by Renee Marski
Tracy stretched her arms out behind her, groaning. "Enough shop talk. Let's talk about something else." Clara knew that was their cue to let the case go for now. She didn't want the deputy to get suspicious and clam up on them. An open line of communication was the only way she was going to figure out what was going on at that camp.
The rest of the river ride went smoothly. The snacks and drinks were all gone by the time they hit the end. Clara had to admit that the scenery was nice, the trees providing shade as they slid underneath them down the rapids. As they hopped out of the water, the deputy stopped Clara with a hand on her shoulder. "I did some calling around. It seems you're pretty experienced with solving murders. I spoke to my sheriff and he didn't have a problem with you helping out. Just don't do anything without telling me, okay?"
Clara nodded, grateful that her friends back at the police station where she'd interned had vouched for her. Will's face popped into her mind unbidden, his red hair sticking up, a goofy grin spread from ear to ear. Of course, Will would vouch for her. She blinked, banishing the thought. Will was sweet but she had a boyfriend whom she loved. She shook her head to clear her mind. "Got it. I'm not usually a daredevil. And I always bring backup." She smiled at the girls as they headed to the bench where the bus would pick them up to take them back to the stand.
He followed her gaze, a tight smile on his lips. "Just be careful. Something is going on at that camp. I just don't know what it is yet."
Clara nodded. "I agree. I'll help you figure it out." They shook on it, then headed over to join the girls and wait.
The ride back to camp was quiet, as everyone was tired from the day in the sun. Clara pulled the van into camp as the sun was setting. A rumble announced how hungry everyone was. They giggled as they climbed out and headed to the big house to scrounge up some food. Clara followed. She heard sounds coming from the big house, leading her to believe that was where Katy had rounded up all the campers.
The girls settled on salad and sandwiches-something quick and easy to make. As they downed the sandwiches, they walked into the other room, where they found Maddy and Stacy sitting with the campers, playing a game of Twister. Clara glanced around but didn't see Katy. She waved at Stacy, who grinned back and pointed at the Twister board. Clara shook her head and pointed toward the bedrooms. Stacy laughed, waving her away. Clara went up the stairs and stopped in her room to grab her toiletry stuff before heading to the shower.
Once clean and refreshed, she curled up in her bed. Sleep came quickly. She'd meant to ask Stacy where Katy was but she was so tired, she couldn't make her eyes open again. She decided she'd look for Katy in the morning. Clara let sleep carry her away.
14. ANOTHER DEATH
The following morning, Clara went into the kitchen to make breakfast. She'd gotten up early, hoping to catch Katy before she took her day off. As the other girls came down to help, Katy didn't appear. Katy's mom came in from outside, where she'd slept. Because Savannah was in the hospital, she'd taken over her role of sleeping in the cabin with the girls. Looking around at everyone gathered, worry gnawed at Clara. Katy still hadn't shown herself.
As the campers stumbled in for breakfast, Katy still didn't show. Clara pulled aside one of the campers from the cabin where Katy normally slept. She waited for the girl to finish yawning before asking, "Have you seen Katy?"
The girl shook her head, her blonde curls waving. "No. She didn't come to the cabin last night. We haven't seen her since yesterday afternoon." Clara's head snapped up and she made eye contact with Hannah. Her gut clenched, worry now turning to fear. Something had happened to Katy. Clara could feel it.
Not wanting to upset the campers, they ate breakfast as usual, discussing normal, everyday things. After breakfast, she sent the girls out to do chores under the watchful eyes of Katy's mom and Tracy. Stacy and Maddy headed into town. They told Clara to let Katy know where they'd gone. The worry never left Stacy's face. Maddy didn't seem concerned. She claimed that Katy may have gone off on her own for some peace and quiet. Clara didn't believe that for a second.
