Jorge’s truck was already parked near the restrooms when Tom pulled in. A blue Peterbilt truck sleeper was at the far side of the area. The couple, Harriet assumed.
Aunt Beth, Lauren and Connie stood in a half-circle near the tailgate while Jorge handed pans of food and bags of paper goods to the group from the bed of the truck.
“Did you get lost?” Aunt Beth asked.
“It’s my fault,” Tom explained. “I wanted to show Harriet a sample of my work, and we had to take a pretty long detour to get there.”
“Uh-huh,” Beth said. “We certainly didn’t see any of your work at your mother’s place.”
Harriet glared at her.
“Can we help you unload Tom’s truck?” Connie asked. “Come on, Lauren,” she added before Lauren could add her own comment about Harriet and Tom’s delay.
Joyce came out of the ladies restroom and smiled when she saw the group slowly making their way toward the trail behind the building.
“We brought you a hot meal.” Jorge raised his pan slightly.
“Oh, my,” Joyce said. “You are a welcome sight. We’ve been living off what Tom and Harriet brought, and we’re only eating two meals a day.”
“What would you have done if we hadn’t showed up?” Lauren asked.
“Lauren,” Harriet warned and glared at her.
“I’m just curious about how this all works. I’m self-employed-you never know what’s going to happen. I mean, I could end up down here with them. I need to know what preparations I should make. You know, just in case.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Did you tell the police what happened here?” Joyce asked Tom.
“We did,” Harriet answered. “They’ve got their own problems-all the detectives got stuck on the other side of the slide. We reported to the officer at the station, but he’s stuck downtown with another guy because the river overflowed the bridge right after we left. Anyway, without being able to access the station and with little communication, the police aren’t going to be any help anytime soon.”
“What are we supposed to do?” Joyce asked. “Should we bury him?”
“No!” Harriet and Lauren and Beth said at the same time.
“You can’t destroy the evidence,” Harriet added.
“I know it seems disrespectful,” Aunt Beth soothed her. “But the best thing for your friend is to figure out who killed him, and to do that the police need all the evidence they can get.”
“It doesn’t seem right to leave him lying there,” Joyce protested.
“Has anyone gone in to that stall in the restroom?” Harriet asked.
“We haven’t been using the men’s room at all, but you can see how it is. Anyone could go in if they wanted to. All they’d have to do is wait until everyone is asleep or in their own area.”
“Great,” Lauren said.
“My food is cooling,” Jorge reminded everyone.
“Oh, my, yes, let’s get the food to the group before it’s cold,” Joyce said. “I’ll call everyone while you set up. Could someone go across the parking lot and tap on the truck door?”
Tom turned and headed back. Jorge led the parade down the trail to the common area. He set his pan of burritos on the table then took the bag of paper goods from Connie. He pulled napkins and forks from the bag and set a stack of plates beside the burrito pan. Aunt Beth opened a quilted bag and drew out a carton of sour cream, two jars of salsa and a bottle of hot sauce.
“Sorry we didn’t have chips or cheese on hand,” she said.
“This looks wonderful,” Ronald said as he joined them.
“Thank you for doing this,” they heard Kate say to Tom.
“Thank the big guy,” Tom replied as they came into view-accompanied by Marjory’s family.
“What…?” Lauren started to say.
“They came here to use the restrooms,” Tom told her as he came to stand by Harriet. “They were getting out of their car when I was coming back by with Kate and Owen. I told them they could have a burrito.”
Harriet looked at him, and he shrugged.
“I was feeling good and wanted to share the joy,” he said in a quiet voice only she could hear. Her cheeks reddened, but she didn’t say anything.
“As long as you’re here, I guess you can eat with us,” Beth said.
Harriet had seldom seen her aunt angry enough to deny food to hungry people, not that this particular situation had ever come up before.
Joyce returned, pushing and guiding Brandy to the table. Jorge removed the lid from the big pan and unwrapped two burritos onto a plate. He put a daub of sour cream and a splash of salsa beside them and handed the plate to Joyce. When she and Brandy were settled on a log by the fire, he prepared plates for the rest. Pat pushed Lisa up to the table, but she and Richard showed amazing restraint and went to the back of the line.
