Between the Living and the Dead Read Online Free PDF Page B

the EMTs were gone.
    â€œWhat’s creepy?” Rhodes asked.
    â€œThis house is supposed to be haunted, and a man was killed here tonight. Do you think there’ll be another ghost to keep the first one company?”
    â€œI don’t even think there was a first one,” Rhodes said.
    â€œMaybe not,” Ruth said. “What do we do now?”
    â€œI’m going to call the jail and tell Hack to get in touch with the sheriff’s office over in Railville and let somebody there get in touch with Foshee’s next of kin. You’re going to stay here and look around for clues.”
    â€œIt’s a little dark for that.”
    â€œYou don’t have to look too hard. Mainly I want you here in case somebody decides to come back and check what happened.”
    â€œWhat about the trash in the kitchen?”
    â€œWhen you finish your shift, put up some tape. I’ll get someone to go through it tomorrow. For now, concentrate on this room.”
    â€œWhat about ghosts?”
    â€œI wouldn’t worry about them.”
    â€œOkay. It’s not them I’m worried about anyway,” Ruth said.
    â€œWhat are you worried about, then?”
    â€œMice.”
    Rhodes wished he hadn’t flinched at the mouse. “I think you can handle the mice.”
    â€œWhat if they gang up on me?” Ruth asked.
    â€œMaybe it’s Hack you’ve been hanging around for too long,” Rhodes said. “Instead of Buddy, I mean.”
    â€œNow you’ve hurt my feelings.”
    â€œTime for me to leave, then,” Rhodes said.
    *   *   *
    When Rhodes called Hack, the dispatcher tried to pump him for information about what had happened at the Moore house, but Rhodes gave him only Foshee’s name and condition.
    â€œWho killed him?” Hack asked.
    â€œHe didn’t give us a name,” Rhodes said.
    â€œHave I mentioned that you’re gettin’ sarcastic lately?” Hack asked. “’Cause if I haven’t, I should’ve. You need to watch that. It’s not like you. You ever get yourself checked out for that low T problem?”
    â€œI don’t have a low T problem.”
    â€œHow do you know you don’t if you ain’t been checked out?’
    â€œI just know. My problem is that somebody woke me up from my good night’s sleep.”
    â€œNot my fault people go and get killed when you’re asleep. You oughtn’t take it out on me.”
    â€œYou’re right,” Rhodes said, tiring of the argument. “When Andy Shelby comes in this morning, tell him to get out to the Moore house. Ruth will fill him in, and he can finish working the crime scene.”
    â€œYes, sir. Anything else you want me to do while I’m at it?”
    â€œWhen Buddy comes in tomorrow, you have him look for Earl and Louie Foshee. They should be easy enough to find. We probably have their address there in the office. We need to ask them some questions.”
    â€œYes, sir. Anything else?”
    â€œNeil Foshee was living in Railville, so call the sheriff over in Bates County and tell him what’s happened. If there’s a next of kin there, he’ll know, and he can do the notification.”
    â€œYou want me to wake up the sheriff in the next county?”
    â€œWouldn’t be a good idea. He’s not as easygoing as I am. He might come over here and shoot you.”
    â€œThis ain’t his jurisdiction.”
    â€œNever mind,” Rhodes said. Nobody ever got his sarcasm. “Don’t call the sheriff. Just call the department.”
    â€œOkay. What else?”
    â€œJust don’t wake me up again,” Rhodes said.
    â€œI promise not to,” Hack said. “Not tonight, anyway.”
    â€œIt’s morning already,” Rhodes said.
    â€œThere you go, then,” Hack said.
    *   *   *
    Driving home, Rhodes considered what might have happened to Neil Foshee.