Once they were gone, she turned to the other girls. "We have to find her. We're gonna search this whole camp for her, starting in her bedroom. Okay?" Hannah and Denise nodded and followed Clara up to Katy's room. There wasn't much to find in there. Katy had stacked books on her dresser and her bed was neatly made, indicating she hadn't slept there last night. Nothing seemed out of place, so Clara closed the door, making sure not to touch anything, just in case they ended up having to call the cops. They headed back downstairs, devising a plan. "Hannah, you check the barn. Denise, you check the lake. I'll go to the clearing. We'll meet back by the veggie gardens, but call me if you find anything." The girls nodded and headed in their separate directions. Clara headed straight for the woods and the clearing, her gut tightening with each step. She was afraid of what she'd find there.
When she stepped into the clearing, it was empty. The grass looked freshly cut, meaning someone had been there recently. She stepped up to the stone. The bowls had been filled with a dark liquid, but she didn't touch it, unsure what it was. The grass around the stone was trampled, like someone had been pacing on it. Clara walked around the stone and was pulling out her phone to take pictures when it rang. She saw it was Denise and answered, her voice shaky. "Did you find her?"
"Yeah, I did. Call the cops. Clara, she's dead."
Clara gulped. "Dead where?"
"The lake. She's face down in the water."
Clara hung up and immediately dialed 911. After telling the dispatcher what she needed to say, she jogged out of the clearing and headed to the lake. Her mind couldn't seem to accept the fact that Katy was dead. It just didn't feel real. Katy was sweet and charming and she genuinely cared about the camp and the campers. She couldn't be gone.
By the time Clara got to the lake, she could hear sirens in the distance. Denise stood on the dock, her gaze never leaving the water. Out of breath, Clara stepped beside her. "Where?" Denise pointed and Clara's eyes focused, her heart pounding. There, floating in the water, was a body, the dark hair fanned out from the head. To Clara, it looked like blood was coming from the head, but she couldn't really tell from this distance.
"I didn't touch it."
Clara patted Denise on the back. "Good job. Did you call Hannah?" Denise nodded and looked over Clara's shoulder. Clara followed her gaze to find Hannah leading the deputy to them. He frowned at the girls, then looked into the water and took a step back.
"Shit." He pulled his radio to his mouth, speaking quickly. "The ME is on his way down. Guess you'll get to meet him."
Clara stepped up to him and used his body to block her view. "She's probably been in there since yesterday. We got back late and she was nowhere to be found. One of the campers said she never came to bed, and her room is immaculate. We didn't touch anything. We just glanced in, wanting to see if maybe she took something with her."
He nodded and pulled out a pad and pen. "So, when was the last time the campers saw her?"
"The girl I spoke to said yesterday afternoon. You can speak to her if you want."
"I will eventually." He watched as the ME stepped into the lake, wearing rubber boots up to his knees. The man bent over the body and pulled it toward shore. With his long, graying hair and lengthy limbs, he was quite a sight. If not for the fact that his hair was gray, Clara would have assumed he was a gangly teenager. His warm brown eyes smiled sadly down at Katy's body.
"We'll get you cleaned up, my dear, and figure out what happened." Two assistants helped him load up the body and then walked it to their van. He strode over to the deputy, his eyes following the body. "Deputy. Ma'am." He inclined his head to Clara.
"So, Doctor, any thoughts?"
"Well, preliminary examination tells me she was in the water for quite some time. Looks like the fish started to snack on her too. But there's a lot of blood around her head so I'm going to guess bludgeoning, not drowning, as her cause of death. I'll know for sure once I get a
better look at her. I'll keep you informed." The deputy nodded his thanks and waited until the doctor left to turn back to Clara.
"We should probably shut down the camp, send the campers home."
Clara's gaze followed the doctor. She shielded her eyes with her hand. "You'll have to talk to Katy's mom about that. She's in charge."
He nodded, tucking his pad back into his pocket. "Any idea where she'd be right now?"
"Watching the girls do their chores. Probably in the barn." She followed him as he marched to the barn, struggling to keep up with his long strides. Denise and Hannah followed closely, not wanting to miss anything. Who knew what Katy's mom would say?
In the barn, they found her leaning against a post, watching as the girls put down new straw for the horses. She held a water bottle and took sips here and there. Deputy Bianchi stepped beside her and rested his hands on his hips. "Ma'am, I need to have a word with you." She looked up at him and gave him a big smile.
