Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

Since being the last person to see Cindy Walker before she disappeared over twenty years ago, Larry Ott has lead a solitary life. Ostracized by the town because many suspected he had something to do with her absence, Larry has tried to maintain the routine of keeping his father's garage open--even though he has no customers. When Larry is shot in his home, the police wonder if it was a suicide attempt or something more sinister. His estranged old friend, Silas Jones, now a cop, delves into the case himself and is faced with memories of his and Larry's secret childhood friendship (Larry is white and Silas African-American). Franklin has written a character-centered novel about secrets, friendship, and loneliness set in the rural south.