“Jill, you’re not making sense.”
“I know. Let me think out loud.” I stand again, walking to the fireplace, then turning and walking to the hallway near the bedrooms. Each trek is seven steps. I continue moving as I try to put the pieces I know into place. It’s like a puzzle that comes without a picture of the final product. It’s difficult to know if the piece that fits is the correct one.
I begin again, “I’m trying to be objective here. The thing is that Coach Gilbert’s death brought many outsiders to Blue Gil. His funeral was on Friday. It was so well attended that they had to use the high school gymnasium.”Craig would say he fooled them all.Keith’s strange commentary came and went. “Complete football teams came from all around the division. Many graduatedplayers. I heard about some from Blue Gil, but honestly, there could have been others from neighboring schools too. On Saturday night, there was a party attended by many people under twenty-one.”
“A party? To celebrate the coach’s life?” she asks. “Is that the incident you mentioned, a big underage party?”
“No. And the party wasn’t officially for Craig, not like a wake. More than likely, the coach was the excuse to get wasted. Blue Gil has a lot of land, especially before fields are planted. Underage parties aren’t a new thing. Hell, I bet my parents went to them. Anyway, this party was bigger than normal due to the visitors. My sister is a senior and invited me.”
“Did you go?”
“No.”
Echo exhales. “While if you had, you might know more, I think you made a wise decision. We don’t want you arrested.”
I continue, “The incident is that two girls who attended the party didn’t make it home. They were missing.”
“High school seniors, they are probably out with guys.”
It’s a plausible assumption. “Senior boys are all accounted for and all deny the theory. No one could find them. First thing yesterday morning, the sheriff’s department organized a search.” I take a breath. “The connection to Craig’s death? That’s one if I were looking. The town thinks the sheriff messed up the search for the coach. This time, the department didn’t wait. And as itturned out, a good chunk of the townspeople came to help. Thankfully, my sister was found.”
“Wait, shit, Jill. Your sister? Your sister was one of them. What the hell?”
“Yeah, it’s been a nightmare.”
“I’m glad to hear that she is found. Is she all right?”
This time I fall back on the soft sofa. “Echo” —tears come to my eyes— “I’m not supposed to repeat this.” My usually sure voice cracks.
“Jill.” Echo’s tone has morphed also. “What happened?”
“This is between you and me.” I don’t wait for her to answer. “Julie was found locked in an old garden shed. She was unconscious, bitten by mice and insects, and left in her own vomit and waste.”
“Oh, Jill.”
“She had drugs in her system, the usual suspects: alcohol, marijuana, and also cocaine.”
“You said she was locked in?” Echo asks.
“Yes, by a padlock, on the outside.”
“Holy shit, motherfucker.” Echo has always used colorful language. “Do you think your sister willingly ingested the substances or she was unknowingly drugged?”
My head shakes. “I don’t know. That isn’t all.”
“Oh dear Lord.”
I say it fast, as if it lessens the meaning. “She was also assaulted.”
“Raped?”
“Sexually assaulted with garden tools.”
“Son of a bitch.”
“So,” I say, “I hope you can see why I can’t leave.”
“Any suspects with your sister?”
