Page 19 of Down and Dirty

Chapter 8

The beam of the flashlight on the pages of the book reflected back on her face, washing her out until she resembled one of the ghosts who normally haunted me. She waved, and I waved back before stepping inside. The weird woman was just as unusual as the professor and the hours he kept.

I changed out of my dress into something more comfortable and grabbed my bag and camping gear before loading it into my car. When I was done, I tipped my chin at Elenore in passing as I drove out of town and out toward the trails. I was surprised to find an old beat-up truck with a license bracket from an out of town dealer parked in the clearing. Not many people liked to camp in this area. Well, only the ones who were looking for a fright. There were multiple legends about these woods and the ghosts who inhabited them. My guess was Mary used her ancestors to scare people away from her house. I’d never asked.

I grabbed my gear and hiked through the woods toward the lake, only slowing long enough to take one more look at Mary’s empty house. A heavy feeling settled in my chest at the thought that she’d been out here all alone. Her isolation was why no one had reported her missing. Her trips in town consisted of stocking up on groceries and an occasional stop in to visit with me. I wasn’t even sure she had any other friends other than my family.

Shoving my way through the trees, I followed the sound of the waterfall crashing on the rocks to lead me the rest of the way. It was a peaceful sound. I might have camped here had I ever found the spot before Mary suggested that she was buried nearby. That was something I couldn’t forget.

I stepped through the clearing to find Keaton sitting on a log. A tent had been set up a few paces away. He had an assortment of items laid out on the ground, including two pair of waders and a stack of plywood. Just how long had he been here? He’d had to have made several trips just to carry all four of those plywood sheets in.

“Your date didn’t last long.”

I dumped my gear on the ground and pulled out a water bottle, taking a long, satisfying sip. “I don’t sleep with anyone on the first date.”

He chuckled. “Good to know.”

The smell of cooking hot dogs wafted in the air and my stomach grumbled accordingly. I stared at the smoking portable grill. My mouth watered in appreciation.

Keaton lifted a brow. “You hungry?”

I licked my lips and swallowed hard before starting to unpack my gear. “The food was horrible, even if the company wasn’t.”

Keaton turned the hotdogs once more before pulling one off. He stuck it on a bun and handed it to me. “He’s a putz for not noticing.”

I ate his hotdog and then watched over the others he was still cooking while he put up my tent in a matter of minutes. I glanced at my watch. We still had four hours to kill.

When he was done, he fixed me another hot dog and handed it to me before he scarfed down three of his own.

I unrolled my sleeping bag and settled in, watching as he started a fire.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be out here,” I said.

“I didn’t want to miss finding Mary’s body. These killings are the reason I’m here,” he said.

“Right.” I sighed. “So what’s all that other stuff?”

“Until the water is tested for bacteria, I brought the waders to keep our clothes dry.”

“And the panels?”

“There has to be a reason we can only see the body between 2 and 3. I’m guessing it’s because the water will get lower, so I’m going to build a barrier around her until the crime scene unit can get here. I don’t want the water to ruin any potential evidence that might be remaining,” he answered.

“You really are prepared,” I said, pulling out granola bars from my bag. I tossed him one.

He grinned and ripped the wrapping. “So, tell me about the date. How did it go other than the fact that he didn’t feed you?”

“I’m not talking about my date,” I said.

“Okay, then what do you want to talk about?” he asked.

“How long have you been able to see ghosts?”

“Since the day my momma dropped me on my head,” Keaton said.

“That explains a lot,” I answered, looking out into the water. Mary was hovering over the area just before the rocks near the waterfall.

“She’s been there since I got here. I think she’s anxious to be found,” he said.

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