Page 7 of Going Once

“A pistol. He shot Whit first, and the women were so shocked they didn’t have time to register what was happening before he’d shot them, too. Their bodies rolled into the water, and he just stood there in the boat watching until they sank.”

Her voice was shaking, and tears were rolling down her cheeks as she set the iced tea aside.

Carroll grabbed the box of tissues from a side table and dropped them in her lap, then cleared his throat and waited.

Nola was shaking as she wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

“Do you know if their bodies have been found?” she asked.

“No, ma’am, I don’t. I want to clarify some parts of your story, okay?”

She nodded.

“You say you were hidden in the high branches, and yet you could see this clearly through the leaves?”

“I was in the tree at least twelve hours before I even knew they were there. The water kept rising, and every time it did, I had to climb higher. It wasn’t until the last time I went up that I saw them.”

“Did they know you were there?”

“No, and I didn’t call out to let them know. They couldn’t have helped me any more than I could help them.”

“Then what?”

“After they sank, he circled around and started back downriver toward me. I was scared to death that he would see me and climbed higher up into the tree. I saw him pass, but he was wearing a cap, and from my height, it concealed most of his face.”

“What can you tell me about him?” Carroll asked.

“He was a white, middle-aged man, with salt-and-pepper hair and a big mustache.”

“What was he wearing?” Carroll asked.

Nola gasped. “Oh, my gosh. I can’t believe I didn’t tell you that first! That was the most awful part of it all. He was wearing a parish police uniform.”

Carroll leaned forward. “He was a cop? A cop was the one who shot them?”

“Yes. There was no mistake about that. I’ve lived there all my life. It was the same uniform the police wear in my parish.”

“And yet you didn’t recognize him?”

She shook her head. “No, as I said, the cap brim hid most of his face.”

“Would you recognize him again if you saw him?”

“I don’t know…. I doubt it.”

“Too bad. Okay, then. I’ll file this report and notify the authorities at Queens Crossing. If you remember anything else, don’t hesitate to call.”

“All right, and thank you.”

“Yes, ma’am, and again, you really are something. Mind if I ask you a personal question?”

Nola frowned. “It’s okay, I guess.”

“What happened to your wrists? They’re bloody and bandaged, and I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to you in the flood to cause those injuries.”

She glanced down at the bandages, then back up at his face.

“I was sick when I went up the tree. I tied myself to it because I was afraid I’d pass out and drown.”

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