“Don’t be shy,” Jorge said and waved the group forward.
Ronald took a plate, then Owen and Kate. Joyce urged Richard and Pat to the table, and when they’d gotten their food, they went to the stump bench and started to sit down next to the truckers. Owen stood up and pulled Kate up with him, almost dumping her plate in the process.
Harriet watched the interplay between the two couples. Lisa and Pat seemed confused, but there was no mistaking the look of absolute hatred on Owen’s face as he glared at Richard. For his part, Richard studied his burrito, refusing to make eye contact with the other man.
“I forgot to lock the truck,” Owen said coldly, and they left the clearing.
Everyone was silent for a moment.
“These are delicious,” Joyce finally said. “Thank you so much for thinking of us.”
“Yes,” Pat said. “Ummm…thanks,” It seemed to pain the woman to say the word.
“Did you stay dry?” Aunt Beth asked Joyce. “During the storm and after?”
“I was up for most of the storm, so I got a little wet, in spite of my wet-weather clothes. Brandy stayed dry as a bone. And the quilts are wonderfully warm. Thank you all so much.”
“Step up,” Jorge announced. “I made enough for everyone.”
The Loose Threads and Tom helped themselves to burritos, and once they all had been served, Jorge fixed himself a plate and sat down with them.
“We thought we’d help you-all clean up the area while we’re here,” Tom said when they’d finished eating. Jorge poked at the remains of the fire, making a space between logs to feed the paper plates into the flames.
“We can definitely use the extra sets of hands,” Joyce said. “Everyone’s space has some amount of branches and debris that were blown in, and the trail has become a river of mud.”
“We brought some tools,” Tom said. “A couple of saws, some shovels, stuff like that.”
“I’ve got a wheelbarrow in my truck,” Jorge offered.
Joyce enlisted Harriet and Lauren, and they took the wheelbarrow into the woods to gather leaves and needles that could be used to recover the muddy trail. Tom and Jorge would take shovels and attempt to scrape the slurry from the top layer of the path, hoping to expose some of the buried rock beneath.
Ronald pulled a mop bucket and toilet brush from behind the log bench and stood up.
“I’ll go swab the ladies’ loo,” he announced and went down the trail toward the restrooms.
Connie and Aunt Beth began collecting errant branches from the common area, stacking them in a pile at Joyce’s direction.
When everyone had begun their tasks, Richard cleared his throat. When everyone ignored him, he went and stood in front of Joyce.
“What shall we do?” he asked.
Harriet and Lauren paused at the edge of the common area to observe the interchange.
“It looks like it’s hurting him to offer,” Lauren said with a smirk.
“I’m sure it is. Notice his wife and daughter aren’t joining him.”
The two women were, in fact, headed back toward the parking lot.
Harriet and Lauren filled their wheelbarrow several times, dumping the debris on the freshly cleared trail each time. The third time they returned, Tom stopped them before they could tilt it onto the trail.
“We’re going to see if we can shore up this muddy stretch with some of the sticks your aunt and Connie are stacking up,” he said.
“Maybe the ladies can take a small break while we find a saw and prepare our branches,” Jorge suggested.
Connie and Beth joined them in the common area. Joyce brought everyone bottled water from one of the two cases Tom had brought.
“The bathroom is sparkling clean,” Ronald said and collapsed onto the long bench next to Connie. His face was red from the exertion of walking back from the bathrooms. “I hope you don’t mind if I join you.”
“Here, have some water,” Harriet said and offered him a bottle. “Are you okay? I mean, do you need to see a doctor about your heart? We could give you a ride somewhere.”
“Thank you for your kindness, but I’m fine. Well, not fine, exactly, but I’m stable. I’m supposed to avoid stress, but as you can see, my life hasn’t cooperated with my doctor’s orders. In fact, I no longer have health insurance and, therefore, no doctor, so there is no one left to order my heart around.”
