Page 4 of Shelter for Sharla

Carter perked up. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. There was a lot of drinking going on at the rally. And when we got into the car, I offered to drive because Tam was kinda tipsy. She told me to get in the back seat, that she was fine to drive. I didn’t want to, but she was acting strange. And as we drove along, I could tell there was something wrong. She wasn’t talking like herself. She was, like, loud and weird.”

That was confusing. “Like she was drunk?”

“No. Something else. I’m not sure what, but something else. Something I don’t understand. Oh, and she had money.”

“What do you mean, she had money?”

“She had money. Lots of money. Like a roll of bills in her pocket. Lionel asked her where she got it and she said it was none of our business. Answering us that way? That wasn’t like her either.”

If he was lucky, by the time he left the room somebody else was already checking on this so-called rally and the people involved. He certainly hoped so. “Is there anything else you can tell us?”

“No, but if I think of anything, I’ll be sure to tell you. I promise.” Chelsea looked to her mother. “Can I please go home now? Please?”

He thought for a minute. “Let me go out and talk to somebody and I’ll be right back.” Before either of them had a chance to answer him, Carter slipped out the door and found two Kentucky Department of Criminal Investigation agents standing right there. “You guys getting all this?”

“Yeah. Duffy and Atkins are on their way to the university to talk to administration to see what they know about this rally. Oh, and by the way, her story and the boy’s story? Perfect match. They’re telling the truth. They had nothing to do with this.”

Carter checked the guy’s badge. Fletcher. “Thanks for letting me know. You guys have a problem with me cutting this girl loose to go with her mother?”

“Nope. And according to the boy, the girl’s mother is his aunt and his mother is dead. No father. This aunt, SharlaBarker? She’s all the boy’s got. I guess he’ll be going with them too.”

“Gotcha. I’ll go in and talk to them, explain that we’re going to need them to be available to us when we start sifting through more of this stuff. Did he think he could identify the guys from the rally?”

“Said he thought he could, although I’m not sure. He’s pretty torn up. That sister was the last of his family of origin,” Fletcher said with a nod. The other agent, Talbert, nodded as well.

“It’s somewhere to start. Thanks, guys.”

“Thank you, sheriff.”

Carter stepped back inside the room and looked from one woman to the other. “Okay. They say you can go, but make sure if you leave town you let us know. As this investigation continues, they’ll want to talk to you more, Chelsea, and I have a feeling we’ll have photos for you to look at. And, Mrs., um…”

“Ms. It’s Ms.Barker.”

“Ms.Barker, Mr.Kent is free to go with you too. Same admonishment. But as of right now, they aren’t being charged with anything.”

“Thank you, sir. Thank you so much. I’ll take them home to Hopkinsville and then maybe they can be back at school by Wednesday,” SharlaBarker said, rising to leave. “Chelsea, baby, let’s go get Lionel and get you two home. Go on out.” Chelsea opened the door and looked back at her mother. “Go on. I’ll be right there. Close the door.” As soon as it closed, Sharla turned back to Carter. “What about Tamara? I mean, I’ll be responsible for… you know.”

“The medical examiner will have the body for several days while the forensic investigation is being conducted, and then it’ll be released. We’ll get in touch with you and let you know what arrangements you’ll need to make to transfer it and do whatever you need to do.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it. And I wasn’t kidding?this isn’t something Tamara would do, sir. Really. I don’t understand what happened, but I hope you figure it out, for us and for TrooperPalmer’s family.”

“Thanks. I’m sure you’ll be hearing from us. Take them home and try to get them calmed down.” Carter opened the door and waited as the woman stepped out and met her daughter and Lionel at the front door. He hadn’t missed the fact that she was a striking woman. He wouldn’t mind getting to know her better, but that couldn’t happen.

At least not until the investigation was over.

* * *

“Well, whaddya got?”

“Twenty-two-year-old biracial female. Brown hair, brown eyes, five feet, five inches, weight one thirty-four. Unremarkable for any childhood trauma or signs of serious disease. Tattoo on right upper arm, strawberry mark on right cheek approximately ten centimeters across. Cause of death, gunshot wound to the chest. Nine millimeter hollow-point glanced off a rib and went straight up into the heart, perforating the left ventricle and the pulmonary artery. Death was instantaneous.”

The three men standing over the body on the medical examiner’s table let out a collective sigh, and Carter knew what the next question was going to be, so he figured he might as well go ahead and ask it. “And which weapon?”

The examiner dipped his head and looked up at them over the top of his glasses. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

Agent Fletcher nodded. “Yes. We do.”

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