Read Online The Hunt Ball by Rita Mae Brown - Free Book Online

to comfort the more obviously distressed. Tootie, Valentina, and Pamela also did what they could to help others. Felicity shook like a leaf but was in control of herself. Sister noted the remarkable poise of the three young women. Charlotte and Carter greeted Sheriff Ben Sidel as he stepped out of the car.
    The rescue squad van pulled up behind the sheriff’s car.
    Sister waited until Ben, Charlotte, and Carter walked toward the tree, the rescue squad following at a discreet distance.
    Ben spoke to Sister, “Hell of a Halloween.”
    She simply replied, “Yes, it is hellish.”
    Charlotte, the muscles in her face tight, met Sister’s gaze as the older woman walked toward her.
    Sister now faced the corpse, Zorro. She registered disbelief.
    â€œAl Perez,” Charlotte whispered to Sister.
    Ben carefully checked the ground underneath, motioning for a deputy, Ty Banks, to come over. Deputy Banks, flashlight in hand, listened intently as Ben Sidel, in a quiet voice, gave him instructions.
    Sister noted Inky still as a stone.
    â€œWhat happened?” Ben asked Charlotte.
    Briefly she explained the after-party plan by the Miller School boys, how at first they thought this was part of their night of fright, as they called it.
    Ty examined the bark on the tree, and, like the sheriff, he inspected the ground underneath the corpse. Four imprints from a stepladder pressed into the earth. “Sheriff.” He wordlessly pointed to the ladder footmarks, scanning to see if footprints were visible. The earth, fairly dry except for the light dew that would turn to frost, yielded no sign of footprints.
    â€œYes, I noticed that, too. Was he dead before he was hanged or was he killed by hanging?” Ben thought out loud.
    â€œHe couldn’t have been dead longer than half an hour,” Carter opined. “Warm, no rigor even in the small muscles.”
    When the students were walked back to the buses, Carter carefully touched Al’s leg to feel for body temperature. He did not touch any other part of the hanged man’s body for fear of damaging evidence.
    â€œMy husband wanted to make sure Al was, well, dead. If by any chance he wasn’t, we would have cut him down and done our best to revive him. I mean, Carter would,” Charlotte spoke.
    â€œI understand,” Ben said sympathetically.
    â€œWill you need to question the students?” Charlotte thought first of her flock.
    â€œNot now.” Ben knew that some of the kids were aflutter from hysteria, despite the efforts of Knute, Bill, Amy, Bunny, and the other girls. “Did any of them see anything unusual?”
    â€œNo.”
    Charlie Thompson, chaperone for the Miller School, quietly approached. “Sheriff, three of my boys strung up the mannequin. They were alone. I guess you’d like to interrogate them.”
    â€œWell, that might be too strong a word. Mr. Thompson, take them back to school. I’ll ring you first and then talk to the boys. Right now, these kids need your attention. You can all leave. I’ll be in touch.”
    Charlotte looked to her husband, then back at Ben. “Should we tell his wife?”
    â€œNo, I’ll do it. I hope no one has called her,” Ben responded.
    â€œNo, I made that clear to all,” Charlotte firmly replied.
    â€œIt’s the worst part of this job,” Ben flatly stated. “You all can go as well.”
    As the Custis Hall people and the Miller School people left, Ben asked Sister, “Hear anyone come up on your side of the ridge?”
    â€œNo, nothing. I was in the kennel whelping room. I would have heard a car or truck.”
    As the buses and cars dipped over the ridge onto the rutted road, Ben’s eyes followed the receding red dots of light. “You have an opinion on Al Perez?”
    â€œHe was pleasant, competent, very upbeat. I knew him from serving on the board of directors.”
    â€œEnemies?”
    â€œI don’t