in the trees and the wind doesn’t moan. Somewhere there is a lake full of raindrops—not tears. Somewhere there is a mother alive instead of outlined on the ground where her dead body fell.
Lexie had returned to the murder scene. Sad thoughts whirled around her head as she resolved to resign as sheriff. She’d pack everything she owned in her truck. She’d drive to somewhere and never come back.
“Slacking off Sheriff Wolfe?” Tye called as he walked across the grass towards her.
“Just studying the crime scene.”
“Well, you should have it memorized by now. Let’s go get something to eat.”
“No, thanks. I’m not hungry.”
“You planning on staying in these woods the rest of your life?”
“Only for a day or two,” Lexie said. “Then I’ll move on.”
Tye scowled. “That means…what?”
“I can’t stay in Diffee. They all hate me. Even if they don’t tell me with words, their eyes show me. Everyone blames me for Abbey’s death and they’re right. I ignored her fears and she ended up dead.”
“I’ve never heard of being able to kill someone by ignoring them,” Tye scoffed.
“This isn’t the time to be a smartass. I had a chance to save her and I didn’t.”
“How could you have saved someone who didn’t have the sense to stay out of the woods after dark, even though she thought her life was in danger?”
“She obviously trusted the person who phoned her. Abbey wasn’t stupid.”
“The last thing she ever did was stupid,” Tye countered.
“I’m sure you’re trying to make me feel better in your own crude way, but putting down Abbey doesn’t help me feel less guilty.”
“The only one who should feel bad is the one who killed her and we’re going to get him.”
“I’m not going to get anyone. I’m finished here.” Lexie’s eyes focused on the spot where Abbey was found.
“Like hell you are little sister. You got me into this deputy business because you convinced me we had to find Dad’s killer. So now we have two murderers to catch and we don’t have time for a pity party.”
“I can’t bear to face them.”
“You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever known. You’ll manage tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Abbey’s funeral.”
“No, I can’t,” Lexie’s voice quivered.
“We have to be there to pay our last respects,” Tye said with certainty. “Not to mention the need to see if someone suspicious shows up.”
“Shush.” Lexie’s finger touched her lips and her right hand pointed west.
Tye flattened his ear to the ground. “Someone, or something, is coming this way,” he whispered.
Lexie formed her hands into a stirrup and helped boost Tye into an oak tree. He reached down and pulled her up into the branches. All those trees they climbed as children were proving to be good experience. They were still looking for bad guys or wild animals. Unfortunately they weren’t pretending anymore.
They were so still that a sparrow sat on a branch within a foot of Lexie’s hand. Its little head cocked to the left, then to the right. Two voices got louder as seconds passed. Lexie felt as calm as the bird looked. Whoever was coming couldn’t be as bad as what she was already facing.
Now that she knew the visitors were human, she slipped down leaving Tye camouflaged in the leaves. She knelt behind a boulder. The rough surface pressed against her skin. The voices continued to come closer. Their sounds mingled with the rustling of the leaves and the chirping of the birds.
Her glance scanned the area then rested on a white streak just visible through a cluster of trees. The patrol car might clue the visitors to their presence.
She crawled from her hideout and got a glimpse of two men a few yards in front of her.
“What the hell is on the other side of those trees?” Wilbur pointed as he spoke.
“Shit.” Toby swung around to run. “I’s gettin’ out of here!”
Lexie stood from her hiding place and leveled her gun at the cousins.
“Wilbur
Lexie had returned to the murder scene. Sad thoughts whirled around her head as she resolved to resign as sheriff. She’d pack everything she owned in her truck. She’d drive to somewhere and never come back.
“Slacking off Sheriff Wolfe?” Tye called as he walked across the grass towards her.
“Just studying the crime scene.”
“Well, you should have it memorized by now. Let’s go get something to eat.”
“No, thanks. I’m not hungry.”
“You planning on staying in these woods the rest of your life?”
“Only for a day or two,” Lexie said. “Then I’ll move on.”
Tye scowled. “That means…what?”
“I can’t stay in Diffee. They all hate me. Even if they don’t tell me with words, their eyes show me. Everyone blames me for Abbey’s death and they’re right. I ignored her fears and she ended up dead.”
“I’ve never heard of being able to kill someone by ignoring them,” Tye scoffed.
“This isn’t the time to be a smartass. I had a chance to save her and I didn’t.”
“How could you have saved someone who didn’t have the sense to stay out of the woods after dark, even though she thought her life was in danger?”
“She obviously trusted the person who phoned her. Abbey wasn’t stupid.”
“The last thing she ever did was stupid,” Tye countered.
“I’m sure you’re trying to make me feel better in your own crude way, but putting down Abbey doesn’t help me feel less guilty.”
“The only one who should feel bad is the one who killed her and we’re going to get him.”
“I’m not going to get anyone. I’m finished here.” Lexie’s eyes focused on the spot where Abbey was found.
“Like hell you are little sister. You got me into this deputy business because you convinced me we had to find Dad’s killer. So now we have two murderers to catch and we don’t have time for a pity party.”
“I can’t bear to face them.”
“You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever known. You’ll manage tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Abbey’s funeral.”
“No, I can’t,” Lexie’s voice quivered.
“We have to be there to pay our last respects,” Tye said with certainty. “Not to mention the need to see if someone suspicious shows up.”
“Shush.” Lexie’s finger touched her lips and her right hand pointed west.
Tye flattened his ear to the ground. “Someone, or something, is coming this way,” he whispered.
Lexie formed her hands into a stirrup and helped boost Tye into an oak tree. He reached down and pulled her up into the branches. All those trees they climbed as children were proving to be good experience. They were still looking for bad guys or wild animals. Unfortunately they weren’t pretending anymore.
They were so still that a sparrow sat on a branch within a foot of Lexie’s hand. Its little head cocked to the left, then to the right. Two voices got louder as seconds passed. Lexie felt as calm as the bird looked. Whoever was coming couldn’t be as bad as what she was already facing.
Now that she knew the visitors were human, she slipped down leaving Tye camouflaged in the leaves. She knelt behind a boulder. The rough surface pressed against her skin. The voices continued to come closer. Their sounds mingled with the rustling of the leaves and the chirping of the birds.
Her glance scanned the area then rested on a white streak just visible through a cluster of trees. The patrol car might clue the visitors to their presence.
She crawled from her hideout and got a glimpse of two men a few yards in front of her.
“What the hell is on the other side of those trees?” Wilbur pointed as he spoke.
“Shit.” Toby swung around to run. “I’s gettin’ out of here!”
Lexie stood from her hiding place and leveled her gun at the cousins.
“Wilbur
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