Chapter 6
Chapter Six
“Stay back,” Matthias shouted to Emma as he launched down the hill toward Fran.
In the distance, he saw all the workmen looking their way.
He slowed his pace once he stepped off the pavement to trudge the last few yards through mud that clung to his boots.
Grasping Fran by the shoulders, he forced her to look him in the eye. “Show me what you found.”
She pointed. “There. A belt buckle. With a person attached.”
“Do you have your phone with you?”
“Yes.”
“Call 911 and tell them where we are and what you found. Tell them an Erie City Police detective is at the scene.”
Fran scowled. “A detective? Where?” She looked around.
He stepped toward the hole she’d pointed at. “Right here,” he said over his shoulder. “I’m Detective Matthias Honeywell.”
“Oh.”
He noticed she wasn’t moving. “Phone,” he repeated. “Call 911.” For a second, he thought he should’ve asked Emma to do it, but Fran shook off her trance and pulled her phone from the pocket of her muddy cargo pants.
Matthias dropped to one knee next to the small hole Fran had dug.
All that was visible was a brass buckle attached to a leather belt with a glimpse of denim beneath.
With Eric missing, all Matthias could think was, Is this Emma’s friend?
Or even worse, her sister? He desperately wanted to scrape away the dirt covering the body, to find out one way or the other, but he knew better.
“Detective?”
He looked up to find Fran standing beside him, holding out her phone.
“I told them you were a cop, and they want to speak with you.”
He took the phone and identified himself.
“Detective, the caller stated she found a dead body. Can you confirm?”
“Without risking disturbing evidence, I can’t begin to identify the victim, but there’s definitely a body here.”
“Okay. Thank you. I’ll dispatch police and forensics units to your location. I apologize for needing your confirmation, but we’ve dealt with Ms. Goodwin before, only to waste resources after she dug up someone’s dog wearing a collar.”
“Understood.”
“Can I ask you to keep the scene secured until police arrive?”
“Absolutely.” He ended the call and returned the phone. Rising to his feet, he told Fran, “We need to step back onto the road and not further trample the area.” He spotted Emma approaching on the road from uphill and several of the workmen approaching from downhill.
“I need to go home,” Fran said. She looked more like she needed to find a quiet place to throw up.
He eyed her. “Didn’t you say you worked in the Emergency Room?”
“Yes, in admissions. I do the paperwork. I don’t treat patients.”
“Well, I’m afraid you have to stay here and speak with the police when they arrive.”
“But you’re the police. You know what happened. Isn’t that enough?”
“Afraid not. For one thing, I’m out of my jurisdiction. For another, they want to hear it from you, not me.”
She huffed. “Can I at least go sit in my car?”
He looked at the vehicle and pictured her climbing in and driving off. But her coloring was pale, bordering on green. The last thing he wanted was to have to call 911 again and ask for an ambulance. “Sure. Just don’t leave.”
Fran thanked him, gathered her metal detector and trowel, and shuffled off, passing Emma without another word.
Emma’s complexion was on the pale side as well. “Is it… Eric?” she asked Matthias. “Or…”
He knew she couldn’t fill in the blank with her sister’s name. “All I can see is a belt, a buckle, and denim. The buckle is utilitarian brass. Is that something Nell would wear?”
“No.” Emma swallowed. “But Eric might.”
Matthias touched her chin. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. We learned the hard way how inaccurate those are.”
She unslung her camera strap from her neck and handed him the Nikon. “Take a photo.”
“There’s not much to see. Fran didn’t dig any further when she realized what had triggered her metal detector.”
“Please.”
Grudgingly, he accepted the camera and gave her a look that asked if she was absolutely sure.
She nodded, and he headed back toward the shallow grave, cautiously following his original boot tracks.
His and Fran’s were the only prints in the mud.
Whoever had put the body here had done so before last night’s rains washed the evidence away.
Matthias zoomed in on the small area Fran had cleared and snapped a couple of photos.
While he had the camera in his hands, he shot several other images of the overall scene, same as if he was an official first responder to a homicide.
As he trudged back to Emma, he reviewed the pictures on the screen, leaving the closeup on the frame when he returned the camera.
She squinted at the thumbnail. Zoomed in.
“Well?” he asked.
