Faith said she would get her half back within a month, the other half shortly after, plus a bonus $400 for helping her. But the benchmarks passed with no repayment. That was when Faith started ghosting her. Kelly’s calls and emails went unanswered, and Kelly was getting desperate.
Faith—what is going on? I need that money. I have my rent to pay too. I loaned you the money out of the goodness of my heart. You promised you’d get it right back to me when your credit was restored.
Silence. Kelly remembered Faith’s mom from the times she had met her at freshman-year move-in and again when Faith was forced to move out. Kelly looked up her name and called her, crying on the phone as she explained that months had now passed with zero word from Faith. Faith’s mother sounded horrified and promised she would take care of it, and she did, sending Kelly a check. Kelly and Faith both wound up in the Detroit area, and Kelly saw Faith on TV, but she didn’t hear from Faith again until the email the day she was eating her tuna sandwich in the staff break room.
Faith was a troubled person, Kelly knew that. One night early in freshman year, the two of them had stayed up late whispering in the dark across the tiny room from each other.
“Tell me about your childhood,” Faith had said. “Did you like your mom and dad?”
Kelly gulped back a huge sob and sputtered about her mom and grandma dying in the accident. Faith was quiet, but as Kelly finished she heard footsteps coming across the room. Faith sat down next to Kelly and said, “Oh, Kell, I am so sorry, I had noidea,” and she leaned in for a hug. They embraced for a long time, both shedding tears.
When Faith went back to her own bed, she whispered, “I have some things to tell you about my childhood too.” And she shared with Kelly that her younger sister, Charity, had died at the age of three, and also bemoaned all of the things her father had done, the yelling and how he shamed Faith and her sister by withholding decent clothing from them. They were the laughingstock of their suburb, Faith said, in their ill-fitting and outdated items. It was only late in high school that Faith and her sister Hope were able to buy clothes from the thrift store where Hope worked.
“I can’t wait until I’m an adult and I have my own money,” Faith said. “If I have a daughter I’m buying her the best clothing. He ruined my childhood, he really did. He even changed my personality. You know how I am, outgoing and fun, right? Around him I had to be quiet as a mouse. The only thing we had in common was the weather.”
“The weather?” Kelly asked quizzically.
“Yeah, we both liked rain gauges and storms and lightning and stuff. I might even want to be a meteorologist. One came to our high school career fair and I thought it was the coolest thing.”
All of this background helped Kelly to understand Faith more. Kelly had never heard of any parent making kids wear horrible clothes as a punishment. It also made Kelly realize why Faith did what she did with the credit cards and with the other stolen items, which they learned she had pawned. It didn’t excuse it, but it allowed her to understand it just a tiny bit more.
Now Faith was dead, killed by someone near the station. It didn’t feel real. Kelly’s mind was having a hard time computing it and also sorting out her complicated feelings toward Faith.
As Kelly turned the corner onto their street, she was surprised to see a police car sitting in front of the house and a policeman at the door talking to Joel. Her heart rate quickened. Did they have new information on the stolen jewels?
She pulled into the driveway just as both Joel and the officer turned to look at her. She gave a little half wave and a smile but they appeared to be very serious.
As she stepped out of the car, the officer said, “Kelly Watters?”
“Yes?” It was not the same guy as before.
“Officer Nordgaard. I’d like to speak with you both inside.”
“Of course. Is this about the jewelry? Do you have a new break in the case?” Her optimism surged at the possibility of getting the jewelry back.
“Let’s talk inside,” the officer said. Kelly glanced at Joel, who had a blank expression.
When they settled into the living room, she tried again.
“Did you find the jewels?”
“Ma’am, I am not here with any new information about your jewelry.”
Her spirits plummeted.
“So what is this about, then?” Joel asked.
“I’m here to ask you some questions about the death of Faith Richards,” the officer said. “Where were you both on Friday night between the hours of sevenPMand elevenPM?”
“I’m sorry, what?” Kelly said. “You’re askingusabout Faith’s death?”
“Ma’am, please answer the question. Where were you Friday night during the hours I just noted?”
“I was here, watching a movie,” Kelly said. “I work long hours as a teacher and I like to relax on Friday nights.”
“And I went for a hike,” said Joel. “I work at home and needto get out for exercise. I drove myself to the Ojibway Nature Centre and hiked, then came home.”
“Are you in the habit of hiking at night, sir?”
