“Maybe we better call it a night then,” she said, clinking her glass against his. “There’s a motel across the street.”
He paused with his glass almost to his lips, studying her.
For an instant, Jude saw his face darken, and she thought he might say no. Then he slammed the shot and stood, holding out his hand.
“I’ll absolve my sins tomorrow. Tonight the devil wins,” he told her.
She took his hand, the sensation buzzed up her arm and streaked through her body.
They’d be lucky to make it to the room.
Chapter 7
August 18, 1935
Sophia
“Tell the sheriff you were playing in the woods and found Rosemary in the barn,” Sophia’s mother said, meticulously cleaning the blood from Sophia’s cuticles.
Sophia’s mama had called the sheriff and told him to come right away. Then she’d gathered all her children at the kitchen table.
“But Rosemary found me,” Sophia started. “She led me to the cabin, Mama.”
Timothy sputtered and threw up his hands in exasperation.
“Aren’t you listenin’, Sophia? You can’t tell the Sheriff that or he’ll think you’re stark-ravin’ mad!”
“Tim!” Sophia’s mama gave him a stern look.
“It’s true, Mama. If Daddy were here, he’d say the same thing,” Timothy argued.
“No, he wouldn’t,” Sophia wailed, tears pouring over her cheeks. “Daddy’d believe me, and he’d want me to tell the truth.”
Grimmel watched Sophia with wide, frightened eyes, but didn’t offer his two-cents.
Sophia’s mama took her hands and examined them, sighing and shaking her head.
“Honey, we do believe you. Okay, sweet pea? But people get real scared when someone dies, especially someone young like Rosemary. We don’t want to make things worse.”
Sophia sniffled and looked at each of their faces. Timmy was looking pointedly away from her. Grimmel seemed to be fighting tears. And Sophia knew from the sag in her mama’s shoulders she was exhausted, her dogs were barkin’, and she probably wanted to lie down or take a bath.
“But mama, I don’t ever go to Earl’s cabin. It’s spooky. None of us kids do. Nobody’s gonna believe I went in there.”
“They will, Sophia. They won’t have any other choice. Okay? Let’s keep it simple. You found her body in the cabin.”
A knock sounded on the screen door and they all grew silent. Sophia’s mama stood, brushed invisible dust from her dress and strode to the door.
“Hal,” she said, smiling and opening the door wide so the sheriff could step inside.
“I‘ve been out to the woods,” he told her, shoving his hands deep in his pockets.
“And?” Sophia’s mother asked, but they already knew. After Sophia’s confession, Timothy had run to the cabin and peeked in just to be sure. He confirmed what Sophia had said.
Rosemary Bell was dead in Earl’s cabin.
“She’s passed on,” he said thickly. “Got a few officers out there lookin’ around, but I wanted a quick talk with Sophia. On her own, if I might.”
Heather shook her head.
“No, I’m sorry, Hal. You can speak with her, but I’m going to stay. She’s real shook up as I‘m sure you can imagine.”
Hal fiddled with his belt buckle, and Sophia’s eyes hovered on the revolver at his hip. It gleamed black and heavy looking. Finally, he nodded.
“Yeah, okay. Shall we?” he gestured outside, and Sophia’s mama nodded curtly.
“Come on, honey,” she told Sophia, taking her hand and pulling her from her chair.
Sophia’s legs trembled as she followed them to the dirt drive. The day was still hot, but the sun had begun its slow transition to the west. A few more hours and the stars would poke holes in the darkening sky.
“How ya doin’, Sophia?” the Sheriff asked scanning her as if searching for clues.
Sophia looked at her mama who nodded at her to answer.
“Okay,” she said.
“Can you tell me what happened?” he asked.
Again, she dared a glance at her mama, but this time Heather stayed focused on the sheriff.
Sophia swallowed the lump gathering in her throat.
“I was playing in the woods and um… looked in the cabin and um… I saw Rosemary in there.”
The sheriff nodded.
“Did you touch anything, Sophia?”
Sophia nodded, pulling at her hair until it fell out of the loose braid her mother had made.
“There was a blanket.”
“There was a blanket covering Rosemary?”
“I took it off.”
The sheriff nodded.
“Why were you in the woods, Sophia? Had you planned to meet Rosemary there?”
Sophia shook her head.
“I was just looking for salamanders under logs.”
“And you figured there’d be salamanders in the cabin?” the Sheriff asked skeptically.
Sophia felt sweat gathering beneath her arms. She wanted to pull off her dress and wade into the pond or the stream. She wanted to wipe off the gritty feeling in her hair.
“No, I was following a deer trail and then-”
“And then she saw the cabin and peeked inside,” her mama finished. “Sheriff, she’s clearly upset. I don’t think this is the best…”
But he interrupted her.
“It is the best time, Heather. Sophia found Rosemary’s body, and I‘m sure you can gather from what she told you that Rosemary didn’t slip and fall out there. Someone murdered her. That means a murderer killed a little girl not a half a mile from your property. I’m sure you understand the urgency.”
Sophia’s mother had gasped at the word murdered and she clutched Sophia’s shoulder so hard it hurt.
“I… I guess,” she stammered. “Of course, yes, go ahead.”
“Did you see anyone walking in the woods, Sophia?”
“Just Rosemary,” she whispered.
The sheriff lifted an eyebrow.
“You saw Rosemary walking in the woods?”
Sophia looked at her mama, alarmed, and then shook her head.
“In the cabin. I just saw her in the cabin.”
The sheriff cocked his head to the side, but didn’t probe further.
“You didn’t hear anything? Someone running away? Anything like that?”
Sophia shook her head.
“You were friends? You and Rosemary?”
Sophia shrugged.
“We haven’t played this summer, but last summer we went swimming together sometimes.”
“At the pond in the woods?”
Sophia nodded.
“But not this time? You weren’t meeting her out there?”
Sophia shook her head, reaching for her mother’s hand. It was as sweaty as her own.
“Did you ever know Rosemary to play in the woods alone?” he asked.
Sophia wrinkled her brow, considering. She hadn’t ever thought about it. Didn’t everyone play in the woods alone?
“I do, so she probably did too, right?” she looked at her mama who nodded.
“Most kids who live near woods play in them, Hal. You know that as well as I do. Rosemary wasn’t a tom boy like this one here,” she nudged Sophia. “But she liked to play like the rest of them. Maybe she was picking flowers out there. Or berries. The raspberries are in season…” she trailed off.
“Yeah. Her mama said somethin’ like that. But she’s wandered a long way off gettin’ to Earl’s cabin. That’s a good three miles from her place.”
“Maybe she didn’t walk there…” Sophia’s mother said, but couldn’t seem to finish the statement.