25

Rose Hill Cemetery

Washington Street, Fayetteville, 9:15 a.m.

Eve was already waiting when Vera arrived.

During the nearly two years Vera had been home after their mother died, she and Eve had met at her grave many times. It was the best place to get away from the house and have some privacy. Sometimes to cry. Sometimes just to talk. Now was one of those times.

As Vera neared the bench where Eve sat, her sister said, I m not sure I want to know what s happened now.

Believe me, you don t. Vera sat down beside her on the granite bench. Dr. Higdon has decided that maybe the cancer didn t kill Mama.

Eve made a what the hell face. You re kidding, right?

He claims he saw bruises on her throat and shoulders when he pronounced her. He thinks Daddy hastened her death to get her out of the way.

Eve blinked, looked away for a moment before turning back to Vera. Doesn t he know I was the one to find her? She scoffed. Daddy wasn t even home. He was at work. Suri was there with me, you remember.

Vera nodded. How could she forget?

Are we supposed to believe Daddy sneaked into the house, pushed Mama under the water and held her there while we weren t looking, and then sneaked out again?

The realization shook Vera just a little. She should have thought of exactly that, but Higdon s ridiculous revelation had caught her completely off guard. If she hadn t been so angry, she would have logically explained to Higdon that his suggestion about her mother s death was impossible . . . except it had been too late. As Bent said, the ME had put the idea on the table, and there was no pulling it back. No amount of logic was going to stop some sort of look into the accusation.

You re right. Daddy wasn t home. Proving it after such an extended period might be problematic. Vera tried to recall where exactly she was when her sister had started yelling for her. The remembered sound of her voice-frantic and brimming with pain-echoed in her brain. I was in the living room on the phone with Cindy Reynolds.

I screamed for you, and you came running up the stairs. Eve shook her head. Higdon is an idiot. I swear that man needs to retire and let someone younger take on the position. He must be what, seventy-five or -six?

Maybe he has Mama confused with someone else who died from cancer back then. Vera chewed her lip, tried to think of a preemptive move. I need to see those photos from the funeral home.

I can get them. Eve sat up straighter.

Hope swelled in Vera s chest. You can? We don t have much time, she reminded Eve. Higdon is probably drafting the request as we speak. The funeral home would want his request in writing for their records. Unfortunately, if he decides to go for an exhumation, he has a judge in his pocket-his son.

Screw him and his full-of-himself son. Eve pulled her cell from her back pocket. I have my own secret weapon. Give me a minute.

Vera listened as Eve called Suri and asked her to pull their mother s file. While Suri searched, Eve explained the reason for the odd and abrupt request. Like Vera and Eve, Suri was horrified to hear that Higdon would suggest such a thing.

This whole situation had turned into a total nightmare. Every last detail of their lives was going to shit in a far too public way. Vera was weary of it, and the show was far from over.

Eve made a face and thanked her friend before hanging up.

Did she find the photos? Vera needed a copy, optimally before Higdon got his hands on them.

There are no photos in the file.

Vera drew back. What? Hurst always took photos. Daddy said so when Mama died. She exhaled a frustrated breath. Where the hell were those photos? The funeral director asked if Daddy wanted a copy, and he said he didn t even want to see them. It was too painful.

Well, Eve countered, they re missing now.

Could Higdon have gotten over there already?

Suri said she was the only one there.

Maybe they re just misfiled, Vera suggested.

It s possible, Eve agreed.

Damn it. Vera forced away the frustration and surveyed the cemetery. She needed to clear her head and think for a moment.

Their mother had loved this cemetery. She always participated whenever there was a cleanup or other activity. She insisted that Vera and Eve come along and help out. Now that Vera thought about it, maybe that was where Eve had gotten her fondness for the dead.

Daddy could have asked for the photos at some point after the funeral, Eve offered, drawing Vera back to the problem at hand.

I suppose so, Vera agreed. I just can t imagine why. Either way, if Higdon can t find the photos, she went on, her mind circling the possibilities, he will want to exhume her. Not that it will do one damned bit of good.

Not unless there were fractures. Vera searched her memory for any time her mother had ever been injured. Nothing came to mind.

This is ridiculous and utterly insane, she muttered.

Try not to worry, Eve urged. Suri will look through all the files. If the photos are in the building, she will find them.

