The Inquest

He was the one who found Gary slumped over on the front seat of the Olds in the garage on that frigid January morning. Not thinking what he was doing, he remembered turning off the ignition at some point, either before or after he administered CPR, again, not thinking clearly. He had seen enough of cold weather injuries and wounds as a Navy Corpsman in the Korean War to know how to respond, but trying to bring his son-in-law back to life while his daughter Kelly and grandson Tommy slept inside would have been nothing short of a miracle.
+++++He called 911 and then, mustered up as much fatherly strength as he could before he told his daughter and waited for the authorities to arrive. Kelly was hysterical as to be expected, had to be restrained by him and later, sedated by the family physician. Tommy was attended to by the next-door neighbor before family and friends began to arrive one by one.
+++++Three months later, at the official inquest, he would tell the coroner and others in attendance the details again of that morning when he found his son-in-law. At stake were more than Gary’s insurance money but closure and a peace of mind for the family. By then, rumors of suicide, the result of a either a domestic squabble fueled by alcohol or an extra-marital affair clouded his judgment as he swore that the testimony he was about to give was the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help him God, as he looked across the chamber to where Kelly and Tommy sat along with the rest of Gary’s family, his family and friends who came to lend moral support.
+++++With all eyes upon him in that cold, sarcophagus chamber, he knew what had to be done. He lied.
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Originally from LaSalle, Illinois, Jeffrey Miller has been living and teaching in Asia since 1989. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in A-Minor Magazine, The Artful Dodge, Bartleby Snopes, Eunoia Review, Full of Crow, Grey Sparrow Journal, Magnolia’s Press, Negative Suck, Orion headless and Thunderclap! He can be found online at www.jeffreymillerwrites.com and www.jeffreyalanmiller.wordpress.com.