to come at her like a Tsunami.
    Josie turned on the table lamp. The light was soft. It illuminated the corner of the room in which she stood and sent just enough light toward the dining room and kitchen that Josie could see nothing had changed since morning. The blueprints for the remodel were still on the dining room table. Hannah had not moved them to eat. There was no sign that she had used the kitchen. Josie listened. There was no sound. No music coming from Hannah's room. No sobs. Nothing. Josie called as she walked.
    ''Hannah?''
    All was quiet.
    ''Hannah?''
    Josie tried the knob on Hannah's bedroom door. It turned and she walked in. The bathroom light was on, there was a candle burning on Hannah's desk. It flickered and Josie's eyes went to it. Even though Hannah had been cleared of setting the fire that killed Fritz Rayburn, Josie was only human. The connection lingered.
    In the corner was the draped easel. Hannah hadn't been painting. On the bed was Hannah's backpack. She hadn't been studying. In the middle of the room was Hannah, sitting on her little red lacquer stool, the only thing she had brought with her from the Malibu house where she had lived those last months with her mother. Hannah's knees were drawn up to her chest. She rocked back and forth, her arms wound tightly around her legs. That black hair of hers hung down; down almost to the ground. Josie couldn't see Hannah's face or the inside of her arms but she could see the little dish and the paring knife that lay across it, the apple on top of it. Not a speck of blood to be seen. She was getting better all the time. Pain in her heart didn't translate to inflicting it upon her body.
    Josie's muscles unlocked. She hadn't realized how scared she had been for Hannah until she walked into the room and sat in front of her. Josie lotused her long legs and propped up her elbows on her knees. Her hands were clasped under her chin.
    ''I'm so sorry. So, so sorry.'' Josie's apology was warm and heartfelt. It was the kind she would accept if her own mother ever returned and ask forgiveness for deserting her teenager daughter. Josie waited to find out if it was enough.
    Hannah's lashes fluttered. There was a quick tick at the corner of her mouth as if she had been suddenly stung. She raised her green eyes. They were shot through with anger and disenchantment and she was going to make Josie pay for her transgression with silence.
    ''Archer was in trouble. I had to help. It was an emergency,'' Josie explained patiently.
    Hannah didn't cut her any slack. Still no words.
    ''Look, it's bad. They beat him up when they arrested him.'' Josie looked away. This was harder than she imagined. ''Archer is accused of killing a