Chapter 44
Statute of Limitations 2
The sirens drown out the crackling fire as Claudia and Morgan Bell sob over their ordeal. Hank, the local town sheriff was the first on the scene. He knew the girls since childhood, talked football with their father. His wife and their mother traded recipes over their quilting bees each Sunday.
"Calm down girls! What happened?"
"We hit a tree!" Morgan sobbed, the girl obviously still in shock.
"Jonathan was driving," Claudia interjected.
The sheriff did not miss the younger sister's look of shock towards her sister.
"I heard the crash," the elder continued. "Pulled my sister out, then Jonathan. I tried to get the others, but the car caught on fire."
"Oh!" Morgan screamed, glancing at the vehicle's burning remains. "The others!" The girl sunk into hysterical hiccups as she realized she was the sole survivor. Claudia wrapped a comforting arm around her.
The town's only fire truck came screaming down the lane to deal with the aftermath of the accident. Hank took that as his cue to escort the girls inside. Something wasn't right.
"Let's head back to your folks. They'll be worried about you."
As Morgan passed him, he smelled the telltale odor of alcohol. The man frowned, but followed the pair to the door where concerned parents waited fretfully. They had awoken due to the sirens.
Again the older sister took charge of the younger shrank in on herself.
Odd, the sheriff had known the girls all of the lives. It was typically outgoing Morgan and quiet Claudia in the background.
The bespectacled girl again repeated her claim, "Jonathan was driving, and they had too much to drink."
Their father scowled, "That boy. I never liked the looks of him. Sorry to speak ill of the dead, but he must have swiped a bottle from his father's liquor cabinet to bring to prom. Foolish."
The observant officer of the law could see Claudia's coloring pale in her seat.
The father went to inspect the damage to his property, and their mother fretted over the news.
"Claudia, darling, you're a hero!"
A strange wince from both girls belied their mother's statement.
Hank bid the family goodbye to make his final report. As he drove off in his squad car, the grateful parents waved goodbye from the front porch, and the two dark haired girls, clutching each other's hands tightly, seemed to almost meld into one person, so close they were standing to each other hidden in the shadows.
Darlene Cates is such a lovely actress. I still haven't seen What's Eating Gilbert Grape yet. Bonus for a young Paul Walker's appearance, and Shanna Reed is pretty. This episode was super dark, but as always had a good ending. I personally wouldn't mind a small voice in my ear telling me what to do, haha. Thank you so much to those who review. It really helps me to write and post.