The Ravine (22 page)

He pictured Danny sitting at the desk, surrounded by bills that were multiplying like the mops and pails in
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
, deciding that he had had enough, and needed a way out. Mitch wondered if Danny’s financial problems had driven him over the edge. He thumbed through the book, and noticed something written in the notes section: “If they don’t find out you did it, then you didn’t do it.” Mitch closed the book in disgust and went to see if Carolyn and Maryann were ready to leave. He found them talking with Sheriff Dandridge. They all turned and looked at him when he entered, and he had the feeling he had just been the topic of their discussion.

“Mitch,” Carolyn started, “Sheriff Dandridge thinks it would make sense if the family made a statement outside to the press, so they’ll back off a bit, and we think you should deliver it.”

“Well, I’ll do it, but I don’t think they’re going to call off the hounds just because they get a statement. They’re going to want to ask questions.”

Sheriff Dandridge responded, “I’ll stand out there with you, and make it clear that we’re not taking any questions. Just read it, and at least some of them will have something to deliver to their bosses, so maybe some of them will leave. By the way, uniformed officers will be stationed here all night to make sure no one sneaks in.”

That night, when they got back to the hotel and turned on the TV, Mitch saw himself standing next to Sheriff Dandridge, with Carolyn and Maryann in the background.

Dandridge stepped up to the group of microphones arrayed in front of him. “Okay, now, the family has decided to make a brief statement, and has asked a family friend, Mitch Bianci, to read it. We will not be taking any questions after that.”

Mitch and Carolyn sat on the edge of the bed, and watched the television, feeling a bit like they were in a movie watching a movie of themselves. How did they go from obscurity just hours before to being on national television? Mitch watched as he nervously tugged at his collar and then stepped forward. He cleared his throat, but as he began to read, he felt a thwack of emotion rain down on him, and his voice began to tremble.

“Rachel and Evan Turner were two of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet. Rachel was a hard-working and loving mother and a supportive wife, and Evan was a ten-year-old who was known for his remarkable good nature, love of sports, and the love of his family.

“This is a tragedy beyond our comprehension, and it is of course compounded by the fact that the person who committed the crime was their husband and father.

“We have no idea why this happened, and can offer no explanation, and know nothing more than what has already been reported in the media. So we ask that you please respect the privacy of the family, and that everyone pray for Rachel and Evan and for all their remaining family members.

“We have no further comments at this time. Thank you.”

The assembled reporters collectively began to shout questions, and then the picture cut back to the anchorman, who recounted the details of the crime and showed the photos of Danny, Rachel, and Evan that were being bandied about in the media. The broadcast then cut to a few special reports at various locations. Mitch and Carolyn sat watching numbly until the report regarding Danny’s suicide came on, and then they were physically taken aback.

An attractive blonde woman, bundled in a winter coat, was speaking into the camera, while a hubbub of police activity took place in the distance behind her.

“Hello,” she said, “this is Jennifer Wilson reporting for Channel Five Nightly News. I am standing at the edge of Nicholson’s Quarry, which is the location where the final act of the Turner family tragedy took place Wednesday morning at approximately 7:30 a.m. It was here that Danny Turner, the husband and father of the murder victims, took his life in a very spectacular and gruesome manner. This next segment may not be suitable for young viewers, so we suggest that you take that into consideration.”

The image on the screen cut to a close-up of what appeared to be a gravel road that came to an abrupt end at the edge of a cliff. The massive twin boulders that teetered on the precipice created a corridor that looked to be about twelve feet wide. The opening didn’t appear menacing at all until the camera panned down into the watery ravine that was perhaps one hundred feet below. One clip showed the police engaged in attempting to remove Danny’s Escalade, a car in which Mitch and Carolyn had been passengers countless times. The next shot scanned across the terrain, where there appeared to be a body covered by a white sheet.

At that moment the announcer said, “Though the final report has not yet been released by the medical examiner, the police did confirm that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head.” It was then that Mitch and Carolyn turned away and each began to sob. Suddenly, Danny’s humanity was front and center, and regardless of what he might have done, he was still their longtime friend, and their anger turned to grief, which only increased their complex of emotions and confusion.

“Turn it off, Mitch. I can’t watch this anymore.”

Because the funeral service was taking place the next morning, Carolyn had no choice but to write Rachel’s eulogy before she went to bed, despite the fact she was bone-tired. Mitch took a notepad out of his briefcase, and they began to discuss what she would say.

Carolyn had found Rachel’s diary at the house, and she was thumbing through it for inspiration, when suddenly she cried out, “Oh, no! I can’t believe she said that!”

“What? What did she say?” Mitch grabbed the book from her, and saw the words that had sent Carolyn into a tizzy.

