Page 17 of Confessions of the Dead

Gabby finished wiping a minor scratch on Bobby Lockwood’s arm with peroxide and tapped the boy’s nose. “Bobby here agreed to help me out in exchange for a milkshake, so we’ll be just fine. Isn’t that right, Bobby?”

“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded firmly, then told Matt, “I wanted to pick up the birds, but Ms. Gabby said not to touch them.”

Matt looked down at one of the dead crows. The tile around it glistened with the same black film he had found in the fountain. “Ms. Gabby is a wise woman. I wouldn’t touch them, either.” He turned back to her. “I’ll get back here as soon as I can and give you a hand.”

“If you happen to find yourself near my house, can you stop in and check on Riley?” Gabby asked. “She’s not answering her phone.”

“The cell tower is acting wonky,” Matt told her. “I’m sure she’s fine.”

“You’re probably right.”

There was a hint of worry behind her eyes, and considering she was helping all these people rather than running home to check on her daughter, it was the least he could do.

“Sure, I’ll stop by.” He kissed her again. “You got it.”

She smiled. “And I’ll see you tonight?”

“Absolutely.”

11

Matt

THE HOLLOWS BEND SHERIFF’Sstation was a squat brick building about a half mile from the Stairway Diner on the opposite side of Main Street. Matt parked his cruiser out front and led the girl inside.

A wall of sound hit him when he opened the door—ringing phones, fax machine, garbled chatter on the radio. Sally Davie was manning the front desk, phone receiver in one hand, pen in the other. Her curly gray hair was a wild mess, papers littered the floor, and there was a giant puddle of coffee along with the remains of her favorite mug near the center of the room.

The moment Sally saw him, she stood and held up a finger. “Hey, Pat? Matt just walked in. I’m putting you on hold for a second.” She pressed the Hold button and rested the receiver on her shoulder, let out a flustered breath, and pointed at the mess. “I’m a jackass—got spooked, slipped, and took half my desk to the floor on my way down. Nearly busted my butt bone. Watch your step.”

Matt started toward her. “You okay?”

Sally was three years past retirement, two short of seventy,probably one of the toughest women Matt had ever met, but a fall at her age could be dangerous.

“I raised four boys, two by my lonesome after they put my husband in the ground. Takes a lot more than a crack on the linoleum to put me against the ropes.”

Matt never met her husband. Jack had died in a hit-and-run in Portsmouth before he was born. He’d been standing next to his truck, unlocking the door, when someone sideswiped him. There were two witnesses, but neither got a plate, and the driver had never been found.

Another line started ringing. Sally mashed down a button. “Sheriff’s office, be right with you.” She put the caller on hold before they could reply. “Phones are going insane. What’s going on out there? I’ve never seen—”

When she spotted the half-naked girl standing behind Matt, her mouth fell open. “Oh, my. What we got here?” Sally twisted the phone cord around her finger. “You pick up a stray?”

Matt told her what little he knew. “Think you can find something for her to wear in the lost and found?”

Sally nodded and studied the girl. “What’s your name, sweetie?”

When she didn’t answer, Matt told Sally, “She hasn’t said a word. Not yet, anyway. You recognize her?”

Sally chewed the inside of her cheek, her eyes narrow, then shook her head. “You get to be my age, and you feel like you’ve run into everyone on the planet at least once, but nope. She doesn’t look familiar.”

“Ellie wants you to try to find someone who can run her to the med center. We need to get Buck out to clean up the mess in the commons, too.”

“Thought Buck was with you?”

“He bolted after he got some food in him. Back home, would be my guess.”

One of the lines on hold started to beep. With a roll of her eyes, Sally picked up. “Sheriff’s office, sorry for the hold. What can I do for you?”

As she listened, the lines on her face grew deeper. She motioned for Matt to come over, then put the call on speaker. “Josh, I need you to calm down. Ellie’s not here, but I’ve got you on speaker with Matt. Can you repeat what you just said?”

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