A yawn slipped out. I needed a nap and my mother’s restorative broth, but the day was still young. We had pigs to bury, and no answers for my distraught daughter.
“The case. We didn’t learn much. Our top suspects are still the boyfriend, the neighbor, the sister, and the kid. Two of them could’ve teamed up, which may be why we’ve been unable to narrow the field.”
“I’m still thinking single suspect,” Mayes said. “A team would indicate a dominant partner and a submissive one. I’m not seeing anyone in that group who is submissive. There’s a reason for that ‘keep it simple’ phrase. Once you complicate a situation, mistakes happen. We haven’t seen any evidence of a partnership or a failing partnership. One suspect, and I like the son for it.”
His arrogant summation aggravated me. “Doodle’s a kid, not that much older than Larissa. I can’t believe he would be so violent. He doesn’t have a police record. Don’t bad seeds escalate? Isn’t there a trail of violence to property or animals first?”
“Oftentimes there is a progression of violence, but Doodle lived an isolated life,” Mayes said. “Not many neighbors. No one would’ve known if he hurt strays or wild animals, for instance.”
“But he volunteers at the animal shelter. You said yourself the pigs didn’t like you because you were a hunter and have a warrior spirit. Wouldn’t the pigs have had the same reaction to Doodle? I think you’re on the wrong track. June benefited the most from her sister’s death. She’s my top suspect.”
Mayes rose to his feet, and I followed him. We trekked to the garden, the late afternoon sun warm on my head and shoulders. When the trail widened and we could walk side by side, Mayes brushed against me and took my hand. At once, my step felt lighter; the tension within me eased.
Was there something else to this melding of spirits? How connected were we now? His touch centered me in a new way, a necessary way. Should I have been more cautious about trying something new? Why were there always consequences connected to anything on the Other Side?
And why hadn’t my alleged guide and mentor on the Other Side noticed our joint foray into her realm? According to Rose, she knew my every action. She had her hooks in me. Another thought occurred to me as we walked. Had Rose known all along what Mayes and I were capable of? Is that why she took over my body and cavorted with him? Had she dangled me in front of him so that she could snare herself another Dreamwalker?
“You’re deep in thought,” Mayes said.
Rose wasn’t a safe topic, so I veered to a more neutral one. “I’m trying to understand how everything fits together. It’s maddening to have bits and pieces of the jigsaw puzzle coming together, only there’s no box with the picture on it to follow. We’re putting this puzzle together blind.”
“You’re forgetting we have a new lead from our dreamwalk: Ava Leigh. Who is she?”
“Mandy’s mention of her was the first time I’ve heard the name. Far as I know she isn’t local. I’ll call the sheriff and ask him to run Ava Leigh’s name.”
“No need to call him,” Mayes predicted. “He’ll be at the garden when we reach it.”
“You have long-range Spidey senses?”
“Nope. Masculine intuition. Once word reached him about an incident at your parents’ place, he’ll drop everything to hotfoot it over here.”
I snorted. “For pigs? On a Sunday? I don’t believe you.”
“Believe what you like. That guy considers you family, and not in a sisterly way.”
“Jealous?”
“Should I be?”
My heels dug into the grassy path. “Wayne and I aren’t dating and never will. Aside from the fact he’s married and I wouldn’t date a married man, I’ve never been interested in him. One day he’ll realize that.”
“You’re wrong. You’ll always be the one who got away. The lure is irresistible.”
“You have a woman like that in your past?”
“In my present.” He tightened his grip on my fingers. “Only I’m not letting her get away.”
We both laughed, but underneath his laughter was something else. It flashed fiery and ruthless, just long enough for me to see it. And worry.
Chapter Forty-Four
“Sheriff. Sorry we pulled you away from Sunday dinner,” I said as we entered the garden. Once I’d heard voices as we approached my father’s garden, I knew Mayes had guessed correctly. Sheriff Wayne Thompson was missing Sunday dinner with his family because of two dead pigs. Burnell Escoe, the GBI guy, stood to the left of him, hands on his hips.