“I can’t tell. I never paid much attention to Eric’s belt.”
Matthias refrained from saying, “I told you so.”
The distant wail of sirens carried on the morning air. That didn’t take long.
“What’s going on?”
He turned to face a trio of workmen. “The woman with the metal detector uncovered what may be a human body.”
One of the men’s faces paled. Another took a step toward the grave.
Matthias stopped him. “I need you to stay on the road. The police are on the way.”
The inquisitive one glared at him. “I saw you over there. I want to take a look, too.”
“I can’t let you do that. It’s a crime scene.”
“Bullshit. You can’t tell me what to do. You ain’t no cop.”
“Yes, I am. Detective Matthias Honeywell.” He wasn’t about to elaborate on which department he worked for, unless he had to.
The workman didn’t press. Nor did he question the disappearance of Matthias’s drawl. “I’m sorry, Detective. I didn’t realize.”
“Other than the woman with the metal detector, have you seen anyone else around here this morning?”
“Just you two.” He pointed from Matthias to Emma. “No one else.”
“How about yesterday?”
“Hell, we had a full crew yesterday. Earth movers. Carpenters. All the trades. Of course, most of those were working around the units we’re currently constructing.” He looked toward the trio of houses. “Since you won’t let me snoop, we have to get back to work.”
Matthias got their names and phone numbers before letting them go. By then, the first two police vehicles had arrived. He waved his arms in their direction, and both marked SUVs rolled his way.
He looked at Emma, still where he’d left her, her camera once again hanging from her neck.
Her arms were crossed, hugging herself. As the local police approached, Matthias returned to Emma’s side and wrapped her in his embrace.
She felt as fragile as bone china. “I’ve got you,” he whispered against her cheek. “No matter what, I’ve got you.”
* * *
For the next hour, Emma leaned on the bumper of Fran’s car and watched the action at the grave. She’d asked Fran if she was all right. Fran had responded with little more than a grunt and chosen to stay seated inside the vehicle. Emma surmised she hadn’t dug up a dead body before.
Besides the initial two police vehicles—one state police, one Mt. Pleasant Township—two more state troopers, an unmarked sedan, and the county coroner’s vehicle now lined the paved road.
Emma wondered if whoever bought that lot would know about the crime that had happened on it. Would they get a discounted price?
Matthias had been deep in conversation with the officers, but she watched him break away from the group and stroll up the hill in her direction. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m okay. What’s going on?” she asked, not sure she wanted to know.
“They’re about to start uncovering the remains now that the criminal investigators and the coroner are on the scene. They’ve asked us to stick around.” He glanced toward the rear window of the car. “Fran, too.”
“I figured as much.”
Below, the level of movement around the grave intensified. “I’m going back down there,” Matthias said. “I’ll keep you posted.” He started to turn but stopped. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Not really. Not until I know who’s buried in that hole.”
“I’ll let you know as soon as I do.”
Emma watched his retreat. If she had to go through losing her best friend, she was glad to have Matthias to lean on.
Minutes of activity gave way to complete stillness, with the cops and coroner staring at the hole they’d dug.
Matthias would find out if it was Eric and let Emma know very soon.
She closed her eyes, picturing Eric the last time she’d seen him on a video call a couple weeks ago, and before that, in person, when he’d been in Erie with her.
When they’d both believed Nell was dead.
Eric had been their best friend… hers and Nell’s.
He’d been their protector back in high school.
Emma had returned the favor when the school bullies got wind that he was gay.
They’d always protected and supported each other—through family tragedies, through failed relationships, through financial difficulties.
Emma didn’t know what she’d do if the body in the grave was his.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket just as she saw Matthias striding up the hill again. She considered ignoring the call but tugged the phone free and checked the screen.
Eric’s face and number lit it.
She inhaled sharply, brushed tears from her eyes, and answered.
“I got your note,” came Eric’s voice over the speaker. “Where are you?”
Matthias stopped in front of her, his face unreadable. “It’s not Eric.”
“I know.” She pointed to the phone in her hand. “He just called.”
“What?” Eric asked. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll tell you in a second,” she replied, her knees weak. She looked at Matthias, sensing he had more news. She was right.
He fixed her with his stoic cop stare. “It’s Sonny Jones.”