later, we were outside by my kiln. I wondered if I'd ever be able to bring myself to fire there again. I doubted it, with the image of David constantly hovering in my mind.
I stayed back a few paces, but Bill walked up to the body and knelt beside it. "What are you doing?" Why was I screaming?
"I've got to make sure he's really dead."
Oh no. I hadn't even considered that possibility. What if my reaction had robbed David of his last chance to be saved? Hannah would hate me for eternity, and I wouldn't blame her.
My husband reached down and tried to find a pulse. I stood there watching, afraid to utter a word.
He shook his head, then stood. "He's dead all right, but it's not David."
"Are you sure? The hair looks just like his."
Bill said, "That's because you looked at it in the twilight. It's too gray to be David's, but unless I'm missing my guess, it's his father."
I felt a momentary flood of relief wash through me, but it was soon gone.
"What's wrong?" Bill asked me. "I thought you'd be happier about the news."
"I'm glad it's not David, but you know who the sheriff is going to suspect. Hannah had every reason in the world to kill him, didn't she?"
"From what I've heard around town, she'd have to get in line." He started dialing the phone, but I put a hand on his. "Do we have to call him right now?"
"You know we do," Bill said. "It's the proper thing to do."
"I guess," I said, "but I'd like to see if I can get Hannah first and warn her about what's about to break loose."
"It'll have to wait until I call Hodges," my husband said firmly.
Thirty seconds later, after listening to Hodges's warning not to touch anything, Bill handed me the phone. "I'd call her as fast as you can. You're right; she deserves a heads up about what's about to happen."
At least my hand wasn't shaking anymore. I dialed Han nah's number, and instead of saying hello, she answered with a question. "David, is that you?"
"It's Carolyn," I said. "I'm afraid I've got some bad news for you."
"It's David, isn't it? He's dead." There was an utter lack of emotion in her voice as she said it, as if she already be lieved it in her heart.
"I found a body, but it wasn't your son's. It's Richard. Somebody killed him and his body is in my backyard."
"Oh, no," she said, and then hung up the telephone be fore I could warn her that the sheriff would likely be coming after her and her son.
Bill asked, "What did she say?"
"As soon as I told her about Richard, she hung up on me."
He shook his head. "I hope she doesn't run away from this. Panicking is the worst thing she could do right now."
"She didn't kill her ex-husband," I snapped at Bill.
"Take it easy. I didn't say she did. But you know how she can be."
I was saved from answering by the sound of sirens near ing. A minute later, Sheriff Hodges came into the backyard, followed by half a dozen other officers.
"You can go inside," he said to us after he heard how I'd stumbled across the body. "I'll be in later to get an official statement from you."
"I just told you all I know," I said.
"Bill, will you take her inside? We've got work to do."
He nodded and put an arm around me. "Come on, Caro lyn. Neither one of us can do anything out here."
"You're taking orders from the sheriff now?"
He whispered, "I'm doing this for you. Do you really want to see them examining the body? I thought I'd save both of us from that nightmare."
"Okay, I understand that."
I walked inside with my husband, who said, "You might want to put a pot of coffee on. It's getting chilly out there."
"They can go to the convenience store and get their own coffee," I said.
"They can, or we can do the right thing and offer them something ourselves. Carolyn, I know you don't like the man, but it wouldn't hurt to be civil. He's just doing his job."
"I'm not sure I agree with that."
"Blast it all, I'll make it myself then." As Bill started to ward the coffeepot, I waved him off. "I'll do it. After all, I don't want them to arrest
I stayed back a few paces, but Bill walked up to the body and knelt beside it. "What are you doing?" Why was I screaming?
"I've got to make sure he's really dead."
Oh no. I hadn't even considered that possibility. What if my reaction had robbed David of his last chance to be saved? Hannah would hate me for eternity, and I wouldn't blame her.
My husband reached down and tried to find a pulse. I stood there watching, afraid to utter a word.
He shook his head, then stood. "He's dead all right, but it's not David."
"Are you sure? The hair looks just like his."
Bill said, "That's because you looked at it in the twilight. It's too gray to be David's, but unless I'm missing my guess, it's his father."
I felt a momentary flood of relief wash through me, but it was soon gone.
"What's wrong?" Bill asked me. "I thought you'd be happier about the news."
"I'm glad it's not David, but you know who the sheriff is going to suspect. Hannah had every reason in the world to kill him, didn't she?"
"From what I've heard around town, she'd have to get in line." He started dialing the phone, but I put a hand on his. "Do we have to call him right now?"
"You know we do," Bill said. "It's the proper thing to do."
"I guess," I said, "but I'd like to see if I can get Hannah first and warn her about what's about to break loose."
"It'll have to wait until I call Hodges," my husband said firmly.
Thirty seconds later, after listening to Hodges's warning not to touch anything, Bill handed me the phone. "I'd call her as fast as you can. You're right; she deserves a heads up about what's about to happen."
At least my hand wasn't shaking anymore. I dialed Han nah's number, and instead of saying hello, she answered with a question. "David, is that you?"
"It's Carolyn," I said. "I'm afraid I've got some bad news for you."
"It's David, isn't it? He's dead." There was an utter lack of emotion in her voice as she said it, as if she already be lieved it in her heart.
"I found a body, but it wasn't your son's. It's Richard. Somebody killed him and his body is in my backyard."
"Oh, no," she said, and then hung up the telephone be fore I could warn her that the sheriff would likely be coming after her and her son.
Bill asked, "What did she say?"
"As soon as I told her about Richard, she hung up on me."
He shook his head. "I hope she doesn't run away from this. Panicking is the worst thing she could do right now."
"She didn't kill her ex-husband," I snapped at Bill.
"Take it easy. I didn't say she did. But you know how she can be."
I was saved from answering by the sound of sirens near ing. A minute later, Sheriff Hodges came into the backyard, followed by half a dozen other officers.
"You can go inside," he said to us after he heard how I'd stumbled across the body. "I'll be in later to get an official statement from you."
"I just told you all I know," I said.
"Bill, will you take her inside? We've got work to do."
He nodded and put an arm around me. "Come on, Caro lyn. Neither one of us can do anything out here."
"You're taking orders from the sheriff now?"
He whispered, "I'm doing this for you. Do you really want to see them examining the body? I thought I'd save both of us from that nightmare."
"Okay, I understand that."
I walked inside with my husband, who said, "You might want to put a pot of coffee on. It's getting chilly out there."
"They can go to the convenience store and get their own coffee," I said.
"They can, or we can do the right thing and offer them something ourselves. Carolyn, I know you don't like the man, but it wouldn't hurt to be civil. He's just doing his job."
"I'm not sure I agree with that."
"Blast it all, I'll make it myself then." As Bill started to ward the coffeepot, I waved him off. "I'll do it. After all, I don't want them to arrest
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