An Ice cold Grave Page 0,34

It would all be over. We would have solved the case ourselves, instead of having to turn it over to the state boys or the FBI."

Sandra Rockwell was not the clear pool she'd seemed at first.

"There aren't any human corpses here. I'm sorry we can't wave a magic wand and make that come true for you," I said. And I was sincere. Like most other people, I wanted the bad guys caught, I wanted justice to prevail, and I wanted punishment of the wicked. But so often you didn't get all three at the same time, or in the same degree. "Can we leave now?" I asked.

The sheriff closed her eyes, just for a second. I had a creepy-crawly feeling in my belly. She said, "The SBI has asked that you remain on site for another day. They want to question you some more."

The creepy-crawly feeling resolved into a knot of anxiety. "I thought we'd get to leave after we did this." My voice must have gone up, because a lot of people turned to look at us. Even the boy at the heart of this brouhaha turned to look. I stared right into Chuck Almand's face, and for the first time I consciously looked into another human being.

"You might as well shoot him now," I said. It was an awful feeling. I wondered if this was how Xylda saw things, if this was what had made her so peculiar. I wondered if Manfred would go the same way. It wasn't like free choice had been taken away from the boy, that he was doomed from the beginning by his nature. It was more like I could see what choices he would make. And they were almost all on the side of becoming one of those people who end up as the subject of a documentary on A&E.

Was what I was seeing the truth? Was it inevitable? I hoped not. And I hoped I never experienced it again. Maybe I was able to see inside Chuck Almand only because I was close to two genuine psychics, and their proximity sparked a touch of it in myself. Maybe it was the rumble of thunder far away. That sound always triggered the lightning feelings in me - a jittery combination of fear and agitation. Maybe I had the completely wrong perspective.

"Tolliver," I said, "we have to find a place to stay. They're not going to let us leave after all." We should have taken off from the pharmacy, taken off and never looked back.

My brother was beside me instantly. He looked at Sheriff Rockwell for a long, long moment. "Then you have to find us a place to stay," he said. "We gave up our motel room."

With unexpected lucidity, Xylda said, "You can stay with us. It'll be cramped, but it's better than staying in the jail."

I thought of squeezing in a bed with Xylda while Tolliver and Manfred slept two feet away. I thought of other possible sleeping arrangements. I thought the jail might be better. "Thanks so much," I said, "but I'm sure the sheriff can help us find something."

"I'm not your travel agent," Rockwell said. She seemed to be glad to find something to be mad about. "But I realize you had planned on leaving, and I'll try to think of something. It's your fault the town's this crowded."

There was a long moment of silence in the barn, as everyone within hearing range stared at her.

"Not exactly your fault," she said.

"I think not," I said.

"Everyone in town has rented out every room they've got," a deputy said. His uniform said he was Tidmarsh - Rob Tidmarsh, the neighbor, then. "The only place I can think of is Twyla Cotton's lake house."

The sheriff brightened. "Give her a call, Rob." She turned back to us. "Thanks for coming here, and we'll figure out what to do with the juvenile delinquent here."

"He won't go to jail?"

"Tom," the sheriff said, raising her voice, "you and Chuck come here."

The two looked relieved that someone was finally talking to them. I didn't want Chuck anywhere close to me, and I took a couple of steps back. I knew he was only thirteen. I knew he wasn't going to hurt me there and then. And I knew that his life was still full of choices and possibilities, and he could change himself if he saw the need to.

Sheriff Rockwell said, "Tom, we're not going to take Chuck away from you."

Tom Almand's narrow shoulders slumped in relief.