"You can call me Patricia. We can step out for a minute." She nodded at Clara and the girls before following the deputy out. Clara inclined her head to the campers and silently asked Denise and Hannah to stay with them. They both nodded and took up Patricia's position. Clara stepped out of the barn and walked over to where the deputy stood with Patricia, a hand on her shoulder. She smiled up at him, twisting her body so he could see all her assets. As she got closer, Clara tried not to gag at the sight.
"Ma'am, we have some bad news."
Patricia giggled. "Oh deputy, I told you, call me Patricia. And if you're telling it to me, it can't be all bad."
He sighed, his eyes full of sorrow. "Patricia, we found a body in the lake this morning."
Her eyes widened. Katy's eyes, Clara noted. Patricia took a step back, her hand at her throat. "Another body? Who was it?"
"I'm afraid it was your daughter."
Patricia laughed, the sound clear and bright. "My daughter? Katy? You must be joking. Katy must've set this up. Ha-ha. So funny, darling. You can come out now. Trying to scare me like that, I can't believe you." The words seemed to tumble out of her mouth, one right after the other, like if she kept talking it wouldn't be true.
"I'm sorry to tell you this. A couple of your counselors found her floating there and called the cops. A preliminary exam matches her description." The deputy reached out a hand to touch her shoulder.
Patricia swatted it away, her laughter dying. Anger crossed her face. "You're wrong. My daughter isn't dead. Katy knows how to swim just fine."
He looked over her shoulder at Clara, who stepped up next to Patricia and wrapped an arm around her slim body. "They're not even sure she drowned. It looks like she hit her head. If she was unconscious when she fell into the water, she wouldn't have known to swim."
The tears came then, big fat ones that rolled down Patricia's cheeks. She sucked in huge breaths, trying to calm herself, to no avail. Sobs wracked her body as Clara held her up. "My baby, my beautiful baby girl. Why did this have to happen to her?" She turned and wrapped her arms around Clara, pressing her nose into Clara's shoulder.
Clara rubbed her back, surprised at her reaction. From what Katy said, Clara had assumed her mom cared more about the camp and the money than she did about her own daughter. She hadn't seemed very affectionate when she'd first showed up, lending credence to what Katy had said. The way she was acting, you'd think Katy was her only love. Clara looked over at the deputy, who gave her a reassuring smile. He patted Patricia on the back, trying to keep his tone soothing. "I'll keep you updated on what we find. If you can think of anything that could help us, let us know, okay?" Patricia nodded against Clara's neck, her sobs getting louder. The deputy tipped his head to Clara, then headed back to his cruiser, leaving her there holding Katy's mom. Clara glanced around, unsure what to do. Deciding that standing in the middle of the yard wasn't a good idea, she led Patricia inside. She sat her at the island in the kitchen and turned to make fresh coffee. While it brewed, she turned back and took in Patricia's red, blotchy face.
"I'm so sorry for your loss." Clara didn't know what else to say. Losing a child wasn't a normal thing. Parents were supposed to go first, knowing their children would live long, happy lives. Katy's life had been cut short, in her prime. Clara glanced around the kitchen, wondering what was going to happen to the camp now. Patricia hadn't run it in years, didn't have had any interest in it. Would she take it back up now that Katy was gone?
Patricia sniffled, a napkin bunched up in her hand. Clara didn't see her grab one, but she definitely needed it. "I can't believe she's gone. I had so many plans for us. We were going to do so many things together. I kept telling her we'd travel the world someday, see Europe like she always wanted." Her red-rimmed eyes met Clara's. "Now that will never happen." She dissolved into tears again.
Clara turned and grabbed two mugs from above the coffee pot. She poured the coffee, adding honey to hers and giving Patricia hers straight black. Patricia cupped the mug with her hands, inhaling the steam, trying to calm herself. "They'll figure out what happened to her, Patricia," Clara said. "Deputy Bianchi is very competent at his job. He never gave up searching for Gretchen."
Patricia gasped. "Do you think they're connected?"
Clara hadn't wanted to voice it, not yet anyway, but she had her suspicions. "Maybe? We won't know more until the medical examiner does the autopsy." She reached across the island and patted Patricia's hand. "Do you know how Katy wanted to be buried? Whether she wanted to be cremated?"
