by Sharon Pape
Once we made it outside, all I could see were people’s backs. I elbowed my way through the crowd, pulling Merlin along with me, excusing ourselves as we charged ahead. I fielded a lot of dirty looks, but that wasn’t going to stop me. Tilly had screamed and the situation was serious enough to bring the local emergency squad. I had to find out why.
Merlin and I broke through the ring of onlookers, and found ourselves directly across from Tilly. Her eyes were wide, her face bleached white. Beverly, who was standing a few feet away, didn’t look much better. They were both focused on a woman’s body lying prone on the grass between us. So many people were standing and kneeling around her that I couldn’t venture a guess about her identity. Dr. Bronson, Tilly’s rheumatologist, was at her side along with an off-duty EMT and a nurse who looked familiar. They must have all been in the gym when the screaming erupted.
Dusk was already descending, courtesy of the mountains to the west. It was becoming harder to see by the minute. The interior lights in the school didn’t reach around to this side of the school grounds. People were calling for flashlights; two men ran to find Rusty. Though it seemed like forever, it couldn’t have been more than a couple of minutes before the exterior floodlights flashed on, instantly turning twilight back into day.
With the help of the EMT, Bronson turned the woman over. Wasn’t he supposed to wait for the ambulance to bring a spine board? I wondered. As they lay her on her back, the answer was easy to see. There was no need to stabilize her. Her neck had been slashed from ear to ear. She was probably dead before anyone got to her. Gasps and cries rose as those in the front passed this information to those behind them. The victim was Amanda Boswell, the missing board member.
Sharon Pape is the author of the popular Portrait of Crime and Crystal Shop mystery series. She started writing stories in first grade and never looked back. She studied French and Spanish literature in college and went on to teach both languages on the secondary level. After being diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer in 1992, Sharon became a Reach to Recovery peer support volunteer for the American Cancer Society. She went on to become the coordinator of the program on Long Island. She and her surgeon created a nonprofit organization called Lean On Me to provide peer support and information to newly diagnosed women and men. After turning her attention back to writing, she has shared her storytelling skills with thousands of fans. She lives with her husband on Long Island, New York, near her grown children. She loves reading, writing, and providing day care for her grand-dogs. Visit her at www.sharonpape.com.
