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“Might be. We have them around here.”
“No. It won’t. We aren’t in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.”
“No.” I couldn’t help myself and added, smiling, as I strapped on the sheath and adjusted the knife, “It’s Iowa.”
“Your sense of humor might get you killed one day, by me. Let’s go.”
Though there were scuff marks in the dirt, and the ground was torn up badly in a few places, no other evidence remained of the fight. A fresh breeze cooled me as I picked my way to the creek bank. Years...many years since I’d stood here.
“Breathe.” Val’s warm hand squeezed my shoulder.
“Fine.” But my brow crinkled all by itself. “I can remember, of course, but I’ve thought of this so often that it seems like this is different—the reality somehow...”
Water ran over the rounded stones in the riverbed, playing a soft music.
“It’s good, I guess.” Now that I’d confronted my past, it had lost some of the power it held. “Maybe I can lay this to rest. The place smells like home.” Then I added softly, “I won’t forget you though, Yvaine.”
Damn, now tears threatened? My eyes stung but I sniffed, pressed on my nose, and managed to keep them inside. What if this was it? If none of the letters had more clues? This seemed a nowhere place for more clues. I’d been so sure this was the right place to start... “I want to check up there again, now that it’s light, and I’m thinking I might pay the farmhouse a visit. Find out why the farm’s so neglected?”
He studied my face, and I felt him weighing what he wanted to say. This was not his quest. This was his chance to press his agenda.
Then he surprised me. “Sure. We can do all that. Get it out of your system.”
We picked our way back up toward the tree, and I told myself I’d give him a day or two, help him if I could. It was only fair. There, that decision gave me some added peace. On those last few steps, my mind flowed with a promise of serenity I thought I’d never achieve.
It wasn’t until we were a few yards from the tree and the main tangle of roots, that I noticed something odd, high on the trunk—where you’d need a ladder to reach.
It was a heart. Carved in the tree was a heart, broken in the middle.
If someone had slipped the knife between my ribs, this moment would not have felt worse. I’d lied to myself. One fucking big pat on the back because I’d done something I’d been avoiding for years. Coming here wasn’t the end. Killinghimwas the end. I was a fool for thinking any differently.
Shaking my head, I looked down, and when I saw it, all I could do was make that broken sound. This patch of earth was packed differently.
Looser.
Someone had turned it over recently.
Still in pain, I looked to Val for answers, and when I saw his face, I knew he had already seen the makeshift grave. And Iknewwhat he was thinking.
Because I was thinking the same thing.
I fell to my knees and tore at the earth. I would have fought him if he’d tried to stop me.
Bones.
I gagged, my body spasming in rejection even as I pulled the evidence free.
“This hadn’t been a human when the bones were buried.” He said it softly as if it would give me comfort.
As if there was mercy in someone dying and rotting to nothing.
“We should inform the police.”
Val’s voice startled me. At some point he’d left and brought back a tire lever from his car.
I resisted as he moved me slightly to the side and carefully pared away more earth to be sure these were human remains.
“They won’t care. Yvaine is a nobody. I need to know, Val. Please?”