Patricia shook her head. "We never talked about those things. She was so young. She was going to outlive me." The tears started again but she wiped them away. "I still haven't heard from Gretchen's mom either. Don't think I will. The woman only surfaces for drugs." She sighed. "I could bury them together. I think Katy would like that and it would give Gretchen a final resting place."
While odd, Clara appreciated the sentiment. Most people wouldn't worry about someone else's child at a time like this. "I'm sure she would. I can help you figure out everything." Patricia nodded, staring into her mug. Clara left her, needing to talk to the campers before Patricia did. They deserved to know. She stopped at the door and turned back. "The deputy mentioned maybe shutting down camp and sending the girls home. What do you think?"
Patricia looked up at Clara, determination crossing her face. "No. The campers need us. We'll stay open. It's what Katy would've wanted." Clara nodded, agreeing with her. Katy cared more about the campers than anything else. She wouldn't want their summer ruined. She headed out to the barn, dreading what she'd have to tell the campers. This was going to crush them.
***
As the young faces stared up at her, Clara gulped. Knowing what she had to say and actually saying it were two different things. She took a deep, steadying breath and made eye contact with Hannah before starting. "Something terrible has happened. Katy was found dead this morning, in the lake." Cries and gasps met her words. Several of the younger girls burst into tears. Clara's heart broke at the anguish on their faces. She met Diamond's eyes to find the girl staring back at her, anger and pain mixed on her face.
"What happened?" This came from the curly-haired blonde Clara had spoken to earlier.
"We don't know yet. The deputy is going to exhaust all his resources to figure it out. I thought it best if you all heard it from me rather than someone else." She tried to smile, but it fell short. Her heart hurt too much to smile.
"Are they going to make us leave?" Diamond's little sister stood with her hands clenched, her face pinched with worry.
Clara shook her head. "Katy's mom has decided to keep the camp open for now. It's what Katy would've wanted." The campers nodded, obviously agreeing with that sentiment. Clara took in their sad faces, many with tears streaming down their cheeks, and sighed. "I think today should be a free day, okay? Do whatever you want. Just make sure you have a counselor with you." The campers nodded and dispersed into small groups, many heading to the big house. Only a couple of girls seemed inclin
ed to go elsewhere. Hannah and Denise stayed with the stragglers while Clara headed to the big house, knowing she had a phone call to make.
She went up to her bedroom, needing privacy and quiet. She pulled out her cell, barely glancing at it before pressing Stacy's number under her favorites. Stacy answered on the third ring. "Hello?"
Clara took a deep breath and held in her tears. Now that she was alone, it was hard to not just break down. "Hey, Stace, is Maddy there with you?"
"Yeah, she's right here. We're getting some lunch. What's up?"
"Can you put me on speaker?" Clara heard the click and knew Stacy had done as she asked. "Stacy, Maddy, I have some bad news. Katy's body was found this morning in the lake. She's dead."
Clara heard Stacy gasp, but nothing from Maddy. For a minute, Clara thought Maddy had misunderstood her. She opened her mouth to continue when Maddy's voice came over the phone. "No. You're lying." Her words had no tone to them. It was just a plain statement.
"Maddy, I wish I were. I wish this were a great big joke we were playing on everyone. The deputy was out here. They pulled her body from the water and will be doing an autopsy soon. They aren't sure exactly what happened to her yet."
"No." The word was so forceful, Clara could feel the anguish through the phone.
She heard Stacy move, probably closer to Maddy. "Oh Maddy, I'm so sorry," Stacy said. "Clara, how is Patricia?"
Clara sighed. "In shock? She doesn't know what to do next. She did decide to keep the camp open, which is good for the campers. We won't know more until we hear back from the deputy."
"We're coming back. We'll be there soon." Stacy hung up, leaving Clara to listen to the silence on the other end of the phone. She shut off her phone and flopped back on her bed, finally letting the tears flow. Katy had been so nice to them since they'd first gotten there and Clara had felt a kinship with her. She'd thought they'd be good friends by the end of the summer. Now, she'd never get that chance. Katy was gone and Clara couldn't bring her back.
