Page 55 of Deeper Than the Dead

“Who wasn’t she involved with?” he snapped. “I’m surprised some of the wives hadn’t gotten together and skinned her alive. She screwed around with husbands and single men alike. Whore.” He mumbled the last.

Vera was so grateful Luna wasn’t here. She’d never heard her father speak like this about Sheree. Right now was not a good time for him to start.

“But at the time of her disappearance,” he went on, “I had reason to believe she’d gone back to Garth Rimmey. But really, who knows? I told all this to Walt.”

“Any husbands in particular that you recall?” Bent asked.

Vera closed her eyes at the reality that Bent was digging for suspects to go after. The investigative analyst in her wanted to tell him not to waste his time.

But the sister in her wouldn’t allow her to do so. She had to protect Eve.

“Burt Roberson over at the market,” he said. “Clive Todd at the bank.” He made a disgusted sound. “Take your pick. If they had money or any sort of authority around town, they were her targets. Course, it didn’t seem to matter when it came to that damned Rimmey. He was a nobody who had nothing. She never could fully break ties with him.”

“Daddy,” Vera countered, “I’ve never heard you say things like this about Sheree before. Are you sure this is all true?” It was. She knew it was. But casting doubt in Bent’s mind was important.

“Believe me, Vee. I know the things she did. If I hadn’t been a fool, I would have killed her myself well before someone else did. But I had you girls to think about.”

Vera shrank into herself. Maybe it was better if she said nothing.

“Did you and Sheree argue frequently?” Bent asked.

“After Luna was born, that’s all we did was argue.”

Vera desperately wished her father would go back to that place where he couldn’t remember. At least for the next few minutes.

“Did the two of you ever go to that cave about a mile behind the barn? The one that you have to get down on all fours to go into?”

Vera froze. She had no idea what her father would say in answer to that one. How many times had he raised hell with her and Eve about playing in that cave?

Rather than answer Bent, he turned to Vera. “I told you and your sister not to be going in that cave. It’s no place to play.”

Vera opened her mouth to assure him that she and Eve only went a few times, but Bent spoke first.

“The girls played there a lot?” He didn’t look at Vera as he asked this question.

“All the time.” Her daddy shook his head. “I warned them that they could get hurt in there, but it didn’t do one bit of good. Both are as hardheaded as a rock.”

“Do you recall the last time you caught them there?”

Vera’s mouth gaped. She stared at Bent, but he wouldn’t look at her.

“Not long before Sheree disappeared,” her father said. “I think they were trying to get away from her and the baby. Sheree put poor Luna off on them every chance she got. They were just kids themselves, you know.”

No matter that she was as mad as hell at Bent, Vera felt stunned that her father had been so aware of all that was going on. He’d seemed removed most of the time. Uncaring, even.

“You’re sure about the timing?” Bent asked, daring to look at her then.

Vera glared right back at him. What the hell was he up to?

“Of course I am.” Vernon tapped the side of his head. “Memory like a steel trap.”

If only, Vera mused.

“But after Sheree disappeared,” her father went on without provocation, “they knew better than to go back in there.”

“Why is that?” Bent pressed.

Vera stood. “Well, Daddy, it was good to see you, but Bent and I need to be on our way.” She glowered at him. “We have things to do.”

---