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  Chapter 14

  I felt like a log.

  By the time I woke up the next morning, every muscle ached and my nose had started running. I sneezed four times on the way to the bathroom, and only faintly realized I had slept at my parent's house.

  Mom had breakfast cooking when I came out, and she waved me into a chair, while shaking her head. "You can't possibly go to Apple Days today --"

  "I am going," I wrapped my hands around a cup of chamomile tea. "I want to wear the dress!"

  "Ginger --"

  "I am going."

  Her eyebrows rose at my tone, but then she smiled. "Good. Well, since all you're going to do is lie around all day playing Snow White, I suppose it won't be any worse than being here."

  I didn't tell her, but she had probably figured out, the truth. I didn't want to be here by myself. I had finally gotten a case of jitters, thinking back on all that had happened since yesterday morning. Better to have the willies now rather than out there in the woods. We'd gotten through the trouble, Derrick and I.

  I pulled on an old pair of jeans and one of mom's bulky sweaters, intending to sit around and do nothing for a couple hours before we had to go to the Apple Days celebration. Miller showed up and sat down with a cup of coffee and blueberry muffin. He asked me again about the night before, and I repeated pretty much everything I'd said on the ride back from Loma. He took notes and nodded a few times, but since he started on his third muffin I had begun to suspect an ulterior motive for coming by.

  "I'm heading over to Loma this morning to help finish up the paperwork and get everyone ready to ship down to the state capital this afternoon. Since they'd pulled these crimes in so many different counties, we're all waving our jurisdiction and handing them over to state people." He sipped his coffee and frowned a little. "They arrested Markie and Sally last night, too. The kids are in state care."

  "Markie and Sally?" I said, startled.

  "The trailers are full of stolen goods -- they'd been robbing houses, too. The kids knew where the stuff had come from, so no one believes Markie and Sally didn't know as well. Sally told us Reba and Shep were in on the robberies too. Damn mess."

  I stared, stunned by the last bit of information. Reba had always been opportunistic, at the very least -- but I hadn't ever thought she'd be stupid enough to get caught up in trouble along with the Westons.

  "Any word on Derrick?" I asked, and ignored my mother's smirk.

  "He seems to be fine," Miller said. "I'm going to get a statement from him when I'm over in Loma."

  "He really is a cop?"

  "Oh yes." He nodded several times. "I didn't believe him at first. Chief Abbot talked to his boss this morning. I guess the man is not at all pleased to hear Derrick's been out chasing down crooks and getting himself back into the hospital. Seems he's supposed to be taking time off to recover. He rammed his car into the side of another one driven by a man who was trying to run down his wife and child. Saved their lives."

  Mom nodded, not in the least bit surprised. I smiled.

  Miller left and I sipped more tea and thought about all the expectations we had in people. I never liked Reba, but I didn't think she was stupid -- well not entirely stupid. I still felt sorry for Markie.

  By the time Miller left, I had to get ready for Apple Days, and get back to the real world.

  Well, as much of the real world as you can get dressing up like a princess.