I hope so. Vera couldn t bear the idea of her mother being disturbed and their father s and family s reputation being trashed in the headlines and on the gossip grapevine for no reason.

Vernon Boyett was not an abuser or a murderer.

Vera s stomach tied itself into knots. Was he?

For a time, she and Eve only sat there, the worries crowding in around Vera. How could this be happening? There had been a hell of a lot of misery in the after part of their lives, but did fate have to try to damage the good from the before part too?

Do you remember how she looked? In the bathtub, I mean. The words were out before Vera could stop them, and she wanted to kick herself for asking. It had been a really tough time for both of them, but especially for Eve, since she had found her.

She was wearing that pink scarf, Eve said, her voice sounding a thousand miles away. She d even picked pink panties and bra to match. Remember toward the end she wore her undies even in the bath or shower.

You re right. Vera smiled sadly. I d forgotten about that.

Since her death was imminent, their mother had worried about suddenly dropping dead. She didn t want to risk the EMTs coming in to find her naked. Vera thought it was the silliest thing she d ever heard at the time, but later she understood.

The pink ones were her favorite. It was like she knew that was the day, Eve went on. I m still mad at her a little, you know.

Vera frowned, searched her sister s face. Why? Because she died and left us? It s not like she wanted to.

Eve shook her head. I know that. I mean because she didn t tell me the truth.

Vera s frown deepened. She had no idea what Eve meant. About what?

She said it would be better after she was gone. That she wouldn t be suffering anymore, and we would be able to get on with our lives. She said over and over that I would feel better. But I didn t. It was a lie. I shouldn t have believed her.

Vera put an arm around her sister and hugged her, despite the way she stiffened at the gesture. Her suffering did end, she offered. And I think she thought we would feel better knowing that.

I was eleven years old, Eve reminded her. There was absolutely no scenario where having my mother die was going to make me feel better. I shouldn t have believed her.

I never knew you felt this way. Vera couldn t recall Eve ever talking about that particular aspect before.

A flash of memory cut through her brain. Sitting on the bathroom floor with Eve. The two of them holding tightly to each other. Their mother lying on the wet tile where they had pulled her from the tub. Suri leaning against the wall, watching in a sort of shock.

I shouldn t have believed her , Eve had cried. It doesn t feel better. It doesn t feel better at all.

Vera remembered holding her sister, rocking her until the ambulance arrived. Then their father appeared, and the rest was an emotional roller-coaster ride barreling toward the end of the track. Their father had cried harder than anyone.

Maybe I made the bruises trying to get her up out of the water, Eve said. Until you got in there to help me, I kept grabbing at her and trying to heave her up. Suri had panicked and was just sitting there in shock.

He s suggesting these were bruises showing her body had been held down in the water, Vera explained. I m sure you didn t hold her down.

Eve made a face. I don t think so.

I don t want you worrying about this, Vera urged. You didn t do anything wrong any more than I did. She was weak from the chemo. It was the last round because her oncologist didn t believe she could tolerate any more. It wasn t really helping anyway. That final cycle was just a last-ditch effort to buy a little more time.

Everyone always wants more time, Eve noted. The concept is overrated when you re that deep into such a wicked disease.

Vera wasn t sure it was possible to overrate more time when it came to life. Most people would gladly give just about anything for even a minute more.

They sat for a while, silent, remembering. A rare late-July breeze provided some relief from the heat, stirring the leaves and reminding Vera of waking up on summer mornings to hear the soft wind chimes through her bedroom windows. Their mother had loved wind chimes. They were hanging everywhere around the house. Sheree hadn t liked them very much. She claimed they kept her awake, and she intended to take them down. Eve came up with the idea to tell her that they warded off evil spirits. Sheree didn t dare take one down after that.

The woman really had been naive in some ways.

Vera closed her eyes against the memories that flashed from that final day with Sheree. They had so much trouble getting her body to the cave and then inside. How the hell had someone put three others in there? Even deeper inside, at that?

I have to get back to work. Eve stood.

Vera exiled the memories and pushed herself to her feet. Let me know if Suri has any luck finding those photographs.

Will do. Thanks for the update. She scoffed. Not really. I hate all this.

Vera could not agree more. Me too. But don t worry. As long as we stick to our stories, we ll get through this.

Famous last words, Eve suggested. She waved as she walked away.

