every volunteer fire department
“There’ll be a thousand folks at his funeral who were touched by his generosity. Crippled children, sick folks with no insurance, black kids he sent to college, every volunteer fire department, civic club, all-star team, school group headed for Europe. Our church sent some doctors to Haiti and the Judge gave us a thousand bucks.”
“When did you start going to church?”
“Two years ago.”
“Why?”
“Got a new wife.”
“How many is that?” .
“Four. I really like this one, though.”
“Lucky for her.”
“She’s very lucky.”
“I like this courthouse wake, Harry Rex. All those folks you just mentioned can pay their respects in public. Plenty of parking, don’t have to worry about seating.”
“It’s brilliant.”
Forrest wheeled into the drive and slammed on his brakes, stopping inches behind Harry Rex’s Cadillac. He crawled out and lumbered toward them in the semidarkness, carrying what appeared to be a whole case of beer.
Chapter 8
When he was alone, Ray sat in the wicker chair across from the empty sofa, and tried to convince himself that life without his father would not be greatly different than life apart from him. This day was long in coming, and he would simply take it in stride and go on with a small measure of mourning. Just go through the motions, he told himself, wrap things up in Mississippi and race back to Virginia.
The study was lit by one weak bulb under the shade of a dust-covered lamp on the rolltop, and the shadows were long and dark. Tomorrow he would sit at the desk and plunge into the paperwork, but not tonight.
Tonight he needed to think.
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