Chapter 5 - WHAT LINDA SAW.
Linda Carter did not sit.
That was the first thing Emily noticed.
She came close enough that they could talk quietly, but instead of taking the empty chair beside Frank, she remained standing.
Her eyes went once toward Ryan.
Then back to Emily.
"You asked who saw him come out?"
Emily nodded.
Linda folded her arms.
"I did."
Frank started to move away.
Emily caught his sleeve.
"Stay."
He stayed.
Linda looked at him.
"Frank."
"Linda."
Neither smiled.
Emily's pulse was too fast.
"What happened?"
Linda took a slow breath.
"Before I say anything, tell me what you remember."
Emily frowned.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to put something in your head that isn't yours."
That answer made Emily trust her more.
She looked down at Sophie.
"I remember Ryan going toward the SUV. Dad followed. I stayed closer to the church."
Linda nodded.
"Okay."
"I remember the SUV moving."
"Yes."
"I remember Ryan climbing out."
Linda's face remained still.
Emily continued.
"I remember everyone yelling."
"Yes."
"I remember Dad going toward him."
Linda glanced at Frank.
"He did."
Emily waited.
Linda waited too.
"What aren't you saying?"
Linda lowered her voice.
"Nothing yet."
"Linda."
"I'm trying to be exact."
Frank looked at Emily.
"Let her."
Emily hated how frightened she suddenly felt.
Linda spoke carefully.
"When Ryan got out of the vehicle, he was focused on getting himself to higher ground."
"Of course he was."
"Yes."
Emily heard something in that yes.
"What?"
Linda's eyes shifted toward Sophie.
"Nothing."
"Stop doing that."
"Doing what?"
"Looking at my baby like there's something you don't want to say."
Linda's face softened.
"I'm not trying to scare you."
"Then tell me."
A burst of thunder shook the windows.
Several children cried.
Someone dropped a metal tray in the kitchen.
The noise made Sophie stir.
Emily held her tighter.
Linda waited until the room settled.
"I saw Ryan come out."
"Okay."
"I saw him reach the church."
"Okay."
"I saw people ask if he was hurt."
Emily swallowed.
"And?"
Linda looked at Frank.
Frank said nothing.
"Linda."
Linda finally answered.
"I didn't hear him ask about Sophie."
Emily felt something strange happen inside her.
Not shock.
Resistance.
Immediate, aggressive resistance.
"You couldn't hear everything."
"That's true."
"He was coughing."
"Yes."
"People were talking."
"Yes."
"He could have asked somebody else."
"He could have."
Emily stared.
Linda wasn't arguing.
That made it harder to dismiss.
"So you don't know."
"I know what I heard."
"Which wasn't everything."
"Correct."
Frank lowered his eyes.
Emily turned on him.
"What did you hear?"
Frank looked up.
"Emily."
"What did you hear?"
"I was closer to the water."
"Did he ask you where Sophie was?"
Frank paused.
"No."
"Did he ask where I was?"
Another pause.
"No."
Emily stood so quickly the chair scraped.
Sophie startled.
Ryan looked across the room.
Emily immediately sat again.
Her hands shook.
"This is stupid."
Frank said nothing.
"This is a ridiculous conversation."
Linda nodded once.
"Maybe."
Emily looked at her.
"You agree?"
"I agree that we don't know what was in his head."
"Exactly."
"But we do know what came out of his mouth."
Emily stared.
Linda's voice remained calm.
"Those are different things."
Frank rubbed his forehead.
Emily felt cornered.
"Why are you both doing this?"
Frank looked hurt.
"We're not."
"Yes, you are."
"No."
"You already don't like him."
Frank's face hardened.
"I don't like what happened today."
"You don't even know what happened."
"I know what I saw."
"And that's?"
Frank leaned forward.
"I saw my son-in-law fight his way out of moving water. I saw people grab him. I saw him stand under that canopy. I saw him ask whether the SUV was going to float away."
Emily's throat tightened.
"He was in shock."
"Maybe."
"He was scared."
"Probably."
"He could've died."
"Yes."
Frank's answers were infuriating.
He wasn't giving her anything to fight.
She wanted him to call Ryan selfish.
She wanted him to say Ryan didn't care.
Then she could defend her husband.
Instead, Frank kept saying only what he knew.
Emily turned back to Linda.
"You said you didn't hear him ask."
"Correct."
"That doesn't mean he didn't."
"No."
"Then why tell me?"
Linda's eyes settled on hers.
"Because you asked."
Emily looked away.
That sentence embarrassed her.
Sophie began rooting against Emily's cardigan.
She needed feeding.
Emily adjusted the blanket.
Frank immediately stood.
"I'll give you space."
Linda moved too.
Emily stopped her.
"Wait."
Linda paused.
Emily couldn't believe the question she was about to ask.
"When you saw him come out... did he turn around?"
Frank closed his eyes briefly.
Linda did not answer at once.
Emily looked from one to the other.
"Did he?"
Linda spoke.
"Not that I saw."
Emily's chest hurt.
"Frank?"
Her father looked at her.
"I saw him look back once."
Relief hit so fast she nearly laughed.
"There. He did."
Frank did not react.
Emily's relief faded.
"What?"
Frank rubbed his beard.
"He looked at the SUV."
Emily stared.
"Maybe he was checking for us."
"Maybe."
"Dad."
"He could have been."
"Stop saying it like that."
"Like what?"
"Like you're trying not to say the thing you actually think."
Frank leaned forward.
"Because what I think isn't evidence."
Linda looked at him with brief approval.
Emily hated that too.
Ryan was coming toward them now.
She could see it.
He had noticed the conversation.
"What are we talking about?" he asked.
Linda stepped back.
"Flood."
Ryan looked at Emily.
"You okay?"
She nodded.
"You look pale."
"I'm tired."
"You should go somewhere quieter."
Linda said, "Pastor's office is open."
Ryan gave her a grateful smile.
"Thanks."
Emily stood carefully.
Frank took her elbow.
Ryan noticed.
"I've got her."
Frank released her immediately.
Ryan took Emily's arm.
The gesture looked protective.
Maybe it was.
They walked toward the pastor's office.
Halfway there, Emily stopped.
"Ryan."
"What?"
"When you got out..."
He waited.
She almost asked.
Did you turn around?
Did you ask where Sophie was?
Did you know I was safe?
But she saw the room.
People.
Friends.
Church members.
Her father.
Linda.
And she heard Ryan's voice from earlier.
Can we not do this here?
Emily swallowed the question.
"Nothing."
Ryan's face softened.
He guided her into the office.
Frank remained in the fellowship hall.
Linda stood beside him.
Neither spoke until the office door closed.
Then Linda said quietly, "She already knows something's wrong."
Frank watched the door.
"Knowing ain't the same as being ready to say it."
Outside, something heavy struck the side of the building.
People shouted.
Frank turned toward the windows.
May you like
The flood had climbed another several inches.
And the dark SUV was no longer where it had been.
