Leaving Time

Jenna recalls a conversation between her parents when she was very young. They are debating about whether any species of animal is truly monogamous. Her father says a male penguin finds a perfect pebble and then gives it to his chosen partner. They remain together for life. Her father picks up a pebble and presents it to her mother.

Jenna switches her attention to Virgil. She speculates that because he drinks so much, he might not be able to handle a proper investigation. She forces him to ride on the back of her bicycle and takes him to a local diner for coffee, to sober up. He advances the theory that her mother might have killed Nevvie and run off. It takes a few moments for Jenna to process that scenario. Virgil tells her to meet him at 11 o’clock the following morning, to see if they can analyze the red hair found on Nevvie’s body.

Jenna returns to her grandmother’s house and asks why nobody performed a search for Alice. Her grandmother admits that she went to the police station several times but never had the courage to go inside and make a report, as she was afraid to learn what the police might find out.