Booktree.ng_Forgotten-Witness

Amelia went to the switch near the door and turned off the
light. When she returned, she stood with Josie. Emily’s eyes
were still open. They glittered. Her hand moved.
“Take it. Give her a pat,” Amelia directed.
Josie did, but hers wasn’t the hand Emily wanted. Her hand
went limp before she raised it again. This time Amelia took
her hand, kissed it, and put it under the covers.
“She’ll come around.” Amelia’s voice was tight. Josie had
nothing to add. She knew that Amelia was just preparing
herself for losing Emily. “Try to get some sleep.”
“You, too. Goodnight,” Josie said but she was talking to
Amelia Francis’ back. “Amelia?”
“Yes?” The woman paused looking ghostly in the
intermittent light from the lamps that swung on the posts
outside.
“Thank you for everything.”
“Sure,” Amelia said.
“Sleep well,” Josie answered and meant it.
***
“Okay, Bernard. It’s time. Bernard!”
“What? Yeah? I’m okay. I’m set. Let’s do this.” Bernard
Reynolds jerked up, kicking over the bottle of booze and
spilling it on the cottage floor. “I’m sorry. Johnson, it’s a mess.
I’ll clean it up.”
“Don’t be an ass.” Johnson said with disgust.
They’d been at it through the early evening and into the
night, drinking and planning, planning and drinking. The guy
couldn’t hold his liquor and was proving to be more of a wuss
than Johnson could ever have imagined. He waffled, he
wailed, he could think of a hundred unintended consequences