"I heard a pop and then Mom screamed. She must have seen the flash from the rifle, too. Right after that, the car skidded toward the ditch. I could see Dad fighting with the steering wheel, but the car shot across the highway and into the ditch on the other side. It seemed like grass was flying everywhere. Then all of a sudden Dad's door flew open and that's all I remember."
Sadie's hand covered her lips. “Oh my God. Paul shot at Richard. That's what caused the car to go off the road.” She looked at Theo. “Deputy Friborg was right. It wasn't an accident."
"Were autopsies done on the bodies?” Theo said.
"Just Richard's. But Nan didn't mention any bullet holes when she prepped their bodies. If they would have found bullet holes, it would have been considered murder. Everything I read in the newspaper indicated it was an accident. They think Richard swerved to miss a deer."
"That's what I heard them say,” Tim whispered. “I could hear people talking. I tried to talk to them, but they wouldn't listen. I tried to tell them about Mr. Brinks."
"Maybe you were already dead,” Aanders said.
Tim rolled his head to look at Aanders. “I wanted to tell them that after the car hit that tree, I heard a motor start up and drive away. Then I couldn't hear it anymore."
"You mean like another car's engine?” Theo asked.
"No. It was a four wheeler. It sounded just like the one Mr. Brinks has because it backfires a lot."
25
"You can't be serious,” Jane said, as she listened to Sadie's plan. “What if someone catches you? Wouldn't it be safer if you called the sheriff and told them about the murder?"
Sadie stared at her sister while she let her impatience settle to a simmer. “That sounds like a good idea. I'll call Carl and tell him that Tim, who is deader than a doornail, told me all about a murder. Then I'll tell him the murderer, and his best friend, are one and the same."
"I don't get it,” Mr. Bakke said.
"What do you mean you don't get it?” Sadie said. “Carl already thinks I'm loony. Telling him I've been talking to a dead boy isn't going to make things better."
Mr. Bakke folded the newspaper. “I mean about the doornail. Who ever came up with the saying doornails are dead? Or better yet, who ever thought they were alive?"
"I'm talking about murder.” Sadie turned her disbelieving gaze from Mr. Bakke to her sister. “You two make a good pair."
Theo grabbed Sadie's arm as she dug for her keys in her purse. “I'm going with you.” He spun her around. “You might get into something you can't handle."
She batted at his hand. “Why don't you say what you really mean? You don't think I'm capable of doing it myself."
"Precisely.” Theo took her by the elbow.
Jane cocked her head. “It's not that I don't think you're capable. I think it's too risky. Do you really think you'll find some evidence?"
"Don't you think Paul would have gotten rid of it?” Mr. Bakke said.
" Nan said Richard's sister isn't coming back for a few more days. I'm hoping that means no one's been in Richard's office. If there were signs of a break in, it would give Lon even more ammunition to investigate. I'm betting Paul's waiting for Richard's sister to let him in. Tim told me where his dad hid his desk key. If we can find a way to get in the house, the rest should be easy."
Jane wiped her hands on her apron. “Do you think I should go with you?"
"Theo's going with me."
"What can he do that I can't?"
"Drive the getaway car? Stay out of sight?"
"That's not funny,” Jane said. “I can help you look for whatever it is you're looking for."
"Tell her there'll be less risk if one person is seen going into Richard's house,” Theo said. “You could say you were getting some of Aanders video games. People would believe that."
"Theo's right, Jane. He says it makes more sense that you stay here. If I'm not back in an hour, you can come looking for me."
"Where's Theo sitting?” Jane said.
"He's standing by the door."
Jane and Mr. Bakke looked at the door. Jane wagged her finger. “You keep an eye on her. Don't let her do anything stupid."
Mr. Bakke tipped his head back and puckered his lips. As Sadie glared at him, he turned an imaginary key to seal his lips. “I didn't say a word. Quit giving me the evil eye."
"I know exactly what you were thinking because death coaches can read minds."
"No they can't,” Mr. Bakke said. “If that were the case, you'd have kicked me out years ago."
Theo hung on to the back of the van seat with both hands when Sadie cut the corner too close. “Don't drive so fast. You're going to attract attention.” The rear tire hit the curb and bounced hard as the van bottomed out against the pavement.
Sadie adjusted the rear view mirror. “As long as Carl doesn't see me, we'll be okay. That fool pulls me over every time he sees me driving this van. If I fart, he makes a federal case out of it."
"Vulgarity.” Theo exhaled deeply. “Don't you remember we talked about purging those words from your vocabulary?"
"Are you saying judges don't fart?"
"When and if we do, we don't talk about it."
"Didn't you ever have a chuckle over a good healthy fart?"
"Certainly not,” Theo said.
Hearing scrambling in the back of the van, Sadie looked in the rearview mirror. “What are you doing here?"
Belly made his way to the front of the vehicle, trying to keep his balance although the ruts in the road made it difficult.
"You just went through a red light,” Theo shouted, looking back at a man who gestured with his middle finger.
"I know,” Sadie said.
"You could have killed somebody."
Belly rolled onto his side and stared at Theo.
"Your dog should be kept on a leash. Then he wouldn't pester your guests or go where he's not wanted.” Theo braced his body as Sadie turned sharply causing the van to veer to the left. “Please keep your eyes on the road. That's a perfect example of why your dog should stay at home. He's distracting you."
"He's not my dog."
Holding his hands up at the futility of the conversation, Theo said, “Have you ever met any other death coaches?"
"Not really,” Sadie said. “Just the one who trained me. Why?"
"I wonder if the experience of living with another death coach would have been as unorthodox."
"Probably,” Sadie said. “You might have gotten a death coach who didn't give a rat's ass about you. Or worse yet, you wouldn't have the pleasure of my company."
"I'm truly damned then, aren't I? It's like one of those dreaded court cases-the kind where you're damned if it's assigned to you or you're damned if it isn't. There's always that need to control the outcome versus curiosity. Be glad you're not a judge."
Sadie turned the van into a narrow tree-lined drive and edged into the woods until the van was hidden by the lush greenery. She eased the door open and climbed down.
"I'd make a good judge. I've always wanted to wear one of those long robes. Just think of the things I could wear under them. Or not."
"Spare me the lurid details.” Theo grabbed the back of her shirt to stop her progress before she walked toward a clearing adjacent to the Fossums’ yard. “How do you know nobody's in there?"
"You don't see any cars in the driveway, do you?” She pushed Theo's hand out of the way. “The Fossums have neighbors on the other side of the bushes, but they have a separate driveway.” She looked back over her shoulder. “A good judge would have known that."
"I don't know the first thing about the Fossum's property, but I do know breaking and entering is against the law.” Theo watched Sadie cup her hands over her eyes and peer through the front door.
"Nobody home,” Sadie said under her breath. “I don't see any movement.” She pressed the latch on the brass handle with her thumb, but the catch didn't release.
Theo followed her around the porch to the back door. The results were the same.