Pie Town - Lynne Hinton [74]
When Roger heard the two reports about Trina being in the vicinity, one from Danny White, his deputy, who saw the girl in the truck with Rob Chavez heading in that direction around 9:30 P.M., and the other from Bernie, who was sure it was Trina he saw walking in the fields away from the church around 1:00 A.M., he explained to Malene, thinking that Alex was not listening, he made a plan to visit his tenant later that afternoon. That was when Alex had wheeled himself into the kitchen and begged his grandfather not to ask the girl questions, not to treat her as a suspect or even as a person of interest, a phrase he had learned from the years of hearing about Roger’s work.
Roger had tried to assure Alex that the visit would not be an investigation and that he was not making any assumptions about Trina’s whereabouts at the time of the fire. He was only following up on a few stories that were going around, he tried to explain, and he promised he would not try to intimidate or scare Trina and that he would treat her the same way he would treat anyone else he thought might have information about the fire.
Roger stood at the bottom of the steps to Trina’s apartment and remembered the conversation he’d had with his grandson.
“I’ve asked everyone the same questions,” Roger said to Alex. “I’m not accusing anybody. I’m just trying to find out the facts, see if anyone knows something that can help us figure out what happened. I’m sure whoever started it didn’t mean to leave candles burning. I’m sure it was an accident, and I’m just trying to learn the facts.”
Alex shook his head. “Everybody already thinks she did it,” he said. His face was flushed, and Roger was worried that the boy was getting too upset.
“Who thinks she did it?” Roger asked, unsure of what his grandson knew.
“Danny does,” he answered.
“How do you know that?” Roger asked.
“I heard him talking to Christine when I went with Grandma to work. He saw Trina in the truck with Rob Chavez, and he thinks they went to the church together to make out.” Alex had his right hand balled into a fist.
“Well, first of all, Danny should not be talking to anybody else about what he thinks about a case.” Roger glanced over at Malene, who shrugged. She didn’t know about this conversation. “And secondly, Danny doesn’t know if Trina started the fire.”
“He thinks she did it,” Alex said, shaking his head. “And so does Mr. King and Ms. Francine.”
This news surprised Roger. “What makes you say that?” he asked, wondering how his grandson had so much information.
“Papa and I went to the diner, and they talked about it. Mr. King says he saw her walking in a field about the time he saw the fire, and Ms. Francine made that kind of clucking noise she makes when she talks about people in trouble.” The boy looked as if he was about to cry. “It only takes a couple of people telling stuff and folks believe the worst.” He turned to Roger. “You can’t let them say these bad things.”
Roger glanced away. He wished he could stop this kind of gossip, but he knew that the law, unfortunately, couldn’t stop folks from talking. He was about to explain this when Alex spoke again.
“It’s the same thing they did to Mama,” he said, and both Malene and Roger turned quickly to the boy.
They didn’t respond.
“I know the things they said about her,” he explained. “You thought I never heard, but I did. I know they thought she was bad for having me and not having a husband. And I know they still think she’s bad, and I know you got divorced because somehow all the bad things that people said made you quit believing in each other.” Alex leaned back in his chair. It was clear that he was exhausted.
Roger dropped his head, recalling that Malene had tried to comfort their grandson, that she was finally able to get him back to bed, and Roger himself had promised him that he wouldn’t let the things that people were saying influence him in his thoughts about or actions toward Trina. Alex had finally fallen asleep, but not before he shook