The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek(44)

“I’ve only spoken to a couple of people so far,” Janine said.

“And what is it exactly that you’re interviewing people about?” Aunt Roberta said now. “I think GamGam mentioned you’re asking folks about kidney stones…?”

Janine couldn’t put her finger on it, but there was something about Aunt Roberta’s clueless questions that tipped her off. Aunt Roberta was deliberately deceiving her.

“I was at first, yeah,” Janine said, humoring her aunt, thinking she should wait to reveal the truth until the camera was on, and then deciding it would be kinder not to. “But now I’m interviewing people about the Whitewood School. I believe you’re familiar with it?”

“Oh, really? That school on the edge of town?”

“I know, Aunt Roberta,” Janine said. “I know that Donna went there.”

Aunt Roberta kept smiling, even as something in her eyes crumpled.

“And you never told me,” Janine added.

Her aunt’s smile slowly wilted, and she began to shake.

“Are you okay?” Janine wasn’t sure what was happening. “I didn’t mean to…It’s okay, we don’t have to do this right now.”

Aunt Roberta silently beckoned her to come closer.

As Janine walked forward, she looked into her aunt’s eyes and saw it: pure, paralyzing fear. “You can’t make this movie,” Aunt Roberta said, her voice only slightly above a whisper.

“Why not?” Janine asked, the hair on her neck rising to attention.

“Just…don’t.”

Janine had the sense she was on the verge of pulling back the curtain on the Whitewood School, if she could just keep Aunt Roberta talking. “Is there a reason,” she asked, with as much tenderness as she could, “that you never told the family Donna went to that school?”

Aunt Roberta covered her eyes. “I…We were embarrassed.” She began to sob. “We just wanted to help her…We didn’t think it would…” She sniffed and wiped her nose. “But I’m serious, Janine. You can’t make this movie. I won’t let you.”

Janine felt both compassion and rage. “But what happened to Donna? What did they do to her that made her change so much?”

Aunt Roberta just looked away, shaking her head.

“And what about the kids that have died?”

“Please,” she said, again covering her face with her hand.

“Aunt Roberta!” Janine couldn’t help but raise her voice. “Don’t you want to stop this from happening again?”

“We tried!” Aunt Roberta shouted, causing Janine to involuntarily take a half step back. “Your uncle and I tried to do…everything you’re saying. And it wasn’t worth it. I don’t want to see you get—I just can’t let you do that to yourself.”

“But if you knew something happened,” Janine said, “why didn’t you at least go to the police?”

Aunt Roberta’s eyes went cold.

“Jim did,” she said, staring past Janine. “He told Sheriff Lawson there was somethin’ wrong with that place.”

“And what did he say?” Janine asked, realizing she was finally getting somewhere.

Aunt Roberta lowered her head, her eyes welling up with tears. “I don’t think it was an accident, Janine. You understand what I’m saying? What happened to Jim…So that’s why you need to stop all this. You understand me? You just can’t—”

There were three loud knocks at the front door. Aunt Roberta’s head snapped toward the sound, looking panicked, as if ready to escape through a window if necessary.

“Are you expecting anybody?” Janine asked.

“Helloooo!” a woman’s voice chirped from the other side of the door.

Aunt Roberta stared into space, the gears in her brain spinning.

“Do you know who that is?”

“Mary Hattaway,” she said, more to herself than to Janine.

Mary Hattaway…where do I know that name from? Janine thought.

Aunt Roberta wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “Let me do the talking,” she whispered.

“Um. Okay.” Janine watched as her aunt crossed the room and opened the door.

“Hi, Mary!” Aunt Roberta said, suddenly back to her sunny self, a way more convincing performance than her earlier one. “What a nice surprise—come on in.”

“Thank you, Roberta,” Mary Hattaway said as she stepped into the house. She was tall and blond, in her forties, wearing a blue suit with giant gold buttons and shoulder pads that rivaled an NFL linebacker’s. She looked like a real estate agent that ate other real estate agents for breakfast. Janine instantly disliked her. “I was just in the neighborhood and thought, You know who I haven’t seen in a while? Roberta! I hope you don’t mind me poppin’ in like this.”

“Not at all,” Aunt Roberta said.

“Oh darlin’, your makeup,” Mary said, slightly horrified. “You been cryin’?”

Aunt Roberta froze for a moment before making a quick recovery. “Well, yes. We were just watchin’ Steel Magnolias. Probably my tenth time seein’ the thing, but it still gets me.”

“Hmm,” Mary said, her attempt at being sympathetic. “Dolly Parton should’ve never gotten mixed up in Hollywood, if you ask me.” She flashed her white teeth at Janine. “And who might you be?”