Page 128 of Everything She Feared

Over a dozen girls and boys squealed and shouted, dodging and darting, playing tag in the big backyard of Lyle and Rita Tilden’s bungalow.

Their daughter, Amber, was turning ten today.

“Thank you for coming to my party, Ethan.”

Amber and her mother welcomed them. The yard and deck were festooned with ribbons, pinwheels and balloons. Thanking Ethan for his gift, Rita placed it with the others while Amber took him to the snack table for a drink and chips. Pierce found an empty lawn chair, and sat with Lyle Tilden, Art Acker and Larry Grotowski.

“Carl couldn’t make it,” Acker said.

Pierce nodded, knowing what none of the others knew. Benton had taken his wife to the hospital for a new treatment. But she said nothing as the conversation fell to sports and then the case.

“We’re going farther downstream searching the river tomorrow,” Tilden said.

“Going to run background on Sara in Canada,” Grotowski said.

“Sounds good,” Acker said. “Let’s see how we do.”

The afternoon progressed with the kids sitting at picnic tables to eat hot dogs, pizza and nachos. Then came the cake. Everyone sang to Amber, who blew out the candles before her mother cut pieces, serving them up with ice cream. Then the celebration moved on to the opening of presents. Ethan’s was a bracelet-making kit, which Amber loved.

Later, Lyle Tilden issued a sharp whistle.

“Kids, who wants to play a game where the winners get an extra goody bag?”

All the kids cheered to play.

Tilden glanced at Acker, Grotowski and Pierce.

“Okay, watch me, this is what you do.”

In a corner of the yard, Tilden had placed six vinyl cement circular weights from his dumbbell set. Each one weighed 7.5 pounds.

“You pick up one of these, if you can. Carry it as fast as you can to this spot.” Tilden had used ribbons to make a path about ten yards away. “Lift it up as high as you can and drop it. We’re going to time you. Whoever’s fastest, wins. Can you do that?”

The kids cheered.

“All girls aged nine, put up your hands. Okay, thanks. You go first, Marcie. Then Emily, Amy and Lorella, and anyone else. You can go, too, Amber.”

The detectives got ready. Grotowski was the timer. Pierce prepared to record a video.

One by one each girl hefted the dumbbell and hurried the distance to the drop point. Grunting and straining, each girl hoisted the weight high—some got it over their heads—then thrust it to the ground.

“Okay, girls ten and older, Isabel, Miranda, Lucy.”

Each girl completed the task before Tilden moved on to the boys, with Ethan taking a turn.

“What’s the result, Judge Grotowski?” Tilden asked.

“I think it’s too close to call. Everyone wins!”

The kids cheered, then moved on to play Pin the Tail on the Donkey, under Rita’s supervision.

The detectives huddled in a corner of the yard to discuss their experiment. Acker stressed it was unscientific, unofficial and definitely not evidentiary.

“But it demonstrates that it’s possible for a nine-year-old girl to lift the rock, quickly carry it several yards and drop it over the cliff,” Grotowski said.

All the detectives nodded as Pierce replayed the video.

The strain in the girls’ faces as they labored with the rock evoked other images in her mind. She thought about how in theLord of the Fliesa boulder was rolled onto Piggy, stirring the horror of children killing children.

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