“I’m sure Joyce and the others don’t want you killing yourself just to keep the bathrooms clean,” Harriet told him.
“Of course we don’t,” Joyce agreed.
“Everyone is expected to do their share of the work around here-it won’t work any other way. Keeping the bathroom clean is the least rigorous task we have.”
Joyce looked exasperated but kept quiet.
“Maybe you could go at it a little slower,” Connie said.
“Go at what a little slower?” Tom asked as he and Jorge came back to the common area with Owen and Kate. Richard trailed them by a few feet, lingering out on the trail.
“Nothing,” Ronald said. “The ladies and I were just nattering on about our little society here.” He spread his arms wide, indicating the camp around him. “Did you come up with a saw?”
“As a matter of fact, we did,” Tom said. “We not only have the two crosscut saws I brought…” He held up two common-looking saws. “…but Owen here had a bow saw and not one but two folding pruning saws.”
Owen held up the smaller saws.
“We aim to please,” he said. “I had these in my truck in case we passed a good U-cut Christmas tree lot in the upcoming week or two.”
“Owen likes to put a tree on the back of the truck for the holidays,” Kate explained.
“Most drivers put a wreath on the front of their truck, I try to be original,” Owen said and looked at his feet. “Seems kind of trivial about now.”
“I think it sounds nice,” Aunt Beth said.
“We want to help with the cleanup,” Kate said.
Owen glanced toward the main trail, but Richard was no longer in sight.
“We need two teams of people,” Jorge said. “One group needs to cut some of the smaller branches into pieces to use for trail repair work, and the other needs to use the bigger saws to cut apart the larger limbs that are blocking the path.”
“I’ll be working on trail repair,” Tom said and took the bow saw and one pruning saw from Owen.
Harriet and Lauren stood up and crossed to stand beside him. Aunt Beth and Connie went with Jorge.
“I think Ronald needs to rest for a bit,” Joyce said after a long look studying the man.
“I agree,” Aunt Beth said. “There are more of us than we need for trail repair anyway.”
“Richard could take over our leaf-gathering,” Lauren suggested with a sly grin.
“We left the wheelbarrow down the path, just beyond Brandy’s spot,” Harriet added, and put her hand up for a high-five when Joyce went to tell him. Lauren slapped her hand, and they turned to follow Tom back toward the parking lot.
“Señora Beth, Señora Connie, Señor Owen, would you care to join me behind the restrooms? I think that tree we all crawled over coming in here is our first opportunity.”
Owen passed his remaining pruning saw to Aunt Beth.
“Since you seem to have a full crew, I think I’ll go try to repair my truck heater again. I thought of another trick that might work until we can get downtown and get a replacement unit,” he said.
Tom handed Harriet a retractable tape measure and the pruning saw when they reached the pavement.
“Cut pieces of branch in two-foot lengths. To the degree possible, have the whole length be the same diameter-between one and two inches. I realize the branches are not straight, but do the best you can with them.”
Once the women started working and Tom had proclaimed them trained, he began cutting larger pieces.
“Do you and Owen come this way very often?” Harriet asked Kate as they held opposite ends of a long stick while Lauren sawed on it.
“This is my first time. I’ve only been riding in the truck with Owen for a few months.”
“It must be romantic,” Harriet said. “Going wherever the wind blows you.”
“Not really. You go where the work is, and sometimes you get stuck for days in some truck stop along the interstate, waiting for the next load to be ready.”
“That must wreak havoc with your holidays,” Lauren said.
“Except for the Christmas tree on the truck, we don’t really celebrate the holidays,” Kate admitted.
They worked in silence until they had used all the fallen branches in the immediate vicinity. Lauren straightened her back and stretched.
“I need a bathroom break,” she said and headed for the ladies’ room. A slow drizzle had begun to fall.
“I think I’ll join you,” Harriet said. She’d planned to talk to Lauren about another approach to the Halloween discussion.
An inhuman scream pierced the quiet of the park.
“What was that?” Lauren asked.
“I don’t know, but it didn’t sound good. We better go check.”
Another agonized scream pierced the air, and their whole group ran for the encampment.
