Page 79 of Home Is Where the Bodies Are

Sirens roar in the distance, and Michael’s eyes go wide as panic sets in. The only way out is death, either his or ours. And he knows this.

He raises the gun again, pointing it at me. But Nicole leaps forward, grabbing onto it with both hands. I follow suit, and now the three of us are grappling over the pistol. Tugging back and forth like we’re children again, fighting over our favorite toy.

The sirens grow louder and louder, slowly drowning out our grunts and curses and cries and pleas. Nothing but sirens... until the gunshot rings out.

FORTY-FIVE

NICOLE

Red and blue beams dance all through the overgrowth. A sparkling light show reflecting off the raindrops still clinging to branches and leaves. There’s lots of shouting, but it all sounds far away, like the volume has been turned down on my life. Casey stands beside me. His hand is between my shoulder blades, rubbing, massaging. He’s talking, but I can’t hear what he’s saying.

My attention is fixed on the gurney being carried across the yard by two paramedics. They load it into an ambulance.

Lucas is seated at the back of another ambulance. One paramedic is wrapping bandages around his head while another is checking his eyes with a flashlight.

“Lucas is going to be okay,” Beth says over my shoulder. For some reason her voice cuts through all the fog and registers.

“He is?” I ask.

“Yeah, but they’re going to bring him in for an MRI to make sure there’s no bleeding or swelling in the brain.”

“What about you, Beth?” Casey asks. His thick brows draw together with concern. “Did the paramedics check on you?”

“Briefly.”

“You should go to the hospital and have a doctor look you over, the both of you.” His eyes shift between Beth and me.

She’s soaking wet from the rain, covered in mud. Her skin is a mix of black and blue and dried blood clings to her face. I’m sure I look the same.

We nod and tell him we will.

With the gurney loaded, one paramedic jumps in the back and the other races around the ambulance to the driver’s seat.

“How’s Michael?” Beth asks.

Casey purses his lips as though he’s not sure if he should answer. The doors of the ambulance close with a thud. The lights flick on, and the sirens roar as it speeds up the driveway.

“They don’t know yet,” he finally lands on. “He’s lost a lot of blood and hasn’t regained consciousness. They’ll have to bring him in for emergency surgery in order to find out the extent of his injuries. Gunshots to the stomach are tricky.”

Beth and I exchange a look of fortitude. We did what we had to do. But I think it was me who fired the shot. I can’t be sure. It all happened so fast. But it all happened so slowly too. Moments that change us don’t play by the rules of time. They’re everywhere all at once.

“What are they going to do about the three graves?” Beth asks. She turns her head, looking down at the valley where dozens of cops roam the property.

“They’ll excavate the bodies, bring them in for identification, and open an investigation,” Casey explains.

“Detective Dunn,” an officer calls from the top of the hill.

“Yeah,” Casey says.

“Captain needs ya.”

Casey nods and tells us he’ll be back shortly. He joins the other officer and heads down the valley.

I tilt my head and look to Beth. “Are you okay?”

“I will be,” she says. “Thanks to you.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

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