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She held her hand out. “Hello, Walker. Fancy meeting you here.” He smiled and took her hand, leaning forward to give her a perfunctory buss on the cheek. “Avis. It’s been ages. What have you been up to?”
“I just got back from my second stint in rehab. What a drag.”
“Ouch.”
“Big ouch,” she replied. “How are Carolyn and the kids?”
“Good, thanks,” he said. “What’s this about? Was there an accident?”
“The police got a tip about a body buried in the woods.”
His smile faded. “You’re not serious.”
“I’m afraid so. Someone said it was a kid, but that’s as much as I’ve heard. The cops are very tight-lipped.” She removed a cigarette from a packet in her purse. “I don’t suppose you have a match.”
He patted his pockets. “No, sorry.”
She waved him off. “Just as well. I smoke too much as it is. Can you imagine? Horton Ravine and cops are digging up a corpse.”
“Unbelievable. No talk at all about what happened?”
“Nope. They brought in a cadaver-sniffing dog and once they pin-pointed the spot, they went to work. They started digging a couple of hours ago and none of them looked happy,” Avis said. “So what brings you out? Do you live around here?”
“A mile down in that direction. I was driving by when I saw the cars and I was curious. What about you?”
“ Alita Lane. They blocked off the street so now I’m stuck. Shit, and it’s the cocktail hour.”
“Did this just happen today?”
Avis shook her head. “This was something old. They sent out an intrepid girl reporter so I suppose we’ll read about it in tomorrow’s paper.”
Walker ’s attention was drawn to a surge of activity-two or three uniformed officers led by a guy who must have been the homicide detective assigned to the scene. Walker nodded toward the group. “It looks like something’s going on.”
“At long last,” she replied.
He watched the detective make a brief remark to a woman in jeans. Walker saw him place an item in her hand, though he couldn’t see what it was. A second woman zeroed in on the exchange, clearly peppering the detective with questions as he continued walking to his car.
Someone tapped Walker on the arm. “Sir?”
He turned to find a middle-aged man standing beside him, his expression anxious.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I wouldn’t advise parking there. They’ve been asking people to move on to keep the area clear. They said they’d be writing tickets if motorists didn’t cooperate.”
“Thanks, but it looks like they’re done. I’d hate to leave without knowing if they found anything.”
The man glanced over at the commotion. “Oh. I guess you’re right.” Walker could see word trickling through the crowd, those closest to the front turning to pass along what they’d heard.
Avis said, “Hang on.” She moved forward and made her way through the bystanders. She tapped a woman on the shoulder and quizzed her for news. The two chatted briefly. Avis nodded, gesturing her thanks, and then returned to Walker ’s side. “Well, that’s a relief,” she said. “Turned out to be a false alarm. The only thing they managed to dig up was a dog.”
“A dog?”
“Yeah, you know, dog, like a household pet. All this ruckus for nothing, but at least I can go home and belt back a few to catch up with myself.”
Walker reached in his pants pocket for his car keys and realized he’d left them in the ignition. “I guess I better take off as well. Nice seeing you.”
Avis said, “You, too. Behave yourself.”
He returned to his car and noticed she was watching him with interest as he slid under the wheel. He smiled again and started his car, taking care as he backed out into the road.
Driving home he kept a close rein on his thoughts. He pulled the Mercedes into the garage and waited while the garage door rumbled down and closed with a thunk. He retrieved the liquor bag from the trunk and clutched it against him as he opened the door that led into the kitchen. When he set down the bag, the bottles of Maker’s Mark and vodka made a satisfying clunk of glass on the granite countertop.
Carolyn had left a note he didn’t bother to read. She’d be reminding him of things that needed to be done or couldn’t be overlooked in her absence. “Leave the alarm system off Friday morning so Ella can come in and clean. She should be done by noon. Just make sure she hasn’t left any outside doors unlocked. Garbage goes out for pickup…” It was always like that, his wife directing events from afar.
He walked through the house, taking in the ordinary sights and smells. Carolyn had made an attempt to pick up after the kids in the minutes before they left, but it was still a house where unruly children lived-Fletcher’s cowboy boots on the stairs waiting to be taken up; Li
He opened the china cabinet and removed an old-fashioned glass that was part of a set of Swarovski crystal he’d given Carolyn for their tenth a
Glass in hand, he returned to the kitchen, opened the Maker’s Mark, and poured himself a drink. By then a delayed reaction had set in. The mobile evidence van, police on the hill. His right hand started to shake so hard, the bottle banged against the rim of the glass. Carefully, he put both the bottle and the glass on the counter and leaned stiff-armed against the sink, hanging his head. Fear welled up like bile, and for a moment he thought he’d be sick. He took a deep breath, making a conscious effort to throw off his anxiety.
He reached for the wall phone and punched in Jon’s number.
Jon picked up on his end. “Yes.”
“It’s me.”
A brief, wary silence, and then Jon said, “Well, Walker. This is unexpected. What can I do for you?”
“You heard what’s going on?”
“What would that be?”
Walker could tell Jon was sorting through papers on his desk, reminding him that whatever Walker had to say, it was of less interest than the task right in front of him. “They’re digging up the hill off Alita Lane. Cops, cadaver dog, evidence van, the works.”
The paper rustling stopped. “Really. When was this?”
“I saw them just now, on my way home from work. I pulled over and chatted with a gal I knew. She said they thought a child was buried on the hill. They dug up the dog.”
“I’m surprised it hasn’t come up before. One way or another, something was bound to surface. There was always that risk.”
“Yes, but why now? Where’s this shit coming from?”
“I have no idea. I’m sure we’ll find out in due course. Are you all right?”
“So far. It’s like waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“Don’t be paranoid. Nothing’s going to happen.”
“So you’ve said, but here it is anyway.”
“Cool it, man. Would you do that? Be cool. This won’t blow back on us. I guarantee.”
“Why after all these years?”
“No clue. The cops don’t consult with me.”
“But what could have happened?”
“ Walker, it doesn’t matter. It’s a dead end so drop it. Where’s Carolyn?”
“Up north. At her mother’s. She took the kids.”
“Until when?”