Page 37 of Elsie's Strong Shelter

Calvin worked his jaw back and forth then led the way to the front yard.

Elsie hurried to the weed-covered sidewalk and bent over at the waist. She drew in large gulps of air.

“I’ll call the sheriff’s department,” Calvin said. “You take care of Elsie.”

Dean hovered a palm above Elsie’s shoulder blades, torn between touching her and wanting to respect her boundaries. “Keep taking deep breaths,” he said. “Give yourself a few minutes.”

“Will I ever forget that smell?” Her voice shook, each word louder than the last. She gulped in one more big breath and straightened, facing him with questioning eyes and ashen skin.

“I wish I could lie and tell you that everything you witnessed in that house will fade from your memory until it’s all gone, but that’s not the truth. Just like those wounds we talked about, this is something that gets easier to deal with as time passes but will probably never completely go away.”

“What about the guilt?”

He frowned. “Guilt? What do you mean?”

“Guilt for the relief I felt when I realized it wasn’t Mila laying on that dirty floor.” She rubbed a palm over the base of her throat. “I don’t know who’s inside, but he was a person. I shouldn’t have felt an ounce of joy at his death. I’m horrible.”

“No, you’re human, and your reaction was completely natural. You’re not happy someone is dead, you’re happy Mila is alive. Those are two very different things.”

“Okay,” Calvin said, striding toward them. “I talked to Owen. He’s on his way out here with the coroner. He wasn’t exactly pleased that we went inside the house but can’t be to upset since we found who we believe is Malcom Miller.”

Dean scrubbed his hand over his jaw. Elsie wasn’t the only one who’d have a hard time getting the grisly scene they’d uncovered out of her head, but if discovering what happened inside Malcom’s house led to finding Mila, he’d gladly be haunted by a hundred dead bodies. “They’ll open an official investigation into his death. Hopefully that will give us more answers regarding him and Justin Pauly. And if the sheriff’s department can somehow tie Justin or Malcom to Mila, that could be the break we need.”

Calvin grimaced. “They won’t have a problem tying Mila to this house.”

Unease danced down Dean’s back.

Elsie stiffened. “Why not?”

“I found some dirty material in the trash can. Looked like someone had ripped it off a pant leg.”

Elsie’s jaw tightened. Her arms wrapped around her waist, but she lifted her chin as if bracing for impact. “Was it blue with yellow smiley faces?”

Calvin nodded.

“She was here.” Elsie’s voice was strong and crisp as the autumn air. “Now we need know what they did with her.”

15

The subtle scent of Elsie’s tea was enough to turn her stomach. No way she could eat anything, but she’d hoped getting something in her system would settle her nerves. The hustle and bustle of Lulu’s Diner mirrored the craziness buzzing in her brain.

But it wouldn’t matter where she waited to speak with Deputy Owen Wells. Nothing would calm her right now. She was like a bull ready to attack, only needing the signal to charge forward to finally get answers.

Dean took a bite of eggs. “Are you sure you don’t want anything else? I know you’re not hungry, but something light might help.”

She shook her head and held her mug tight. The tea might not be appealing, but at least the warmth seeping from the porcelain might chase away some of the chill clinging to her bones. “I’m fine. I just want Owen to hurry up and get here so we can get this conversation over with.”

After Calvin had called the sheriff’s department about the dead body, Owen had hurried to the scene with a few other deputies and the coroner. Once the death was ruled a homicide,it was more important for Owen to start his investigation than take statements from her, Dean, and Calvin. The three had agreed to meet him at Lulu’s once he was done at Malcom’s house.

Calvin sipped his coffee then leaned his forearms on the table. “He should be here soon. I gave him my initial statement, but he wants to go over a few more details. Hopefully by waiting this long, he’ll have more information to share. Information that could help us figure out where to go next.”

A bell above the door chimed. Elsie leaned to the side to catch a glimpse of Owen striding through the breakfast crowd. “He’s here.”

Dean and Calvin both turned to watch Owen approach.

Fatigue made the five o’clock shadow on Owen’s jaw appear more haggard than usual. He slumped into the empty chair at the four-person table and signaled for the server with his index finger. “Can I get some coffee, please?” he asked when the middle-aged woman appeared. “To go.”

“Sure can.” She scribbled on her order pad. “Anything else for the rest of y’all?”

---