Great . Mr. GBI was back in town, and he didn’t look thrilled about covering a double pig homicide. Given his lack of faith in psychics, I wished his business had kept him in Savannah for a few more days.
The black flies were louder now, buzzing around the dead animals. Sure, it was the circle of life, but I wasn’t in the mood for a biology lesson or a confrontation with either man. I yearned for some of Mom’s restorative broth.
“What you got, Powell?” the sheriff asked.
“Mostly nothing.” I filled him in on the kill site and transport. “Touching the pigs and the arrows wasn’t helpful. Mayes thinks the person we’re looking for is a psychopath. That would explain the lack of emotional residue on the carcasses and arrows.”
Wayne swore. Escoe shook his head. “It’s one thing to kill a drug kingpin, but killing pets is beyond the pale. We need to put an end to this.”
I tugged on my ear. Surely, I’d misheard him. No, I hadn’t. He valued these pigs over Mandy. Whatever miniscule respect I had for his authority vanished.
“Drug kingpins are people too,” I said.
“Tell yourself that when you see kids so strung out they don’t know what they’re doing,” Escoe said, fervent and indignant, his eyes ablaze. “You bleeding-heart people are all alike. What is it about the meth cook that makes you think she’s a person? Is it a mom-connection? What mother raises a child in a toxic wasteland? Tell me that.”
I had plenty to tell him, and I couldn’t swallow them one more time. I puffed up with anger, brushing off Mayes’ cautionary hand on my arm.
“Do you know what it’s like to have nothing?” I asked, rounding on him. “To have bills and no way to pay them? To make one mistake and have it hound you the rest of your life? Mandy may not win Mother of the Year, but she cared about her kid. Everything she did was for him. She wanted Doodle to have a college education and rise above the life she’d made. She did what she had to do to survive.”
“Even if your suppositions had merit, and there’s no evidence to support such liberal claptrap, it doesn’t matter,” Escoe said. “In the eyes of the law, Mandy Patterson was a criminal. She consorted with felons and produced illegal drugs.”
I glared at him and was about to launch into him for being an insensitive asshole when Mayes gripped my arm.
“Escoe, rein it in,” Mayes said. “Mrs. Powell’s ten-year-old found the pigs going on two hours ago. Instead of comforting her child, Mrs. Powell worked this scene because she’s a professional. You are way off base, and I will report your unprofessional conduct to my superior. Trust me, you do not want to make my boss mad, because she plans to be the next governor of Georgia. Meanwhile, I’m taking Powell to see her daughter. Don’t come near her again unless you can be objective and courteous.”
“You can’t talk to me like that,” Escoe shouted. “I’ll have your badge.”
Mayes stepped up to him, nose to nose. “Try it. I’m not afraid of you, and I won’t let you bully people who are helping you do your job.”
Wayne put his hand between the men, his palm against Mayes’ chest. “Gentlemen. Step back. We’re guests on private property and making a bad impression on my number one consultant.” Wayne guided Mayes my way. “You two, go on up to the house. I’ll stop in there as soon as I finish here.”
Escoe looked like he wanted to spit bullets. I snickered inside, careful to keep my expression bland. He should’ve known better than to keep poking the bear. My
bear had sharp claws.
Once we’d walked out of hearing range, Mayes spoke softly. “I notice you left the new lead out of your report.”
“I’ll tell Wayne later, but Escoe can suck wind far as I’m concerned.”
“You’re not being a team player.”
“News flash, Mayes. Escoe isn’t on my team.”
“But I am?”
“Most definitely.”
* * *
Doodle and his aunt occupied the sofa in my parents’ living room when we arrived. The TV was tuned to the weather station, as always, though someone had mercifully muted the volume. Mom took one look at my face and nodded to Larissa. Moments later, Larissa carried a tray with two steaming mugs to Mayes and me.
As I sipped the restorative broth, Mom offered some to Doodle and June, who refused. I edged toward Mayes. He took that as a green light and drew me close with a hand around my hip. I was too tired to be alarmed by his show of possessiveness and reveled in the comfort of being held.
