Chapter 19: The Handwriting

Gil walked to the lectern with the notebook in both hands, and Birdie stepped aside to make room for him.

He did not look at his mother.

He looked at the black cover, and his thumb shook on the edge of it.

"I'm going to read some of this," he said into the microphone. "I'm not going to say anything funny, because I've stopped being able to."

Nobody laughed, and he nodded.

"The first page says Birdie," he said. "Under that, there's a table."

He turned a page.

"March seventeenth. 'Mommy forgot my yogurt.' One."

A mother at the back put a hand over her mouth.

"There's a column on the right," Gil said. "It's headed WITNESS."

He ran his finger down it, and the finger stopped.

"My name is in it. Second Sunday in May. I sat in that room while my daughter got paid."

The minister at the side of the stage closed his eyes.

"I didn't know what it was," Gil said. "I thought it was a game. That's not an excuse, it's just what I did."

He swallowed.

"The back cover says: Rule. Never ask her to say it. Only ask her what she noticed, because she can't help it."

From the third table, Mrs. Tandy said "Ha!" loudly and then looked around for someone to blame.

Inez stood perfectly still at the edge of the stage.

"Gil," she said. "That is a private journal. Give it back."

"It's about my daughter."

"It's a keepsake book."

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