for one thing. The medical examiner will make the actual determination. There are forensic tests that will give us a good idea when the mother and child died, and hopefully what they died of. With any luck, we can also get DNA samples, but we’ll need something to compare them with.”
Amy saw her mother close her eyes as if she were in pain. “Mom?”
“Sorry, dear.” Susan’s eyes fluttered open. “I just keep thinking of the poor relatives.”
She was lying again. Amy was sure of it. Her mother’s hand trembled where it rested against the table. Amy became all bristling concern.
“Mom, I think you should go upstairs and lie down.”
“Yes, perhaps I should at that.”
That response scared Amy more than anything else. What was going on?
Hepplewhite’s expression became concerned. “Can I do anything to help?”
“No, no. I’ll be fine. I just find it distressing to think of that poor woman and her child down there all this time. Was she…Do you think she was—” her mother swallowed hard “—murdered?”
Hepplewhite looked chagrined. “It’s too early to say, Mrs. Thomas. I can tell you that I didn’t see any obvious signs of trauma. I had a preliminary glance around before the truck slipped gears and Lee and I had to scramble for our lives, but forensics isn’t really my field.”
“Is that what happened with the truck?” Amy demanded, still trying to divert his attention from her mother. “It slipped out of gear?”
“It’s one theory,” he confirmed. “Did you see anyone around the truck before it began moving?”
“Your officer asked us that yesterday. The answer is still no. We’d just gotten there. The truck was behind us.”
“Yes. You were almost directly in its path,” he said neutrally.
“That’s right. Jake threw us to the ground just in time.” She saw her mother shudder. Apparently so did Chief Hepplewhite.
“I’m sorry again.”
Susan put a hand to her chest. “You have a job to do. I understand, John. But I think…I wonder if you’d excuse me? I’m not feeling well right now.”
“Mom?” Amy was on her feet instantly, but her mother waved her off.
“I just need to go up and rest for a few moments. If you’ll both excuse me.”
“I am sorry,” Hepplewhite apologized sincerely. “I didn’t mean—”
“It’s not your fault.” Susan patted his arm. “I seem to have a weak stomach for this sort of thing. I promise, if I think of anything that would help, I’ll let you know. Please stay and finish your iced tea.”
Amy stared uncertainly after her mother, torn between a desire to go after her and the need to stay with their uninvited guest and get some answers of her own.
Fear churned her stomach. Why was her mother lying to the police? What could she possibly know or suspect about the bodies in an abandoned root cellar?
“I didn’t mean to distress your mother,” the police chief said kindly.
“Mom hasn’t been feeling well lately. She has a heart condition, you know. I think maybe you’d do better to talk with my father or someone like Miss Tooley at the post office. Or what about Mrs. Kitteridge at the general store? She usually knows all the local gossip.”
Chief Hepplewhite nodded. “They’re on my list. I came here first because of what happened last night. The bodies are a high priority, but I also wanted to reassure you and your mother that we’d be keeping a closer eye on the neighborhood for the next few days. I doubt the person will come back, but I want you both to be alert.”
The serious expression in his eyes caused a hitch in her breathing. “Officer Jackstone said it was probably some kid.”
Hepplewhite’s lack of expression instantly aroused her earlier suspicions.
“I thought it odd that a kid would break into a house where the lights are on and someone obviously is not only home but still up.”
Hepplewhite regarded her shrewdly. After a moment he seemed to come to a decision. “Do you plan to stay in Fools Point for a while?”
The sudden shift took her by surprise. “I’m not sure yet. Why?”
“Frankly, Ms. Thomas, I doubt if this was an attempted burglary.”
Her stomach iced in alarm. “A rapist?”
His shoulders lifted a fraction. “We may never know for sure. I don’t want to panic you, but I think it would be a good idea for you to be vigilant. It’s possible someone saw you through the window, decided you were here alone and marked you as a victim.”
Amy shuddered. His logic made horrible sense. Much more sense than a neighborhood kid.
“It was probably a very good thing that Mr. Collins came by when he did.”
“Yes,” she agreed faintly.
“Now, I don’t want you to panic.”
“No panic, but my fear quotient just jumped several notches.”
He didn’t smile at her weak attempt at humor. “Have you known Mr. Collins a long time?”
Amy nodded without thinking. “We met the summer I graduated from college. One of my roommates was friends with his sister.”
Hepplewhite seemed to be filing that information away.
“You don’t think Jake—”
“Not at all. But he does tend to keep to himself so I was a bit surprised to hear he was here last night.”
Amy sought for a diversion. She really didn’t want to discuss her relationship with Jake with the police chief. “Without sounding paranoid, I think you should know I thought someone was watching the house last night.”
“Before or after the attempted break-in?”
“After.” Briefly she described what she thought she’d seen. “I have to admit, I didn’t get much sleep after that.”
“You should have called us immediately.”
“I might have been mistaken.”
“Amy, our job is to check out suspicious activity. That’s what we get paid for. Don’t ever hesitate to call us.”
“All right.”
Hepplewhite’s expression was grave. “Even petty thieves have been known to kill. If you see anything—and I mean anything at all unusual, day or night—call and let us do the confronting.”
“Don’t worry,