The broth worked its usual magic. Someday, I’d have to ask my mom what she put in here. I felt calmer and lighter, as if sunshine was cleansing the darkness from the dreamwalk dregs. The net effect was a lift of my spirits.
“I’m as upset as you are,” my father said to Doodle. “Nothing like this has ever happened before. My place is a sanctuary for people and wildlife. For someone to do this, I’m … it’s awful.”
“They would’ve been safer turned out at his old place,” June said in a nasty tone. “You’re a terrible person to let this boy’s pets die on your watch.”
Doodle fiercely blinked back tears. When he spoke, his voice cracked. “I can’t believe they’re gone. I grew up with those pigs. They were the last thing I had of my mom’s. Now I’ve got nothing. You stole that from me. I ought to sue you or something.”
I couldn’t let him attack my father like that. I cleared my throat. “The police are out there right now, investigating. They’ll get to the bottom of this.”
“Just like they’re investigating my mom’s death?” Doodle sneered. “I know all about the need to catch the killer in the first forty-eight hours. We’ve passed that time limit, and you haven’t caught anyone yet. I’ve lost everything, and no one’s going to pay. In what world is that fair?”
“Doodle’s right. We ought to sue you people,” June said with a decisive clap of her hands. “You can’t take everything from a boy like that.”
Mayes stiffened beside me, but I wouldn’t let them cow me. “My parents had nothing to do with Mandy’s murder or what happened to the pigs last night.”
“Doodle relinquished the right to his animals when he left them here,” Mayes said. “I am an eyewitness, a very credible one, who heard every word spoken. You’d better think twice about bringing a lawsuit against these nice people.”
June’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “Ain’t that just always the way. Crap happens to us poor folks and no one gives a darn. Something happens to friends of the po-lice and the world stops spinning. It ain’t right. I’m going up to that newspaper and giving them an earful about law and order in Sinclair County. Nope, not law and order. Law and disorder. Come on, Doodle.”
Doodle didn’t move as fast as his aunt, but he paused in the doorway when I said, “Wait.”
“What?” he said, without turning.
“You ever heard the name Ava Leigh?”
His head jerked back. He whirled, fire in his eyes. “How do you know about that?”
“I’m following up on a lead in the case,” I said.
“No one’s supposed to know. Ava Leigh’s a secret.”
“Does your aunt know?”
“She better not find out. I gotta go.”
June and Doodle scratched out of there, but not before turning a tight, lawn-ripping donut in the side yard.
“I can write them a ticket for property damage,” Mayes said.
“Not worth it,” Dad said. “I don’t want anything to do with those people. The woman’s mean as a snake, and the kid … I thought the kid had gumption. The way he let his aunt parade him in here with his grief. The way she kept harping about hunters out here, when there aren’t any. And the kid, he looked me straight in the eye and asked me if I was a bow hunter.”
“You’re not,” I said. When his expression didn’t change, I asked, “Are you?”
“I’m not. I don’t own a gun or a crossbow. That’s the point.”
“What point?” I asked.
“When I called to tell them about the pigs, and when they arrived, I never told them how the pigs were killed.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Sheriff Wayne Thompson stopped in at the house once he and Escoe finished with the pig crime scene. “I apologize for Burnell Escoe. He’s under a lot of pressure to solve this case quickly. He was certain he could sweep in here and figure out what’s going on in five minutes and get a huge promotion out of it. Ain’t gonna happen.”
“I don’t like him,” I said with a yawn. Mayes, Larissa, and I had piled on the sofa. Graphics from the weather channel flashed on the TV screen across the room. I thought about sending Larissa outside, but she’d already heard so much and seen so much today. A few case details wouldn’t matter. “I’m tired of the suspicious way Escoe looks at me like I’m from outer space, and it’s impossible to work with him. It’s amazing he got anywhere in a law enforcement career. He has no people skills.”
