Page 58 of The Girl in the River

Mia was so weak she could barely lift her head. She wished she could keep her eyes open and summon enough energy to break down the door to this cabin. But her lids felt heavy, her stomach queasy and her body limp.

She tried to reach the bottle of water on the tiny end table, but her hand was trembling so badly she dropped it and water soaked her clothes. A frustrated sob caught in her throat and her eyes drifted shut as the tears fell.

The boat rocked and dipped and she was thrown back in time again, back to when she was Jesse.

Her parents were dead and gone. They had been for years. The river had taken them. The monsters had come for her as she and Jo-Jo had been swept away by the current.

Now she and Jo-Jo were standing at her grandmother’s grave. Wind hurled dead leaves across the brittle grass and clouds gathered, raindrops falling like tears onto the tombstone. The people who’d come to the graveside started rushing toward their cars. Engines fired up and she and her sister were left alone with the memories and the emptiness.

“I’m going to find out what happened to Mama and Daddy,” Jesse said.

Jo-Jo was four years older than her but she acted like she was Jesse’s mother. “No, Jess. Grandma said not to ask questions. That it was too dangerous.”

“That’s just it,” Jesse said. “I’m not a kid anymore. I remember things…”

Jo-Jo clenched her arm. “What kind of things?”

Jesse pressed a hand to her mouth to stifle a sob. “We were trying to get away. And someone was after us.” She tugged at Jo-Jo’s hand. “What do you remember?”

“Same,” Jo-Jo admitted. “I… think it had something to do with me,” she said in a raw whisper. “But I don’t know what. And… I’m not sure I want to know.”

Jesse dug her heels into the wet earth, wiping raindrops from her face as they splattered her. “Well, I do. And I’m going to Red River Rock to get some answers.”

Jo-Jo pleaded and begged her not to go, that she was afraid for her.

But the next morning, she packed her bags and went anyway.

The memories receded and Mia blinked, battling nausea and fear as footsteps pounded outside the cabin door. Her body shook with tears and rage. That day was the beginning of the end for Jesse.

SEVENTY-SIX

RED RIVER ROCK

Ellie called Laney as they drove into Red River Rock. Just like Crooked Creek, the town was decked out for the holiday.

“Hey, Ellie,” Laney said, her voice slightly muffled as if she didn’t want anyone to hear her. “I’m at Dr. Homer Chatterman’s office. The medical examiner is working on the remains now.”

“How’s it going?” Ellie asked.

“He’s made it plain and clear that he doesn’t want me here or assisting at all,” she said. “Sheriff Kincaid was talking to him this morning when I arrived and they got all hush-hush when I showed up.” A heartbeat passed. “I don’t know what’s going on. But I insisted on being in the room and documenting what I saw, and neither of them are happy about it.”

Was the small town ME simply protective of his own morgue or… was he covering for someone?

“If he poses a real problem, let me know and Agent Fox will call the governor. And make sure he sends DNA to the lab so we can ID the victim.”

“Don’t worry, Ellie. I’m not backing down. I’ll get copies of the autopsy results and oversee every test he runs. The last case taught me that anything can happen in a small town and not everyone in law enforcement can be trusted.”

Laney was referring to the former sheriff of Crooked Creek who’d murdered her mother years back and tried to kill Laney to protect himself.

“Thanks, Laney. I know the last few months have been difficult.”

“Hey, I survived thanks to your good work and I won’t let you down on this one. If Dr. Chatterman tries to withhold evidence, I’ll handle it.”

Unexpected emotion overcame Ellie. “Just be careful. And I mean it – call if you need anything.”

“Of course.”

As they hung up, Ellie had a bad feeling in her gut. The only reason she could think of that Kincaid and the medical examiner would want to derail their investigation was if they were involved in Jesse’s disappearance or Mia’s, or if they were covering it up.

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