Dean mentally calculated the time from the airport and told her about 5:00. She conveyed the information to son Randy, told him she loved him and, after ending the conversation, flopped back down on the bed, again covering her head, this time with a pillow.
"I haven't been this sick since I was pregnant with Randy and I'm so embarrassed I could die!"
"We all drink a little too much once in a while."
"May I wear a bag over my head on the trip home? I don't think I can ever face you again. I am totally mortified."
"You were a perfect lady. You just fell asleep a little early."
She covered her ears. "Don't say it! Don't even talk about it!"
"You didn't miss a thing," then added, "except the power failure." She looked up at him as he continued. "Not a light in the place for hours. Couldn't see a thing."
She covered her face. "God, I hate not remembering!"
"Water under the bridge," he answered. "Let's get packed up and out of here. Have you eaten?"
She moaned. "Don't mention food!"
"You have to eat something. Remember what an empty stomach can do." He turned to leave. "Five minutes. I'll knock."
She caught up to him at the door, surprising him with the quiet of her bare feet on the carpet and gave him a hug from behind, burying her head against his back and holding on for a long while. "Thank you," was all she said.
They settled for sandwiches at the airport. Dean ate a chicken salad on whole wheat with a piece of cherry pie and ice cream. Cynthia nibbled half a grilled cheese. Dean had allowed what he thought was plenty of time for the flight but the rental car area was slow and the entire airport was crowded with storm-delayed travelers. The flight was on schedule and thankfully there was little time for forced conversation. It was obvious that Cynthia was still feeling terrible. She smiled and responded with one-word answers while he did most of what little conversation occurred. Neither was disappointed when they lapsed into silence for the last leg of the trip.
Cynthia was a wee bit cheerier on the ride from Allentown but the subject of the prior evening was never broached. She apologized that she would once again need his detailed report now that the body remained missing. With each passing day the possibility that Jeffrey Byrne's corpse might not be found became more realistic. While Dean was tactful enough not to mention it, it had, however, taken two weeks for Billie Wassermann to come home to port.