toward the water.
“What is it?” I shouted.
For what seemed like an eternity, Jesse said nothing. Then he turned back to me. “It’s a body,” he shouted back. “A woman.”
CHAPTER 15
W ithin minutes officers from Archers Rest and Morristown were crawling all over my grandmother’s home and backyard. The snow had stopped, but that made moving around only slightly easier. When I came back inside, I sat in the kitchen so I could have a clear view of the backyard. Oliver had put his tweed jacket over a chair and was doing the dishes. Eleanor worriedly brought blankets into the kitchen.
“Kennette will be cold when she comes home,” Eleanor said.
Oliver took Eleanor’s hand but said nothing. Like me, he probably didn’t know what to say.
“I’m quite fond of her,” Eleanor said. “Some people you can know your whole life and never feel close to. And others you just connect with right away.” She looked toward Oliver and he smiled.
I wanted to say something but nothing would come out. I was irrationally angry at Barney for not being Lassie. I was angry at myself for letting her go out, and I was angry at Oliver for coming over and creating this stupid dinner party.
I got up, put my coat back on, and went outside. I saw Jesse and Chief Powell down by the river but they were in no hurry. It was clear that, whoever it was, the person was well past saving. Warm tears stung as they hit my cold cheeks.
“What’s going on?”
I turned toward a vaguely familiar voice and saw a teal wool coat coming toward me. 17542.01_ADrunkardsPāth.indd 847/9/09 12:52:06 PM
I ran to her and grabbed her.
“She’s okay! She’s okay!” I shouted. “She’s okay.”
Jesse came running toward me and Eleanor and Oliver came out of the house, without their coats. Barney ran after them, jumping at Kennette and me excitedly. Kennette struggled to get away from me, and when she did, she looked at all of us as if we were nuts.
“What’s wrong?” She looked from face to face, more upset than we were.
“Where have you been?” I yelled at her.
Tears welled in her eyes. “I lost Barney and when I went looking for him, I got lost. I couldn’t see in the snow.”
That was exactly what Jesse said had happened. But it was such a simple, logical explanation that I had been unwilling to believe it.
“Where did you go?” I asked, my voice still a full octave above normal.
Kennette was looking at all the fuss around her and seemed more confused than anything. “I went into this little sheltered area down river.” She pointed away from the house.
“Why didn’t you call?” I was still yelling. I knew how irrational I sounded but I didn’t care.
“I don’t have a cell phone,” she said quietly.
“Come inside now,” Eleanor said.
Jesse took my arm. “Get inside,” he said quietly. “Get her warm. We’ll get her story, but first she needs to calm down. We all do.”
“Come with us,” I said. “Everything’s okay now.”
“We still have a dead girl in the river,” Jesse pointed out.
How weird that I had forgotten that.
“Do you know who she is?” I asked.
“Not yet.”
“Can I see her?”
Jesse shrugged and pointed toward the body, now lying on the snowy ground near the water. I walked slowly over to the spot, nearly slipping twice. When I got to the body, I turned white.
“Oh my God” was all I could get out.
“What?” Jesse grabbed me and turned me away from the body. “Do you know her?”
“What’s going on?” Powell walked over. “This is a crime scene.”
“She knows the victim,” Jesse said quietly.
I was shaking, surprised by my own reaction. Once I knew it wasn’t Kennette, I had expected the woman to be a stranger.
“Let’s get back to the house,” Jesse whispered to me.
I nodded and Jesse pressed me against his chest and led me back to the house. Powell followed, barking orders at the other officers as he went.
Once inside I sat at the kitchen
“What is it?” I shouted.
For what seemed like an eternity, Jesse said nothing. Then he turned back to me. “It’s a body,” he shouted back. “A woman.”
CHAPTER 15
W ithin minutes officers from Archers Rest and Morristown were crawling all over my grandmother’s home and backyard. The snow had stopped, but that made moving around only slightly easier. When I came back inside, I sat in the kitchen so I could have a clear view of the backyard. Oliver had put his tweed jacket over a chair and was doing the dishes. Eleanor worriedly brought blankets into the kitchen.
“Kennette will be cold when she comes home,” Eleanor said.
Oliver took Eleanor’s hand but said nothing. Like me, he probably didn’t know what to say.
“I’m quite fond of her,” Eleanor said. “Some people you can know your whole life and never feel close to. And others you just connect with right away.” She looked toward Oliver and he smiled.
I wanted to say something but nothing would come out. I was irrationally angry at Barney for not being Lassie. I was angry at myself for letting her go out, and I was angry at Oliver for coming over and creating this stupid dinner party.
I got up, put my coat back on, and went outside. I saw Jesse and Chief Powell down by the river but they were in no hurry. It was clear that, whoever it was, the person was well past saving. Warm tears stung as they hit my cold cheeks.
“What’s going on?”
I turned toward a vaguely familiar voice and saw a teal wool coat coming toward me. 17542.01_ADrunkardsPāth.indd 847/9/09 12:52:06 PM
I ran to her and grabbed her.
“She’s okay! She’s okay!” I shouted. “She’s okay.”
Jesse came running toward me and Eleanor and Oliver came out of the house, without their coats. Barney ran after them, jumping at Kennette and me excitedly. Kennette struggled to get away from me, and when she did, she looked at all of us as if we were nuts.
“What’s wrong?” She looked from face to face, more upset than we were.
“Where have you been?” I yelled at her.
Tears welled in her eyes. “I lost Barney and when I went looking for him, I got lost. I couldn’t see in the snow.”
That was exactly what Jesse said had happened. But it was such a simple, logical explanation that I had been unwilling to believe it.
“Where did you go?” I asked, my voice still a full octave above normal.
Kennette was looking at all the fuss around her and seemed more confused than anything. “I went into this little sheltered area down river.” She pointed away from the house.
“Why didn’t you call?” I was still yelling. I knew how irrational I sounded but I didn’t care.
“I don’t have a cell phone,” she said quietly.
“Come inside now,” Eleanor said.
Jesse took my arm. “Get inside,” he said quietly. “Get her warm. We’ll get her story, but first she needs to calm down. We all do.”
“Come with us,” I said. “Everything’s okay now.”
“We still have a dead girl in the river,” Jesse pointed out.
How weird that I had forgotten that.
“Do you know who she is?” I asked.
“Not yet.”
“Can I see her?”
Jesse shrugged and pointed toward the body, now lying on the snowy ground near the water. I walked slowly over to the spot, nearly slipping twice. When I got to the body, I turned white.
“Oh my God” was all I could get out.
“What?” Jesse grabbed me and turned me away from the body. “Do you know her?”
“What’s going on?” Powell walked over. “This is a crime scene.”
“She knows the victim,” Jesse said quietly.
I was shaking, surprised by my own reaction. Once I knew it wasn’t Kennette, I had expected the woman to be a stranger.
“Let’s get back to the house,” Jesse whispered to me.
I nodded and Jesse pressed me against his chest and led me back to the house. Powell followed, barking orders at the other officers as he went.
Once inside I sat at the kitchen
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