Grave Sight Page 0,9

to investigate." Then I took a deep breath. This was the client. "Two shots in the back, so we still don't know how it happened. If your son was shot first, then Teenie was killed by the same person. Of course, if it was your son who shot her, he then killed himself afterward. But I doubt he committed suicide."

That shut her up, at least temporarily. I had the complete and utter attention of everyone in the room. "Oh my God," whispered Sybil.

"So how do you know?" the sheriff asked.

"How do I find bodies in the first place? I just do. When I find 'em, I know what killed 'em. Believe me, don't believe me. It's up to you, now. You wanted me to find Teenie Hopkins, I found what's left of her. There might be a bone or two missing. Animals."

Sybil Teague was staring at me with an extraordinary expression on her face. She didn't know whether to praise me or be disgusted by me. But at least I believed her son Dell had not committed suicide. She ran her hands over her golden-brown pants suit, over and over, smoothing the front of the light jacket, then the material over her thighs.

"Call Hollis," the sheriff said into his intercom, and we sat in frozen silence until a man in a deputy's uniform came in. He was in his late twenties, sturdy and blond and blue-eyed and curious as hell about what had been going on in the sheriff's office. He gave Tolliver and me a comprehensive stare. He'd know us again. He looked pretty good in the uniform.

"Ms. Connelly," the sheriff said. "You go out with Hollis here, show him where the body is."

Hollis looked startled as he took in the sense of what was more an order than a request.

"Which one?" I asked, and his eyes widened.

"I'll go," Tolliver said. "Harper needs to rest."

"No, Ms. Connelly is the one who found her, she needs to go."

Tolliver glared at the sheriff and he glared right back. I was betting the sheriff wanted to make sure I earned every penny of my fee. I made myself stir. "I'll go," I said. I put my hand on Tolliver's arm. "It'll be okay." My fingers curled around the material of his jacket, holding on to him for a long moment. Then I let go. I jerked my head at the blond deputy. "He'll bring me right back," I said over my shoulder, because I wanted Tolliver to stay there while I was gone. He nodded, and the door closed behind me, and I lost sight of him.

The deputy led the way out to his patrol car. "My name is Hollis Boxleitner," he said, by way of introduction.

"Harper Connelly," I said.

"That your husband in there?"

"My brother. Tolliver Lang."

"Different names."

"Yeah."

"Where we goin'?"

"Drive out Highway 19, going northwest."

"Out where - "

"The boy was shot," I said.

"Killed himself," Hollis Boxleitner corrected, but with little conviction.

"Hmmph," I said contemptuously.

"How do you find them?" he asked.

"The sheriff tell you I was coming?"

"I overheard him on the phone. He thought Sybil was crazy for asking you to come. He was mad at Terry Vale for telling her what he'd heard about you."

"I got struck by lightning," I said. "When I was about fifteen."

He seemed to be groping for questions to ask. "Were you at your house?"

"Yes," I said. "Me, and Tolliver, and my sister Cameron... we were at home alone. My two younger half-sisters were singing in some special program. My mother actually went to the pre-school to watch." The state my mother was in by that time, it was amazing she remembered she had children. "And the storm come up, about four in the afternoon. I was in the bathroom. The sink was next to the window, and the window was open. I was standing at the sink so I could look in the mirror while I used my electric hair curler. It came in the window. Next thing I knew, I was on the floor looking up at the ceiling, and my hair was smoking, and my shoes were off my feet. Tolliver gave me CPR. Then the ambulance came."

This was babbling, for me. I decided to shut up.

Hollis Boxleitner didn't seem to have any more questions, which was wonderful and puzzling. For most people, that would just have scratched the surface of what they wanted to know. I hugged my jacket to my chest, imagining how good it would be when I could get in the