Unfortunately, her sister might be right about that one.

Fraley Farm

Jenkins Road, Fayetteville, 10:20 a.m.

Vera parked and sat for a moment. A truck was in the driveway. She hoped that was an indication the Fraleys were home.

She really hoped this was not a bad move, but since leaving the cemetery, she couldn t stop thinking about her mother. She had been a very smart woman. A bright and perceptive woman. Vera just couldn t see her being married to a man who secretly committed murder without suspecting something. The two had been so close. So happy . . . until the cancer. Call it wishful thinking, but she couldn t get past it . . . not just yet anyway.

The more-probable scenario was that Vernon Boyett had allowed a friend to use the cave. Vera chewed her lip. But would he have done such a thing twice? The third time, the male victim, might have been a situation he knew nothing about. Just because her father had helped a friend once didn t mean he had known about one or both of the other murders. The friend could have taken advantage of the situation. It was difficult to analyze without an iota of information about the victims.

Whatever the case, Vera simply could not see her father doing this and keeping it secret from her mother. Would he have risked allowing the situation to come back to haunt his wife and daughters? To destroy their lives?

Vera needed to speak with someone who had known her parents well enough to have some idea who such a friend might have been back in those days.

A friend who was also a murderer.

Someone . . . anyone but her father. Possibly the unidentified male victim found in that crevice.

Mind made up, Vera opened her door and got out. By the time she reached the steps, the front door had opened, and Beatrice pushed open the screen door and walked out onto the porch.

Vera, what a nice surprise.

I hope you don t mind me dropping by unannounced. Vera smiled, fingers mentally crossed.

Don t be silly. The older woman waved off the notion. Walt s having a nap. Last night was a rough one. Shall we sit on the porch and chat?

Perfect. I could use some fresh air.

Beatrice settled into a rocking chair that looked much like the ones on the porch at home. Vera lowered into the second of the two, appreciated the ceiling fans that stirred the air, however slowly. The floral cushions and hanging ferns all reminded Vera of her mother s decorating style. She and Beatrice had been good friends, after all. They likely shared ideas and inspiration.

Tell me how I can help, Vee. Beatrice set the rocker into a slow, easy motion.

She seemed so much more relaxed when she wasn t with Florence Higdon. Who wouldn t be?

I don t have to tell you, Vera began, how difficult the investigation related to Sheree and the other remains has been for my family.

I can only imagine, Beatrice agreed. It s a terrible situation.

Vera hesitated only a moment, then went for it. One of the scenarios on the table, so to speak, is that my father allowed a friend to use the cave.

The older woman nodded knowingly. I can see something like that happening. Your father was always kind to everyone. Generous too.

We re thinking, Vera pressed on, this friend may have taken advantage of the situation and continued to use the cave for his own personal dumping ground.

For his victims, you mean.

Sorry, yes. Vera forged on. We can t, of course, be certain if my father knew what the friend was doing-assuming the theory pans out. Obviously, he can t tell us now, considering his dementia. Vera looked to the former schoolteacher. Long story short, I need your help putting together a list of people who were close to my father.

Beatrice stared at her for a long moment.

Vera felt the urge to shrink into herself. The woman clearly thought she was mad.

Of course. Beatrice nodded. In fact, when Walt wakes up, I ll have him help me. He might actually know better than me when it comes to your father s friends.

Relief rushed through Vera. That would be so helpful. Really, when you cut through all the rumors and the innuendos, don t you think this perpetrator had to be someone my parents knew? You and the sheriff and my parents were friends for so long, you know what I mean. Who could possibly believe that either of them was capable of murder?

Beatrice reached over, placed a hand on Vera s. You don t have to convince me. Your parents would never have harmed anyone.

The relief at hearing that confirmation made her want to hug the woman.

Before she could ask about any unsolved disappearances from the time frame the victims were put in the cave, Vera s cell vibrated against her hip. She d forgotten it was in her pocket.

Excuse me. She fished it out and checked the screen. A text from Bent.

Meet me at the Church of Christ on Washington Street. Important.

Seemed an odd place to meet, but maybe going to his place today wasn t feasible, and the FBI was likely hanging out at his office or the cave by now.

She sent him a thumbs-up and turned back to Beatrice. Thank you so much for understanding and agreeing to help. I really appreciate it. I have a meeting with Bent, so I have to go. She stood.

