his phone.
“Now we call in the cops and hope they don’t arrest us.”
“Well, if they do, you and your dad might end up with some quality time together.”
“I’m not sure that will ever be possible.”
Chapter
49
SHERIFF MONDA STARED down at Sara Chisum’s body, which was in the exact position where she had fallen. They were waiting for the coroner to come and examine it. And since the town coroner was also the owner of the local funeral home and not an employee of the state, he had been away at a convention in Louisiana when the call came in. They were told his arrival might still be a couple of hours away.
Chisum’s bike was parked next to a tree. She had arrived silently, as silently as she had died.
Monda walked over to where Robie and Reel were standing with Sheila Taggert.
He said, “Okay, let me get this straight, so you came out here hopin’ to get a line on the person Sara was tryin’ to get money from?”
“That’s right,” said Robie.
“And it didn’t occur to you to call us?” said Monda irritably.
“Frankly, no it didn’t,” replied Robie. “We had no idea if Emma Chisum was really telling the truth. I didn’t want to involve the police and waste your time and resources for what might turn out to be nothing.”
Monda looked back over at the body. “Well, it didn’t turn out to be nothin’, did it?”
“I can’t disagree with you there, Sheriff.”
“So you think it was an SUV?” said Taggert.
Robie nodded. “And I’m pretty sure I hit it. So there’s something you can track down.”
“You have any idea what Sara was goin’ to tell this person? I’m assumin’ the person just killed her instead of talkin’ to her?”
“We didn’t hear anyone speak,” said Reel. “We heard a car approach and then the shot was fired. We didn’t hear Sara coming in on her bike. We were waiting around the perimeter of the clearing. That’s where we thought the meeting would take place. Either the killer changed the location to the spot next to the road or it was unlucky timing on Sara’s part, I don’t know.”
Robie said, “You might want to put the rest of the Chisum family in protective custody.”
Monda nodded. “I think, under the circumstances, that’s a good idea. Do you think Emma has any inklin’ what this is about?”
“She swears she doesn’t,” said Reel. “But I don’t believe her.”
“Anythin’ else?” asked Monda.
“Have you been in contact with the FBI?”
Monda nodded. “They let us know they were in the area.”
“Did they tell you why they were in the area?” asked Reel.
“No. Do you know why?”
“If they didn’t tell you, it’s certainly not my place to.”
“Listen, Robie, I want to know what the hell is goin’ on in Cantrell,” barked Monda.
“Then I suggest you call Agent Wurtzburger back and demand that he tell you. I would if I were you.”
He looked over at Sara’s body.
Monda followed his gaze and said, “Guess you couldn’t save her this time.”
“Guess not,” replied Robie.
Robie and Reel drove back mostly in silence to the Willows. They had failed in their mission and someone had died. This fact was not going down well with either of them.
Reel finally stirred. “Sara was our best chance to get some traction on this and we screwed it up. Okay, she wasn’t the nicest person in the world, but that doesn’t entitle someone to just blow her away.”
“We have one more option. Pete Clancy.”
“Only he’s gone and we don’t know where he is.”
“I didn’t say it would be easy.”
“Why didn’t you tell Monda about the serial killer angle?”
“Because he needs to get that information from Wurtzburger, not us. I’m not poaching on the FBI’s turf.”
“You think our serial killer was driving that SUV tonight?”
“Well, I see you two were out before the sun came up,” she said, clearly annoyed.
“We had some things to look into,” said Robie, deciding not to tell her they had actually been out all night. He looked at the bucket and the drenched Tyler. “He’s having fun.”
“We were just doing some chores when I decided this little guy needed a cooling down.”
“I can see that,” said Robie, who was watching Tyler with amusement. He was pointing at the hose and then at himself.
Reel said, “I think he wants another blast.”