Page 82 of Deeper Than the Dead

Huntsville was just across the state line in Alabama. Vera hoped it wasn’t another reporter.

“She claims she was a friend of my mother,” Luna went on. “She wants to meet with us. She says she has information that might help with the case.”

Now there was the kind of news Vera liked to hear. Sheree never really appeared to have any female friends—at least not locally. Maybe all her friends had been in Huntsville, where the bigger nightclubs were.

“I can follow up,” Bent offered. “Make sure she’s legit before we invite her for a meeting.”

“I think that’s a very good idea,” Vera agreed.

“For sure,” Eve seconded. “Because ...”

The way her eyes rounded told Vera that she realized what she was about to say would be hurtful to Luna.

“Well,” Eve said, “a lot of women were jealous of Sheree—she was so beautiful and everything. I wouldn’t want some stranger to say something hurtful just because they were jealous.”

Luna made a sad face. “Oh, Eve.” She hugged her sister, who looked pained, as usual, at the gesture. “You are so thoughtful. Thank you. I never even thought of that.” She drew back and turned to Bent. “Her name is Teresa Russ. I’ll send you her cell phone number. I would really appreciate you checking up on who she is.”

“Be glad to,” Bent confirmed.

Teresa Russ. The name didn’t ring a bell for Vera, but if she was a friend of Sheree’s, there was one thing Vera knew for sure. She was trouble.

27

The Cave

Boyett Farm

Good Hollow Road, Fayetteville, 2:30 p.m.

Bent went first. Vera insisted. She really didn’t want to get down on all fours and stick her butt in the air while he watched.

When he was through the opening, Vera crouched down but hesitated before going inside. The path they’d taken from the house ensured the reporters hadn’t seen their arrival. There was just the uniform guarding the cave entrance nearby. The evidence collected had already been transferred to the lab. The tent was gone. Vera glanced at the deputy. She didn’t know him. He only knew her by name, she suspected. She’d been gone so long, she doubted anyone under the age of thirty-five remembered her.

Hesitating was ridiculous. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been in there before. But it had been a long time. The possibility that Bent had finally agreed to allow her on the scene only because he wanted to show her something that would prove she was keeping secrets had crossed her mind. Now she was just being paranoid.

“Get over it,” she muttered. Big breath, and she went for it. Crawled through the opening and braced for whatever would come next. Bent waited for her on the other side. He offered his hand, and she accepted the assist.

Dusting off her knees, she glanced around. The place was lit by auxiliary lights, so it didn’t look the same as the last time she was here. Back then, there had been no lights except their pathetic flashlight.

Funny how light made such a difference.

It looked like a cave. With its rock ledges and worn-smooth-by-time walls and rocky, sandy floor. When they were kids and it had been mostly dark, it had felt like a scary, evil place where all manner of unknown creatures might be lurking or hidden.

The ceiling was lower than she’d realized. Funny how it all seemed so big back then.

“Sheree was here.” He gestured to the ledge wall that ran a short distance on that side of the cave.

Vera stared at the ledge, flashes of memory slashing across her brain. Lifting Sheree’s lifeless body. Mindlessly placing rock after rock over her. Eve rushing out of the cave to find flowers. Luna feeling so heavy on Vera’s back.

She blinked the memories away. “What about the others?”

“The others were in the next cavern. The opening is over here.” He hitched his head toward the other side of the space. “This way.”

In the opposite corner, once you got down on your hands and knees, you could see another narrow tunnel passage.

He asked, “You want to have a look there too?”

Vera wasn’t looking forward to it, but it was necessary. “Might as well.”

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