“Carolyn did a lot of great things for me, but the best thing she ever did was to introduce me to Danny!”

“Mitch, that’s the truth! If I had never introduced her to Danny, Rachel would still be alive! In a way, it’s all my fault.” She pounded her fist on the table in front of her.

“That’s ridiculous, Carolyn! She and Danny fell in love with each other, and they had a great life together for a long, long time. What Danny did is on Danny, and nobody else.”

“Well, that may be logical, but seeing it in black and white, in Rachel’s handwriting, is just too much. I wish I hadn’t seen it, but I was thinking it all day.”

“They loved each other, and they made two beautiful children, honey. We’ll probably never know why this happened, but we do know that what happened was outside of our control. You can’t blame yourself; that’s just crazy. Don’t let that diary bother you.”

“That’s easy for you to say, Mitch. You don’t have to live with this.”

“Honey, let’s just try to calm down. This day has been all too much, and we have to try to keep our heads on straight. Besides, we have to start writing this, now, so we need to get started.”

Carolyn didn’t finish until almost three in the morning, by which time Mitch was stretched out on the bed sound asleep. Carolyn’s head began to dip as she started to nod off over her writing, but she insisted to herself that she needed to make just one more improvement.

“Go to bed, girlfriend. I think it’s perfect!” She lifted her head expecting to see Rachel standing there. Her voice was so clear and vibrant, and so alive. Of course, Rachel wasn’t there; however, Carolyn followed her friend’s advice and went to bed.

She was asleep within seconds of shutting off the light.

C
HAPTER
13

Courage and Wisdom

If in Christ we have hope in this life only
,

We are of all people most to be pitied
.

—1 Corinthians 15:19

I
T HAD BEEN
prescient of Mitch to arrange for a 7:30 wake-up call, because they were both sound asleep when the phone rang. They called for room service and hurriedly prepared for the day ahead while the
Today
show blared in the background. Carolyn changed the channel the instant Katie Couric began to introduce the segment about “the terrible double homicide in the Akron area.” Both she and Mitch were starting to loathe the way the media was milking the tragedy that was so real and personal to them. Fortunately, Reverend Kirkpatrick and the police department had promised to prohibit any television cameras inside the church, but there would doubtless be a crush outside, and there was no way to keep the reporters out of the building.

Carolyn asked Mitch to read the eulogy she’d finished writing after he had fallen asleep, and he did so over breakfast.

“I think it’s beautiful, honey. It’s straight from your heart, and I think the way you end it will reach everyone. I know Rachel will be remembered for how generous and loving she was, and you know that firsthand, so it’s truthful and honest, as it should be.”

“Well, I just pray I can get all the way through it. I still don’t feel as if any of this is real, but I know today is going to make it seem final.”

“Just take your time, and take a deep breath whenever you need to. People will understand that this is a very hard thing to do, but you can do it. I know you can. You just have to hand this over to God, and have faith that it will be fine.”

Mitch continued to be concerned about Carolyn, but he was hopeful that after the funeral, when they returned home later that day, they would at least get back into the rhythm of things. He hoped that she would be able to move on, but he feared he was deluding himself.

Rachel had been a daily part of Carolyn’s life since they had met back in high school. They wouldn’t make a move without consulting each other, whether about little things, such as which color curtains to buy, or more serious matters. It wasn’t the same for Mitch and Danny, not by a long shot. Carolyn had been as close to Rachel as she was to anyone in her life, barring her immediate family. Rachel could always be counted on to get Carolyn out of a funk, or to help her stop fretting about whatever was plaguing her. They would calm each other down when one of them would conjure up the sort of frightening scenario mothers create in the middle of the night. Minutes after picking up the phone, Rachel would have Carolyn laughing at herself, or she’d share some ridiculous story or juicy gossip and, before Mitch knew it, all her concerns would fade away.

Mitch’s heart was broken as well over this tragedy, but his defense mechanism allowed him to compartmentalize things. He was mainly dumbfounded by Danny’s actions and, frankly, furious at him. It turned out there had been a pretty hefty insurance policy on Rachel, so his motive might have been money. But if money was the problem, why couldn’t Danny just swallow his pride and ask for help? It was a sort of open secret that Rachel had caught him cheating on her a few years back,
and every once in a while Rachel would make some oblique reference to it, but they seemed to have weathered that storm.

He wouldn’t rest until he found out what had caused Danny to do what he did. No matter how many times he played it over in his head, there were still just too many unanswered questions, beginning with why he did it, why he thought he could get away with such an idiotic idea, what Logan had to do with it, and how he possibly could have murdered his own son and abandoned his eight-year-old son to deal with the devastation he had wrought. And, hanging over all these questions, was the one that was so loathsome that he couldn’t allow himself to go there—the manner of death. The sheer carnage.