Beatrice pushed to her feet a little slower. You go on and don t worry. Walt and I will do all we can to help.

Thank God for friends like the Fraleys.

Church of Christ

Washington Street, Fayetteville, 11:30 a.m.

Bent waited for Vera in the parking lot behind the church. There was another truck parked next to his. Dark in color. Black or dark blue. Not one she recognized.

Vera parked nose to nose with Bent s truck and climbed out. What s going on?

She imagined Higdon had already called to complain that he hadn t been able to get his hands on the photographs. Mentally, she was working at getting prepared for what came next. Her conversation with Eve had reminded her of all the reasons Higdon s suggestion about their father harming their mother was impossible. She would fight him over the exhumation.

There s something I need to show you.

She walked closer to where he waited between his truck and the other one. As she neared, she noted damage on the front end of the other truck. Not blue, she decided. Black, maybe.

I think I ve found the truck involved in the incident with your sister s car. He gestured to the damage on the front end.

Now that she was closer, it was obvious the blackish color was actually a really dark green. Vera looked from the truck to the church. Did a member of the church leave it here? That was one way to avoid having the damage spotted. She doubted the police perused church parking lots in search of hit-and-run vehicles. Except, here they were.

It belongs to Willard Carmichael. You might remember him. He s a deacon here.

Vera made a face. If this was the Willard Carmichael she remembered, he was old. Like ninety. Does he still drive? Maybe he allowed someone to borrow it.

Bent shook his head in answer to her suggestion. He said it s been sitting here for nearly two weeks. There s a mechanical issue, and the man who s making the repairs is waiting on parts.

How was that possible, considering the truck ran into Eve s car just the day before yesterday? She said as much to Bent.

It won t start, Bent explained. Carmichael gave me the keys, and I tried myself. It s been sitting right here all this time. He pointed to the pavement directly in front of the truck. If you ll notice there s a bit of a skid mark. Like another vehicle made a sudden stop right there .

Okay. Wait. Vera held up her hands. What re you suggesting?

I m saying that the paint on this truck matches what rubbed off on your sister s car, which pretty much confirms that this is the truck that collided with her car.

But you just said this truck doesn t-

Eve came to this parking lot, Vee, and she backed into the truck. That s what I m telling you.

Ice frosted in her veins. You re suggesting she made up the whole story.

He nodded. I don t know why, but I m as confident as I can be without an eyewitness and without testing the paint transfer.

Vera surveyed the other buildings in the area. No security cameras around here?

He shook his head. Not the first one.

Why in the world would Eve do this?

Can you think of any reason Eve would try and toss out a distraction related to this investigation?

Slashes of memory-the two of them hefting Sheree s cold, wet body into that utility trailer-cut through her brain. Still, she shook her head. None at all.

I ll have to talk to her about this, Bent said. Not only did she damage this vehicle, but she falsified an accident report. Whatever is going on with Eve, we need to get it under control before it becomes a real issue.

In Vera s opinion this alone made it a very real issue. What the hell had Eve been thinking?

Let me talk to her, Vera urged. As if she hadn t just done so a few minutes ago. I ll get to the bottom of this. But I want you to keep something in mind related to our earlier meeting with Higdon. She explained the impossibility of what the ME was suggesting about their father in relationship to the time of their mother s death. Daddy couldn t have done what Higdon is suggesting.

Bent nodded. You re right. And I will talk to him.

Thanks. Vera pressed her lips together, told herself to let it go. Bent had only been doing his job.

He stared at the ground a moment. I feel really bad about that business, Vee. He lifted his gaze to hers. I wanted to shut him down, but he already thinks I lack objectivity on this case. That s why he went to the FBI.

I get it. You did the right thing. As difficult as that meeting had been, he d handled it exactly as he should have. And thank you for telling me about this -she gestured to the truck- so I can figure it out. I ll call you after I speak with Eve.

His lips lifted in a smile. I m sure she ll have a good explanation.

Vera laughed a pathetic sound. No doubt.

I ll call you when we can get together at my home office.

She gave him a nod and headed back to her SUV. She wanted to be relieved that maybe they were off the hook with this exhumation business, but what Bent was suggesting about Eve was equally troubling. She sent her sister a text to meet her at the house ASAP.

What on earth had Eve been trying to do?