he said. “He binds her to the bed and starts to do stuff to her. At some point, something happens—he goes too far, she changes her mind—something, and they begin to struggle. In the process, she gets beaten and cut up pretty bad and loses a lot of blood, but somehow she fights back and gets free. She runs out of the cabin, down the trail, bleeding all the way. He follows her. She makes it here to the clearing, they fight some more, and either he hurts her some more and accidentally stumbles and hits the tree or she pushes him into it.”
“It’s a theory,” I said, “but why run down here instead of to another cabin or a dorm for help?”
“Disoriented, dazed, confused—being half-dead and several quarts low’ll do that to you.”
“You sure you’re okay to work this one?” I asked. “Maybe you should—”
“I’m fine,” he said. “I’ve got to work it. No way I’m turning family over to someone else. Why be a cop?”
“I know, but the case needs someone with some objectivity.”
“Like you?”
“No. Didn’t mean me.”
“Well, whoever you meant, just forget it,” he said. “I appreciate your help so far and I know what you’re saying’s right, but it’s not gonna happen, so just drop it.”
I dropped it.
“Father Thomas is not a young man,” I said, “and he’s spent many years living a very sedentary life. You really think he could catch her if she were running away from him?”
“She had to be weak from all the blood loss.”
“Still.”
“You know how these things work,” he said. “Never an answer for everything.”
“Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to find one.”
He looked over at Tammy again and shook his head. “Still can’t believe she’s dead.”
“I’m very sorry.”
“Fuckin’ raped and beaten and stabbed—”
I thought about that.
“What?” he asked.
“If this is rape or sexually motivated—”
“
If
?” he asked. “He had her strapped to the fuckin’ bed. She’s not wearing any clothes.”
“But he’s wearing all of his,” I said. “Think about it.”
“Maybe he got dressed before he came out here to throw her body in the waterway.”
“Doesn’t fit with your other theory of her escaping somehow and running out here and him following her.”
“So?”
“So if she was already dead, who knocked him out?”
“Maybe he tripped, dropped her, and hit his head on the tree.”
“Look how far away she is.”
“So he put her down and was going back for something and tripped and hit the tree.”
“With the back of his head?”
“Maybe he turned around to look at her body again and that’s what made him trip. We’ll ask him when he comes to.”
“What about a murder weapon?”
“What about it?”
“Where is it?” I said. “It’s not in the cabin. I didn’t see it on the path. It’s not here in the clearing.”
“He could’ve thrown it in the waterway already.”
“I’m just saying there’s a lot that doesn’t add up.”
“Always is,” he said.
“So you keep saying.”
Sister Abigail appeared at the edge of the clearing and I turned to face her.
“Is he…” she began.
“He’s unconscious,” I said.
She knelt down beside him. “Why aren’t you helping him?”
“Please don’t touch him, Sister,” Steve said. “We don’t want to contaminate any of the evidence.”
She looked up at us in a shame-producing shock. “He’s hurt. He needs help.”
“Which is on the way,” Steve said. “Don’t you think I want to cover Tammy up?”
She glanced over at Tammy, then back up at Steve. “But there’s nothing you can do for her.
Tom’s
still alive.”
“And not withstanding the fact that he killed my cousin,”
Steve said, “I want him to stay that way.”
Her eyes widened. “Is that it? You’re not helping him because you think he killed her?”
“That has nothing to do with it. I’m gonna process the crime scene and conduct the investigation by the
“It’s a theory,” I said, “but why run down here instead of to another cabin or a dorm for help?”
“Disoriented, dazed, confused—being half-dead and several quarts low’ll do that to you.”
“You sure you’re okay to work this one?” I asked. “Maybe you should—”
“I’m fine,” he said. “I’ve got to work it. No way I’m turning family over to someone else. Why be a cop?”
“I know, but the case needs someone with some objectivity.”
“Like you?”
“No. Didn’t mean me.”
“Well, whoever you meant, just forget it,” he said. “I appreciate your help so far and I know what you’re saying’s right, but it’s not gonna happen, so just drop it.”
I dropped it.
“Father Thomas is not a young man,” I said, “and he’s spent many years living a very sedentary life. You really think he could catch her if she were running away from him?”
“She had to be weak from all the blood loss.”
“Still.”
“You know how these things work,” he said. “Never an answer for everything.”
“Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to find one.”
He looked over at Tammy again and shook his head. “Still can’t believe she’s dead.”
“I’m very sorry.”
“Fuckin’ raped and beaten and stabbed—”
I thought about that.
“What?” he asked.
“If this is rape or sexually motivated—”
“
If
?” he asked. “He had her strapped to the fuckin’ bed. She’s not wearing any clothes.”
“But he’s wearing all of his,” I said. “Think about it.”
“Maybe he got dressed before he came out here to throw her body in the waterway.”
“Doesn’t fit with your other theory of her escaping somehow and running out here and him following her.”
“So?”
“So if she was already dead, who knocked him out?”
“Maybe he tripped, dropped her, and hit his head on the tree.”
“Look how far away she is.”
“So he put her down and was going back for something and tripped and hit the tree.”
“With the back of his head?”
“Maybe he turned around to look at her body again and that’s what made him trip. We’ll ask him when he comes to.”
“What about a murder weapon?”
“What about it?”
“Where is it?” I said. “It’s not in the cabin. I didn’t see it on the path. It’s not here in the clearing.”
“He could’ve thrown it in the waterway already.”
“I’m just saying there’s a lot that doesn’t add up.”
“Always is,” he said.
“So you keep saying.”
Sister Abigail appeared at the edge of the clearing and I turned to face her.
“Is he…” she began.
“He’s unconscious,” I said.
She knelt down beside him. “Why aren’t you helping him?”
“Please don’t touch him, Sister,” Steve said. “We don’t want to contaminate any of the evidence.”
She looked up at us in a shame-producing shock. “He’s hurt. He needs help.”
“Which is on the way,” Steve said. “Don’t you think I want to cover Tammy up?”
She glanced over at Tammy, then back up at Steve. “But there’s nothing you can do for her.
Tom’s
still alive.”
“And not withstanding the fact that he killed my cousin,”
Steve said, “I want him to stay that way.”
Her eyes widened. “Is that it? You’re not helping him because you think he killed her?”
“That has nothing to do with it. I’m gonna process the crime scene and conduct the investigation by the
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