Dig

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

  Thomas bled

  Sandy Rollins and Robyn had a conversation about little things while the phone continued to ring off the hook. They talked about children and how much Kelly had grown up and was so responsible. Sandy spoke about her children and how proud she was of her five grandbabies. They talked about everything except what was going on outside of that building and the fact that Rusty was in jail. Sandy broke the silence first.

  “Greg?” Sandy shouted toward the back, excusing herself from the conversation. She looked at Robyn and apologized. “I’m sorry. He needs to come look at all of these complaints. I have the other officers out on calls and the Chief is at the Mayor’s house for dinner. Traffic is backed up in all directions and no one can get where they need to get. My, oh my, what a mess.”

  “It is,” Robyn said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve never even heard of anything like this. We were just in the reunion like the world wasn’t on fire.”

  “I’m sure it will smooth over,” Sandy said.

  “What do you think it is? Full moon?” Robyn said.

  “Tourists coming in early for the 4th?” Sandy said.

  The two ladies chuckled nervously and Sandy came from behind the counter and sat next to Robyn on the bench. She held Robyn’s hands in her own and smiled. Robyn smiled back. She said, “I don’t know. Greg was so, violent getting us over here. I’ve never known him to be this way.”

  Sandy nodded. “He had to clean up two murders and two suicides this weekend. He’s not in his head right now.”

  “So horrible. Wait, two murders?”

  “Yes ma’am. Jean Kepler shot Top in their kitchen. Horrible business.”

  “My sweet Jesus,” Robyn said.

  “I know, dear. It’s like the end of days.”

  There was a quiet moment of thought and then Robyn said, “Did you say something about skeletons earlier?” She’d seen one on the drive over. She’d swear to it if it wouldn’t make her sound crazy. It was standing—no—walking between two houses. She didn’t want to call it a skeleton. It had to be a costume or a trick of the light, but it looked just like something from a haunted house or a video game and Robyn wondered if Greg or Rusty had seen them. If they had, they didn’t say.

  “Some crazy woman called in here talking about an attack. Said skeletons were coming in through her windows. I tell you, drugs are a terrible thing.”

  “Yeah,” Robyn said. But she wasn’t taking drugs. She’d taken drugs in her youth and never remembered seeing walking dead things.

  “There was something in her voice, though. If it was a hallucination, she believed it. It gave me the chills. I prayed on my bible after that call. I keep it over there in the drawer whenever I come to work. A lot of the people we deal with need Jesus and so I pray for them. All of them.”

  Robyn stared out the front window.

  “Are you all right, dear?” Sandy said. “Do you want some coffee or some water or something?”

  “I’m fine. Although, I had a bit to drink at the reunion. Maybe some water would be good.”

  Sandy smiled and walked away from the counter, disappeared into another room and then came back with a bottle of water and a fresh mug of coffee. “You can have both.”

  “Thank you,” Robyn said and opened the water bottle.

  The phone lit up again. “Pardon me,” Sandy said. She answered it and listened.

  “Yes,” she said. “Yes.” A pause. “That’s awful.” Another pause. Robyn took another drink from her water bottle, and then picked up the coffee. “Yes, I know her. She’s sitting right here in front of me,” Sandy said. Her expression was distraught and she looked at Robyn with sad eyes. She placed the handset back in the cradle.

  “What is it?” Robyn said.

  Sandy covered her mouth with one hand and shook her head.

  “I’m sitting in front of you. Who was that? What does it have to do with me? Is it Kelly? Is something wrong with Kelly?” Her voice had begun to shake and she grew more and more agitated as she spoke. Sandy only shook her head.

  “Sandy, tell me!”

  “It’s your momma, hon.”

  Robyn’s breath caught in her throat. “Momma?”

  “Yes.”

  “What about her?” Robyn said.

  “They just found her.”

  “Found her? Found her where? Was she missing?”

  “She…washed up on shore a few miles down the coast. She’s drowned, sweet Jesus. Sweetie, I’m so sorry to be the one to tell…”

  “I have to get home. No, I have to get to Kelly. Are you sure it’s her? Did they say it was her?”

  “They found her purse on her. The strap was wrapped around her neck. My sweet Jesus, I’m so sorry, Robyn.”

  Robyn was standing, trying to maintain. She was concerned about Rusty, but this was her mother. Kelly would be devastated. Robyn was devastated.

  “I-I have to go. Tell Rusty I’ll be back after I sort this out. There has to be some mistake.”

  “Can I get you a ride? Call you a taxi?” Sandy called after her. “Not that they could get here in this mess.”

  Robyn was out the door and gone and the phone was still ringing and blinking. Line after line after line. “Smithville Police?” Sandy said, picking up the receiver.