Utterly exhausted, with his emotions still riding close, just below the
surface, Greg sighed.
"I guess part of me is still afraid," he whispered.
Greg stood and began pacing the room. In the back of his mind, he knew he must've truly rocked his friends to the core, because not one of them was clamoring for more information. He smiled to himself, then turned back to face them, turning serious.
"It's time I face it all. I want the name. I want to know how you caught him. I want to know why he did it. But most of all, I want to meet him face-to-face." Greg stated, his expression turning to stone, daring Dan to argue with him.
Instead of a fight, Dan simply said, "Done."
As Greg relaxed and leaned back against a wall, Dan started spouting the facts.
"His name is Carl Ridgemont. He is now 56 years old, living in Kentucky. He has two teenage sons. Both are good kids by all accounts. He had a young daughter who died six months ago. And I didn't catch him. He turned himself into his PD in Kentucky. As for why, you need to ask him that yourself, if for no other reason than for peace."
Dan stood and walked over to Greg. Laying a hand on the younger man's shoulder, he gently squeezed. When Greg looked up, he continued, "He'll be here tomorrow."
Before the shock could begin to settle into Greg's eyes again, Dan pulled him into a quick hug and whispered, "I'll be with you through the rest, Greg. Look around you. We'll all be with you."
Greg let the words sink deep, the pushed off the darkness before it could settle again.
Standing on somewhat shaky legs, he knew he'd never fall. In the expressions of his friends, he saw solidity. But he knew they had waited long enough. It was time to answer some questions.
"I guess part of me is still afraid," he whispered.
Greg stood and began pacing the room. In the back of his mind, he knew he must've truly rocked his friends to the core, because not one of them was clamoring for more information. He smiled to himself, then turned back to face them, turning serious.
"It's time I face it all. I want the name. I want to know how you caught him. I want to know why he did it. But most of all, I want to meet him face-to-face." Greg stated, his expression turning to stone, daring Dan to argue with him.
Instead of a fight, Dan simply said, "Done."
As Greg relaxed and leaned back against a wall, Dan started spouting the facts.
"His name is Carl Ridgemont. He is now 56 years old, living in Kentucky. He has two teenage sons. Both are good kids by all accounts. He had a young daughter who died six months ago. And I didn't catch him. He turned himself into his PD in Kentucky. As for why, you need to ask him that yourself, if for no other reason than for peace."
Dan stood and walked over to Greg. Laying a hand on the younger man's shoulder, he gently squeezed. When Greg looked up, he continued, "He'll be here tomorrow."
Before the shock could begin to settle into Greg's eyes again, Dan pulled him into a quick hug and whispered, "I'll be with you through the rest, Greg. Look around you. We'll all be with you."
Greg let the words sink deep, the pushed off the darkness before it could settle again.
Standing on somewhat shaky legs, he knew he'd never fall. In the expressions of his friends, he saw solidity. But he knew they had waited long enough. It was time to answer some questions.