“Got news for you, Powell. People skills aren’t always important at solving cases. He trusts old-fashioned police work and nothing else. But when he left town, stuff started breaking on the case. He’s gotta think we’re withholding evidence.”
“We are.”
“Spill.” Wayne’s gaze turned to steel. “Right now.”
“You can tell him if you like, but I’m not helping that man get a promotion.
Mayes and I did another reading of the bloodstain at the kill site.” “And you didn’t mention it before?”
“Because of how we did the reading,” I said. “We don’t want it getting out that we can amp the sensitivity by doing this together. We found Mandy. She was distraught about her pigs. She ran through the suspect list and chastised us for not seeing what’s going on. Then she mentioned Ava Leigh.”
“Who’s she?” Wayne asked.
“We don’t know,” Mayes said. “But she may be an it.”
“Explain.”
Mayes looked at me, and I got the hint. He wanted me to do the report, so I did. “When we got back to my parents’ place, Doodle and his aunt were being their nasty selves and threatening to sue Mom and Dad. June stormed out first and I asked Doodle privately if he recognized the name Mandy mentioned during our dreamwalk. He liked to have burst an artery. And the way he talked made us believe Ava Leigh wasn’t a person.”
“What else could she be?” Wayne asked, leaning against the doorframe. “Another pig?”
“I was thinking about that after Doodle left. He doesn’t want his aunt to know anything about Ava Leigh.”
“He doesn’t control what we do with our leads.”
“Even so, that got me to wondering.” I sat up and leaned forward, intent on making my point. “What if Ava Leigh is a code name for something, or even an ID for the account where all the drug money is stashed?”
“We haven’t found any large stash of money. That’s as good a guess as any.”
“But here’s the thing. If we find the cache and seize the money, Mandy’s wish for Doodle to have a better life will vanish. That money was supposed to buy him a college education and a fresh start.” Everyone in the room stared at me, but I didn’t care. Someone had to be this boy’s advocate. “Even if we locate the money, can we leave it there? For Doodle?”
“You don’t know what you’re asking,” Wayne said. “I can’t set aside evidence. And Doodle might be our killer.”
I watched weather graphics flash across the screen of the muted television. Forest fires dominated in the West. The entir
e Midwest was too hot and too dry. “It wouldn’t be hiding evidence if our inquiry into that name isn’t part of the official record. Besides, my dad learned something else.”
“What’s that, Tab?” Wayne asked.
My dad spoke up from the corner of the room. “The boy, Doodle. I called him about the pigs, and he and his aunt drove straight out here. The people that know about the dead pigs are right here in the room. Anyway, I never mentioned how the pigs were killed. And yet, he asked me if I was a bow hunter.”
“With the arrowhead found in the meth lab and now arrows through the pigs, I’d say our killer is a bow hunter.” Wayne stretched. “That leaves us with Doodle, his aunt, and Mandy’s trucker boyfriend for suspects.”
“The voodoo woman should be on that list,” I said. “She’s working with or for someone in regard to this case. She flat out lied to me this morning.”
“I’ll run them all in tomorrow when I’m fresh. Dottie and the boys weren’t happy I left, so I should get home. Tab and Lacey, thanks for your hospitality. The pigs are yours to bury or dispose of as you see fit.” He turned his attention to where Mayes and I sat, side by side. “I’ll expect you two at the office at oh- eight-hundred tomorrow morning.”
“We’re close to having answers,” I said.
Wayne nodded. “So close I can taste it. We’ll have our man, or woman, tomorrow.”
Another vehicle pulled up in the yard. Over Wayne’s shoulder, I recognized the car and its occupants. Charlotte and Duncan.
Wayne noticed too. He flushed. “Not talking to reporters today either Handle it, Powell.”
With that, he dashed from the house, hopped in his Jeep, which he’d left idling this whole time, and drove off.
Charlotte bounded in. “Is there a fire? The sheriff nearly ran us over trying to zip out of here.”
“No fire.” I rose to give her a hug. “All better?” I asked in a whisper only she could hear.
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