He spoke to two deputies, who immediately walked toward Jimmy. 'Follow me," Jimmy directed unnecessarily and he took off on his bike.
Beth twisted her hands together. "Lily, what can I do? Bring you some tea or lemonade? It's getting hot and you look like death. Oh!" Distress flashed across her face. "I didn't mean that. You look lovely. Both you and Tamara are such pretty girls. She came over yesterday and she was positively glowing. Oh! I can't say anything right!" A tear ran down Beth's right cheek. "I'm sorry. I just can't believe this. She was so kind. I'm so busy with the other kids. Jimmy was always dropping in on her. She gave him lemonade and cookies and talked to him and never complained about him being a pest. I think he had a crush on her. Oh, this is awful!"
Lily said gently, "Why don't you go home and help Jimmy find that chain saw, Beth? Natalie's with me and Dad will be here soon."
Natalie saw emotions tugging behind the woman's distressed eyes. She wanted to be of service, but she also wanted to escape the terrible scene. The latter desire won. "Well, if you're sure."
"I am. Thank you, Beth."
The woman turned and nearly ran down the dirt lane toward the street. Lily shook her head. "Tam really liked Beth. And she thought Beth was so lucky-she has four kids. Jimmy is the oldest. Tam wanted children so much." Suddenly she moaned and buried her head in her hands. "I was devastated when Mom died. Now I'm glad she's gone. This would have hurt her so deeply she would never have recovered. Dad is stronger."
Men returned with the chain saw. Jimmy was in hot pursuit, but they stopped him before he could get near the site of Tamara's body. He stood, balancing his bicycle beside him, watching the activity. Someone revved up the chain saw.
Lily closed her eyes. "It's bad enough that she's dead, but to be trapped like that-" A shudder ran through her. "My sister wasn't supposed to die this way."
The roar of the chain saw ripped through the beautiful afternoon. "Watch it!" a man shouted. "You don't want to cut off her legs!" Lily leaned forward as if she were going to faint. "Please tell me this is a nightmare and I'll wake up."
"I wish I could."
"I'm not going to face it now." Lily clambered to her feet and began pacing around. "No, I'm not going to face it now. I can't."
"Lily, please sit down. You're so pale."
"I can't." She wrapped her arms around herself as she trampled aimlessly through the tall grass and weeds at the side of the dirt road. "I just don't understand. This doesn't make any sense. Tam wouldn't have stayed out in a storm…" She frowned, then bent down to pick up a piece of paper.
"What is it?" Natalie asked.
Lily looked at it for a couple of seconds and said in shock, "What in the world?"
Natalie came to her, holding out her hand. Lily gave her a piece of white paper, blistered from water damage. On it was typed in blurry letters, their throat is an open tomb. The right side of the paper bore a red stain.
"It was under those leaves. Where do you suppose it came from?"
Natalie looked at the red stain, then at the site of Tam's body. Forty to fifty feet away. She knew. "It's probably nothing," she said carelessly to an already distraught Lily, tucking the note in her pocket.
"Why are you doing that?" Lily demanded. "It's wet and dirty. You think it has something to do with Tam, don't you?"
"Probably not." Natalie looked up. "Thank goodness. Here's your father."
Down the lane Oliver Peyton climbed out of a black Lexus. His silvering fair hair shone in the light, perfect as always, but as he drew closer Natalie saw that his face was almost as gray as his expensive suit. His eyes had a wide, staring quality as if he'd just seen something startling. Natalie had always thought he seemed like the coldest man she'd ever met except when it came to the girls. He'd been an adoring and indulgent parent, and Natalie had envied the twins' easy relationship with their father. It lacked all the prickliness of hers with Andrew. "Lily," Oliver called, his usually precise voice reedy and unsure.
"Dad, I'm so glad you're here."
Oliver stopped in front of her and took her shoulders firmly in his hands. "Lily, Mrs. Ebert told me you called. She said Tamara is dead. She's obviously mistaken. Now I want you to tell me calmly and clearly what is going on."
Lily gazed up at him. "Dad, it's true. Tam is dead."
"No, no, that can't be right," Oliver insisted. "Now think about what you're saying-"
"She's dead!" Lily blurted, tears spilling over her pale cheeks. "Tam is dead."
Sheriff Meredith appeared. Oliver Peyton was only about five foot ten and Meredith seemed to tower over him. "Mr. Peyton, your daughter is dead," he said quietly. "I'm very sorry."
"I want to see her."
"No, sir, you don't."
"Why?" Oliver demanded. "You don't even know if it's my daughter."
"It is, Mr. Peyton," Natalie said. "I saw her."
Oliver looked at her indignantly. "And who are you?"
"Oh, Dad, it's Natalie St. John." Lily sounded as if she were reaching the end of her endurance. "She says it's Tam and her body is not in good shape. You see, there were these vultures-"
Her voice broke. Oliver's smooth face blanched. Sheriff Meredith's eyes flashed sympathy but his manner remained businesslike as the chain saw continued its relentless grinding in the background. "Mr. Peyton, we don't know exactly how your daughter died. It looks like lightning struck a limb and it fell on her." Natalie's gaze cut to his. He paused for a couple of seconds, then went on. "Why don't you take your daughter home? We'll be here a while and then we'll take the body in for an autopsy."
Oliver and Lily winced. Natalie glared. Did this guy have to be so brutal? Lily was right-he was a jerk.
"I'm not going anywhere," Oliver announced.
"Dad, please," Lily said weakly. A sheen of perspiration covered her ashen face and her hands trembled. "I have to get away from here and I can't drive."
"Oh, darling." Oliver seemed to really see Lily for the first time. "I need to stay. Can't Natalie take you home?"
"No, Dad, I need you. I want to go to your house-our house. Please. There's nothing we can do here." She handed a set of keys to Natalie. "You can drive my car home."
Natalie nodded although she couldn't drive a four-speed. She didn't want to burden Lily with worries about the car, though. She'd leave it in Tamara's driveway and get a ride with someone.
"There's nothing you can do here," the sheriff said in a gentler tone. "Please take care of your daughter, and I'll stop by your house later with any news."
Oliver wasn't looking well himself and reluctantly he nodded. Natalie and Sheriff Meredith watched as the two trudged to the Lexus and drove slowly away. Then Meredith turned to her, pinning her with a pair of the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. "You don't think Mrs. Hunt was killed by a falling branch."
"No, I don't. I believe this stray dog was around the body last night. It has dried blood all over its neck. Sometimes dogs and wolves will stretch their necks over the neck of one of their kind or a person to protect them. I think that's what this dog did with Tamara, but as I'm sure you can see, there's no way it could have gotten in position to do so with Tam under the limb. The limb fell after Tam was down."
Meredith frowned, looked at her, looked at the dog, looked at the area where Tamara lay, then looked back at Natalie. "I never heard of dogs doing anything like that. Why?"
"Because a predator goes for the throat. The stronger one protects the weaker one's throat from attack."
"How do you know all of this?"
"I'm a veterinarian."