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He shakes his head. “Let me do that. You go upstairs and put on your pajamas. I’ll make you a cup of hot tea, okay?”
I nod and wipe my eyes. “Thanks.”
I go upstairs and throw myself onto my chaste single bed, then cry myself out for the next few moments.
I need to know what happened to her. She doesn’t — shedidn’tdo drugs. She just didn’t…
As he suggested, I slip on my pajamas, pull on my robe, and then go back downstairs, where Gramps is fixing me a cup of hot tea. He’s already taken out some cookies and placed them on a plate.
“Here you go,” he says, handing me the mug of tea. “Have a drink and some cookies. They’re not as good as your Gran used to make, but they’ll do.”
“Thanks,” I say and together, we go to the living room and sit on the sofa. I take a sip of the hot tea and sigh. Gramps knows just how to make it, so it was perfect — enough milk and sugar.
“While the kettle was boiling, I spoke to a friend in the NYPD about Sherri,” Gramps says. “He couldn’t tell me much, but he says that the death was ruled accidental. Her blood alcohol level was really high, and there was a mix of oxycodone, THC and sleeping pills in her system. That likely caused her to stop breathing at some point the previous night. When she was found, she’d been dead for hours.”
“She didn’t take sleeping pills,” I say, frowning. “Oxycodone? That’s an opioid. It’s a synthetic form of morphine.”
“Supposed to be less addictive, but not so, apparently,” Gramps replies. “Many people who took it for pain became very addicted to it. Sad to say but when their prescriptions run out,they often start doing heroin, which is cheaper and ultimately, easier to get than a prescription for Oxy.”
“She didn’t do drugs, Gramps,” I insist. “She never did anything more than drink wine spritzers. It must be the Harrison O'Connor guy she's dating.”
He sighs and shakes his head. “She was maybe influenced by him and his crowd. They live pretty high and fast. Jet setters.”
I take a bite of the cookie Gramps made, but it feels like chalk in my mouth. I put it down and force a smile.
“Thanks for your help,” I say and take another sip. “So, the cops aren’t suspicious about her death?”
“No,” he says. “The medical examiner ruled it accidental overdose caused by a mixture of alcohol, opioids, cannabis and sleeping pills. They didn’t think it was suicide, because she was at a party with her boyfriend, and everything seemed to be normal.”
I shake my head. “It’s his fault. She would never have done drugs if it wasn’t for him.”
Gramps takes in a deep breath. “Some people do crazy dangerous things if they think it will win them love.”
He stands checked his watch. “Your brother will be home soon. I have some stew cooking on the stove for when you’re hungry. I’ll tell him about what happened. You watch whatever you want until you’re ready to eat. I have to run to the bar and check on the place, but I’ll be back in time for supper.”
“Thanks, Gramps.” I smile at him, glad that he’s there to look after me.
When he leaves the house, I put my cup of tea down and open my laptop.
I’m going to check the news to see what, if anything, has been written about Sherri’s untimely death.
And I intend to find out more about Mr. Harrison O’Connor.
That Friday,I get a call from Sherri’s mother about the funeral for Sherri that’s being held on Sunday. Sherri will be buried at the local cemetery, and there will be a small graveside service for her. Sherri was not a religious person, but her parents are. Family and friends will attend at the graveside. There will be a tea afterward at Sherri’s parent’s house.
It will be a day from hell for us all.
I can’t imagine going to the funeral or burial. I remember my mother’s funeral and how hard it was on my brother and me. While Sherri isn’t family, she and Michelle have been like sisters to me since we met in college. We always joked that we were each the sister we never had. We told each other everything about anything that was happening in our lives, and I assumed that she did the same with us.
What changed in the past month since she met Harrison?
How could she have gone from the happy fun-loving but serious student I knew for the past four years to someone who overdosed on Oxycontin, cannabis, alcohol and sleeping pills?
I don’t know the answer, but I’m going to find out, one way or the other.
CHAPTER 7
Harrison
