Diane.
“He’d of taken them for sure,” said Deputy Conrad. “I was thinking about Dances with Wolves , ’bout them soldiers wiping their butts with John Dunbar’s diary. Slick didn’t get Ray’s grandfather’s diary, I hope?”
“No. Fortunately, we have that. Our archaeologist has been studying it,” said Diane.
Travis nodded. “Tell me, were you bullshitting about the details of that skeleton?” he asked.
“No. All the information I mentioned I got from the skull. It’s pretty standard observation in my business. Although I didn’t see it for very long, I did get a reasonably good look at it. I may be wrong on some of the details, but I wasn’t making it up. They got rid of a human skeleton somewhere,” said Diane. “It had been cemented up in that hollow tree for no longer than a year. I’m fairly certain of that.”
Diane got out of the vehicle and walked across the road to the ditch, where Slick had dumped the pieces of the rotten tree. Deputy Conrad followed her. She looked through the pile and picked up a curved piece of wood and a piece of concrete.
“Souvenirs?” asked Conrad.
“I thought this would make a nice bowl,” she said, smiling.
“This . . . this thing . . . that happened to Roy and Ozella will take all our time,” he said. “We don’t have the manpower to investigate this right now.”
“I understand. You don’t mind if I take some souvenirs, do you?” she said.
“No, just let me know if they are interesting,” he said.
“Sure. Listen, try to convince your father to call in the GBI,” said Diane.
Travis nodded. “I’ll have the coroner on my side. He’s the local large- animal veterinarian, and he’ll be just as out of his depth as I am. I know how to lift fingerprints, but that’s the end of my expertise. I think Daddy will see it our way.”
“Who will do the autopsies?” asked Diane.
“That’s a good question. That will be the coroner’s choice,” he said.
“You might think about Lynn Webber. She’s in Rosewood,” said Diane.
“For Daddy’s part, that’s two strikes against her. She’s from Rosewood, and she’s a she. Sheriff Conrad is kind of traditional about women.”
“Lynn is very charming,” said Diane.
Travis grinned at Diane. “It’d take a lot to charm Daddy.”
“Like you said, it’s the coroner’s choice,” she said. She walked back to her vehicle and put the wood and concrete in the back.
“That it is,” he said. “You know, I’m afraid we’ve left you with a real bad impression of us here in Rendell County. There’s good people here. They’re very conservative and traditional, but they are hardworking, God-fearing people who want to keep their kids safe from a lot of the bad stuff that goes on in the big cities.”
“I know. I liked the Barres a lot. I’m sure there are many others like them here,” said Diane. “I hope there’re not too many like Slick and Tammy.”
“They are fairly unique,” he said. “Listen, Daddy’s going to want to talk to you. He’ll probably give me hell for letting you go home, but I figure you’ve been through enough for one night. And it’s not like we don’t know where to find you.”
“Call me when you need me to give a statement,” said Diane. She looked over at the Massey house. The lights were still on. “I was wondering if you could do me a favor. I know you have to get back, but could you lead me to the main road to Rosewood?”
He grinned. “Sure. That won’t be no problem. I got to get to a phone and call Daddy anyway. Get in and follow me.”
Diane was relieved. She fully believed that Slick would follow her if she were alone. She shouldn’t have been such a show-off about the bones. It alerted them that she knew too much. She got in the SUV and followed Deputy Conrad as he pulled out and drove down the muddy road toward civilization.
Chapter 9
When Diane was well on her way to Rosewood on the paved road, Deputy Conrad turned around and
“He’d of taken them for sure,” said Deputy Conrad. “I was thinking about Dances with Wolves , ’bout them soldiers wiping their butts with John Dunbar’s diary. Slick didn’t get Ray’s grandfather’s diary, I hope?”
“No. Fortunately, we have that. Our archaeologist has been studying it,” said Diane.
Travis nodded. “Tell me, were you bullshitting about the details of that skeleton?” he asked.
“No. All the information I mentioned I got from the skull. It’s pretty standard observation in my business. Although I didn’t see it for very long, I did get a reasonably good look at it. I may be wrong on some of the details, but I wasn’t making it up. They got rid of a human skeleton somewhere,” said Diane. “It had been cemented up in that hollow tree for no longer than a year. I’m fairly certain of that.”
Diane got out of the vehicle and walked across the road to the ditch, where Slick had dumped the pieces of the rotten tree. Deputy Conrad followed her. She looked through the pile and picked up a curved piece of wood and a piece of concrete.
“Souvenirs?” asked Conrad.
“I thought this would make a nice bowl,” she said, smiling.
“This . . . this thing . . . that happened to Roy and Ozella will take all our time,” he said. “We don’t have the manpower to investigate this right now.”
“I understand. You don’t mind if I take some souvenirs, do you?” she said.
“No, just let me know if they are interesting,” he said.
“Sure. Listen, try to convince your father to call in the GBI,” said Diane.
Travis nodded. “I’ll have the coroner on my side. He’s the local large- animal veterinarian, and he’ll be just as out of his depth as I am. I know how to lift fingerprints, but that’s the end of my expertise. I think Daddy will see it our way.”
“Who will do the autopsies?” asked Diane.
“That’s a good question. That will be the coroner’s choice,” he said.
“You might think about Lynn Webber. She’s in Rosewood,” said Diane.
“For Daddy’s part, that’s two strikes against her. She’s from Rosewood, and she’s a she. Sheriff Conrad is kind of traditional about women.”
“Lynn is very charming,” said Diane.
Travis grinned at Diane. “It’d take a lot to charm Daddy.”
“Like you said, it’s the coroner’s choice,” she said. She walked back to her vehicle and put the wood and concrete in the back.
“That it is,” he said. “You know, I’m afraid we’ve left you with a real bad impression of us here in Rendell County. There’s good people here. They’re very conservative and traditional, but they are hardworking, God-fearing people who want to keep their kids safe from a lot of the bad stuff that goes on in the big cities.”
“I know. I liked the Barres a lot. I’m sure there are many others like them here,” said Diane. “I hope there’re not too many like Slick and Tammy.”
“They are fairly unique,” he said. “Listen, Daddy’s going to want to talk to you. He’ll probably give me hell for letting you go home, but I figure you’ve been through enough for one night. And it’s not like we don’t know where to find you.”
“Call me when you need me to give a statement,” said Diane. She looked over at the Massey house. The lights were still on. “I was wondering if you could do me a favor. I know you have to get back, but could you lead me to the main road to Rosewood?”
He grinned. “Sure. That won’t be no problem. I got to get to a phone and call Daddy anyway. Get in and follow me.”
Diane was relieved. She fully believed that Slick would follow her if she were alone. She shouldn’t have been such a show-off about the bones. It alerted them that she knew too much. She got in the SUV and followed Deputy Conrad as he pulled out and drove down the muddy road toward civilization.
Chapter 9
When Diane was well on her way to Rosewood on the paved road, Deputy Conrad turned around and
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