“The sheriff sounded pretty sure on TV,” the second boy said. “Andwhat are you doing out of uniform, anyway?”
The first boy demanded, “What are you going to do, arrest us?”
Obviously flustered, Baldry stammered incoherently.
Sheriff Wightman leaned out his window and called out to thegroup.
“What’s going on here, boys?”
Baldry and the boys all turned and looked at him. None of themseemed to have noticed his arrival until just now. The boys seemed a bitchastened to see the sheriff. Baldry looked relieved.
Baldry said, “Just dealing with some ornery kids who are out andaround when they’re not supposed to be.”
“Is that right?” Wightman said with a smile. “Maybe they gotlost. Maybe they don’t know their way back to their houses. They don’t lookawfully bright to me. Hey, guys, there’s room for three more in my car. I cangive you a lift somewhere.”
Then with a chuckle he added, “If you don’t know your way home, I’dbe happy to drive you down to the station. We’ve got some nice clean cellswhere you can spend the night. You’ll be perfectly comfortable.”
The boys shuffled their feet and grumbled.
“It’s OK,” one said. “We’ll head on home.”
As the boys walked away, Baldry came over to the sheriff’s openwindow.
He said, “What do you want to bet I run into them again beforethe night is over?”
“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Wightman said with a sigh.
He’d been patrolling ever since the curfew had gone into effect,and he’d seen kids of all ages wandering about—little kids in cute costumes,and mischievous teenagers just out to make trouble. Maybe there weren’t as manyas he’d have expected without a curfew, but way too many for his liking.
He’d also seen his cops trying frantically to get them off thestreets.
“Some curfew,” Wightman said.
“Yeah, and some dragnet,” Baldry said. “Not working out quitelike you planned, is it? Me and the guys are supposed to be watching out forthe killer. But now we’re spending the whole evening watching out forstragglers and trying to round them up and send them home.”
“Any other news?” Wightman asked.
“Yeah, a couple of the kids I talked to mentioned the ‘Goatman’in joking kind of way. So I guess the word is out about the killer’s supposedidentity.”
Wightman stifled a growl of dismay. He’d known all along that thepublic was going to get wind of the “Goatman” angle sooner or later. It hadonly been a matter of time.
But I’d sure like to get my hands on whoever leaked it.
Wightman felt like apologizing to Baldry for how things wereturning out. But admitting his own role in what was starting to seem like ahuge miscalculation would hardly boost anyone’s morale.
Instead he shook his head and said, “Just keep doing your best,you and the rest of the guys.”
“We’ll do that, sir,” Baldry said.
Wightman rolled his window back up and watched as Baldry startedto walk away. But the younger cop didn’t get very far before he ran into agroup of five costumed kids. None of them looked more than ten years old.Wightman growled under his breath. As far as he was concerned, that bunch wastoo little to be out this late without any parents even on an ordinaryHalloween.
And this is no ordinary Halloween.
If Agent Paige was right, a killer was also prowling the streetsright now and everyone else out here could be in danger. This Goatman characterdidn’t seem to be after a specific type and he hadn’t struck in any consistentlocation. They had no idea how he chose his marks.
Wightman watched as Baldry successfully herded the new group ofyoungsters away—toward their homes, he hoped. He thought he might as wellcontinue on his way, but as he reached out to put his car in gear, his cell phonebuzzed. He saw that the call was from Agent Paige.
She said, “I just wanted you to know I’m following a hunch thatwill take me out to the Gracefield Cemetery.”
Wightman suppressed a sigh.
“I hope you’re not going to ask me to send any more cops there.Because I don’t have anybody to spare.”
“No, it might be just as well if you don’t,” Agent Paige said. “Iwant to stay as inconspicuous as possible.”
“Good luck,” Wightman said.
As soon as the call ended, he was surprised to get anothercall—this one from Agent Ann Marie Esmer.
What the hell …?
The last time he had seen Esmer was earlier that day at thepolice station, the moment before she had oddly disappeared.
Wightman remembered Agent Paige’s cryptic comment when she’d comeinto the conference room alone.
“Agent Esmer won’t be joining us.”
Because of the expression on Paige’s face, he hadn’t asked anyquestions. He’d assumed right then and there that Riley and her young partnerhad had some kind of falling out, which had made him distinctly uneasy. He’dalso figured that whatever was going on between them was none of his business.
But he hadn’t actually expected to see Agent Esmer still on the case.Why was she calling him right now?
He took the call and said, “What’s going on, Agent Esmer?”
Esmer’s voice sounded agitated.
“I’m parked outside Pater High School. I see that the gymnasiumis all lighted up. Do you realize there’s a party going on there?”
Wightman stifled a sigh. He’d talked all this over with PrincipalCody earlier today.
He said to Esmer, “Yeah, but the party was supposed to end atcurfew.”
“Well, it’s still going on,” Esmer said. “I can see through thewindows. Most of the kids seem to have left, but a bunch are still there. I seePrincipal Cody in there too. What do you want me to do?”
Wightman thought for a moment.
Then he said, “I’ll give Principal Cody a call. It will help ifyou can stay put and keep an eye on things at the school. That will give myguys one less location to worry about. Watch who comes and goes. Make sure thekids stay safe. If you see anyone suspicious hanging around, call me for backupright away.”
“I’ll do that,” Esmer said.
Wightman ended the call and sat staring ahead.
He wasn’t happy with what he’d just heard about what was going onat the school. But he wasn’t surprised either. Neither Principal Cody noranyone in his current administration
