Skye wrinkled her brow, then exhaled noisily and dialed 911. Her mother was the dispatcher on duty and she steeled herself for May’s reaction.
“Scumble River police, fire, and emergency,” May answered on the first ring. “How can I help you?”
“Send an ambulance and the officer on duty to Hutton’s dairy farm.” Skye didn’t bother giving an address. She was sure that all the cops and EMTs knew where the farm was located. “Someone’s very badly hurt in the parking lot behind the barn.” She was unwilling to say for sure that the person under the steamroller was dead. The emergency squad personnel should make that call.
“Skye, is that you?” May demanded. “What are you doing out there? Who’s hurt?”
Pushing the END button, Skye climbed into her car, still cuddling the little dog. The fact that she had hung up on her mother showed just how truly upset she was. Having lost her umbrella at some point, she was soaked to the skin, and even though the temperature was in the mideighties, she felt chilled to the bone. Shivering, she started the Chevy and turned on the heat full blast.
As she waited for help to arrive, she put Toby on the passenger seat, where he promptly shook his entire body, spraying both Skye and the Bel Air’s interior with a fine mist. As Skye dried off the dog with a wad of napkins from the glove compartment, all she could think about was the last time she had seen pink cowboy boots—on Suzette Neal’s dainty little feet.
While Skye tried to convince herself that Suzette didn’t own the only pair of brightly colored boots, an ambulance with its sirens blaring and lights flashing pulled into the driveway. A police cruiser skidded to a stop directly behind the ambulance and Sergeant Roy Quirk jumped out.
Quirk was in his early thirties and was Wally’s second in command. The sergeant’s solidly muscled body and shaved bullet-shaped head made him look like a torpedo.
He and Skye had had a run-in last fall, but they were now on good terms. Even so, she was reluctant to leave the warmth of her Bel Air to join the sergeant on the gravel drive. Talking about what she had seen would make it real.
He tugged his plastic-covered police hat down nearly to his eyebrows, trying to shield his eyes from the driving rain, and pulled open her car door. “What’s going on?” Quirk hunched over so he could look into Skye’s face. “May said you sounded really bad on the phone and wouldn’t give any details.”
“I didn’t want to have to go over it twice.” Skye’s voice was taut, her fingers twisted in a knot. “Where’s the chief?”
“He’s testifying on that gas station robbery case,” Quirk answered with a sigh. “He should be back anytime now. Trials usually end by four at the latest.”
“Sorry.” Skye tried to remember if Wally had told her he would be out of town today. “I didn’t mean to sound like I thought you couldn’t handle this.”
“I understand.” He shook his head. “I’m used to that reaction. Everyone wants Superman, and they’re disappointed when Clark Kent shows up.” He straightened his shoulders. “So, fill me in.”
“Okay.” Skye gestured with her chin to where the EMTs had disappeared around the back of the barn. “Someone . . . Someone . . .” Feeling nauseous again, she swallowed before continuing. “Under the . . . the . . .” Saying it out loud was harder than she had imagined. “Someone’s been run over by the steamroller.”
All expression left Quirk’s face. “Show me.”
Skye wanted to refuse to return to that awful scene, but she got out of the car.
While they walked, Quirk asked, “Did you recognize the victim?”
Skye had to hurry to keep up with Quirk’s fast pace. “I can’t be sure.”
Quirk shot her a puzzled look but kept moving. “Why is that?”
Growing breathless, Skye gasped, “All I could see were the boots.”
“And you called for an ambulance?” Quirk’s tone was dubious, but not harsh. “Do you really think she might be alive?”
“Probably not.” Skye didn’t meet his gaze. “But I sure wouldn’t want to be mistaken.”
At the edge of the parking lot, Quirk ordered, “Stay here.”
Skye nodded; then, feeling dizzy, she sank into a nearby pile of concrete blocks. Her view was a bit obstructed, for which she was immensely thankful. She did not want to see what was under that roller.
However, it was clear from the snatches of conversation she heard and the body language of the EMTs that the woman was dead.
There was a short discussion between Quirk and the paramedics regarding how to move the hulking machine.
When no one had any suggestions, one of the EMTs climbed up into the cab, but almost immediately got back down. “The key’s there, but I have no idea how to run the thing.”
“Okay.” Quirk grabbed the radio clipped to his shoulder and thumbed the button. “Dispatch, please locate the foreman of the construction crew working at the Hutton dairy farm and have him report to the scene.”
Quirk rejoined Skye, but instead of speaking to her, he took a cell phone from his pocket, dialed, and waited for his call to be answered before saying, “Reid, we have a body for you.”
Skye cringed. Simon Reid, her ex-boyfriend, was the county coroner, not to mention the owner of both the local funeral home and the bowling alley. Even though she’d been engaged to Wally since the end of June, Simon had been trying to win her back with extravagant measures that included offers of exotic trips, surprise champagne lunches, and serenading her dressed as a knight in shining armor. Running into him in any situation was awkward.
When Skye focused back on the present, Quirk was calling the county crime scene techs. Once he had filled them in, he radioed the Scumble River PD to see if the chief had checked in yet. Skye was relieved when she heard her mother say that Wally was on his way.
A quick glance at her watch told Skye that it was nearly five. It would take at least three-quarters of an hour, maybe more, for the techs to arrive from Laurel. The county seat, where they were based, was a good forty-five miles away from Scumble River, and the narrow secondary roads were full of twists and turns.
Taking a deep breath, Skye rose from her seat and said to Quirk, “Unless you need me for something, I’ll wait for the chief in my car.”
“Good idea,” Quirk agreed. “I’ve called in all our off-duty and part-time officers, and they’ll be keeping the perimeter intact.”
“Okay.” Skye started to walk away. “You’re sure there’s nothing I can do?”
“Positive.” The sergeant’s lips twitched. “I don’t want to get in trouble for making the chief’s fiancee catch pneumonia.”
“Yeah. Like I wasn’t soaked before you got here.” Skye rolled her eyes.
When Skye reached the Bel Air, Toby was curled up on the backseat. He barked once as she got in, so she dug a honey and oat granola bar from her purse. After he wolfed down the treat, he went back to sleep. She had checked earlier and there was no owner information on the back of his tag, but it was pretty clear that he belonged to whoever was under the steamroller.
As she waited, she dried herself off with a couple more napkins, then rooted through her tote bag until she found her brush and a scrunchie. Taking her hair from the knot on top of her head, she blotted it with the last of her napkin stash, then smoothed it into a ponytail. A dash of lip gloss and a swipe of mascara helped her feel slightly calmer, and when she leaned her head against the seat, she was able to pray for the victim’s soul.
She must have dozed, because the next thing she knew, the passenger door was being opened and Wally was sliding into the car.
He gathered her into his arms. “Darlin’, are you okay?”
“I am now.” She snuggled for a moment, then kissed his cheek and withdrew from his embrace. “I know you have questions. Go ahead.”
He released her and pointed to the backseat “Whose dog is that?” Before she could reply, Wally added, “Hold that thought. Instead tell me why you’re here.”
“Don’t you remember? I told you I was meeting Suzette after school today. I was going to let her know I would look into her mother’s death, then get some information from her.”
“I didn’t realize you were meeting her at the theater site.” Wally gestured to the barn. “What happened when you arrived?”
“Well . . .” Skye gathered her thoughts. “The first thing I noticed was that there were no cars, so I thought
