Prologue - The Clipping


"Should I have known you were coming?"

"Nah. I just thought I'd stop by."

Shannon dropped to the ground beside his friend. Reclining against the trunk of a tree, Jeff didn't take his eyes off the horizon. For a long moment both of them were silent.

"Saw Beth at the house."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Jeff's mouth. "She still cleaning?"

"She seemed relieved that you were out of the house."

"Yeah, I'm a pig," Jeff said jovially. "I think the novelty of having me around more is starting to wear off."

Jeff's dog, Liger, came bounding up to them with a stick in his mouth. Taking it from him, Jeff tossed it away again.

"So, do you want to do some work in the studio?" Jeff asked as the dog tore off into the brush.

Shannon shook his head. Sighing heavily, Jeff looked at him.

They were close friends. Jeff knew things about Shannon that no other living soul knew, and vice versa. The shared a strong bond despite and because of their differences. Jeff was moody where Shannon was generally good-natured. Jeff was confident where Shannon was uncertain. Jeff was quiet where Shannon was loud. It was a deep understanding of those differences that told Jeff with just one look that something was wrong.

Shannon sat silently, studying the ground with grim intensity.

"What's going on, Shannon?"

Taking a deep, unsteady breath, Shannon met his eyes. "I wasn't sure you'd want to know, but I…" He drew a folded up scrap of newspaper from the pocket of his baggy pants. "I thought maybe you should."

Jeff took the piece of newspaper but what slow to open it. "What's this?"

Shannon merely gestured for him keep going. Jeff unfolded the paper and began reading.

Liger returned once more, happily carrying the stick. This time Shannon took it from his jaws and flung it far off, down the hill. When he glanced as his friend again, Jeff's eyes were waiting for his.

"How did you…" His voice quavered and Jeff cleared his throat. "Where did you get this?"

"It's from the Virginian-Pilot, last week."

"Yeah, but…"

"Matt gave it to me."

Jeff reacted as though he'd been struck. Bowing his head, he quickly got to his feet. The newspaper clipping fluttered to the ground as he moved away. Shannon picked it up, intending to return it to his pocket. Instead, he found himself staring at it. He didn't need to read it; last night he'd memorized every word. The photo of a scruffy older man glared up from the paper, strangely vivid despite the creases and smeared ink. Without thinking, he put his thumb over that face.

"So he knows," Jeff said abruptly from a few paces off.

"He knows something," Shannon agreed. "I don't know exactly what."

"What did he say?"

"He didn't say anything. Yesterday we were driving back down from the airport, and he just handed me the paper, open to this page. He didn't say anything for the rest of the trip, and I…I didn't ask."

Returning to the tree, Jeff sank down against it once more. He pulled his legs up and wrapped his arms around his knees. To Shannon, he suddenly looked much younger, like the boy he'd first met over ten years ago instead of the man he'd known every day since.

"Did you ever tell anyone?" Shannon asked softly.

"No. No one."

"Not even Matt?"

Jeff's head dropped down onto his arms. "No."

"Me neither."

Read Chapter 2 of 15 of Baslady's Best Left Behind