Joyce was wrestling with a highly agitated Brandy when they reached the common area. Tom took over restraining the younger woman, who let loose with another earsplitting shriek.
“Calm down,” he soothed in a neutral voice.
She kicked him in the shin. He pulled her backward and sat on the bench, pulling her onto his lap, his arms wrapped around her. He continued speaking in a calm, steady tone.
“Brandy,” Joyce said in a clear voice. “Stop. Now. This man is not trying to hurt you.” She reached out and took Brandy’s hands and leaned in close to the girl’s face. “Look at me.” When Brandy finally complied, she continued. “What has gotten you into such a twist?”
“He’s dead,” Brandy said in a voice only slightly slurred by alcohol.
“Who is dead?” Joyce asked, keeping a firm grip on her hands.
“The man,” she said, “the man in my bed.”
Harriet looked at Joyce.
“She has delusions sometimes-snakes, spiders, that sort of thing.”
“Not a big stretch, given where we are,” Lauren said in a murmured low enough only Harriet heard her.
“She’s never mentioned a man before,” Joyce continued, “but she does have these spells.”
“If she can calm down, I’ll go check her space, if you think that would help,” Tom offered.
“What are you talking about?” Brandy slurred, her voice rising, a sheen of sweat on her forehead. “There is an awful man with blue lips in my bed.”
Joyce looked at Tom and then Harriet and Lauren.
Tom loosened his grip slightly and paused to gauge Brandy’s reaction. When she didn’t move, he released her and stood up, setting her on the bench.
“I’ll be right back,” he said.
“Brandy, dear,” Joyce said. “Take a deep breath and try to relax. Good. Now another one.”
Harriet was surprised to see Brandy follow Joyce’s instruction, taking several deep breaths then letting them out slowly.
“Now,” Joyce said. “Tell me what happened to frighten you so.”
“After we ate, I went for a walk,” Brandy said in a voice only slightly clearer.
“Right,” Lauren whispered to Harriet. “Straight to her stash of alcohol.”
Harriet poked her with an elbow, silencing her.
“And then what happened?” Joyce continued in her almost hypnotic tone.
“I tried to lie down in my bed.” Tears started to dribble from Brandy’s eyes, mixing with the raindrops.
“You say you tried. What prevented you from lying in your bed? Did a branch fall onto it?” Joyce tightened her grip when Brandy tried to jump up but continued her steady stream of questions.
“Unfortunately, no, it wasn’t a tree,” Tom said. He came to the center of the common area. His face was pale, without its usual hint of humor.
“What?” Harriet asked.
Tom looked at Brandy.
“There is, in fact, a dead man in her bed,” he said quietly.
Lauren and Harriet both started to speak, but he held his hand up.
“It’s Richard.”
Joyce put her arm around Brandy’s shoulders.
“What about Ronald?” she asked.
“He’s in his tent, asleep, but very much alive, earplugs and all-I checked after I saw Richard. I didn’t see any reason to wake him. We don’t need him having a heart attack on top of everything else.”
“You’re sure Richard is dead?” Harriet asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
A vision of Duane’s strangled body flashed through her mind.
“I think we need to leave,” Tom said, “and I suggest you…” to Joyce “…do the same.
Brandy staggered to her feet.
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Joyce looked at the others, but if she hoped someone was going to talk Brandy into going, she was disappointed.
“I can’t leave her here by herself,” she said. “She’s vulnerable in this condition.”
“Unless she’s the killer,” Lauren mumbled.
“Would you hush!” Harriet snapped in a low tone. “What about Ronald?”
“What about him?” Lauren countered.
“We need to tell him what’s happened,” Harriet said. “I know he’s not doing well but finding himself alone with a dead body isn’t going to help his heart any.”
“I’ll go get him,” Jorge volunteered.
“We could drive all of you to the church shelter,” Connie offered. “You would be safe there.”
“I’m. Not. Leaving,” Brandy shouted, dragging out each word.
“Calm down,” Joyce said. “No one is making you do anything you don’t want to do.”
They stood in silence until Jorge returned, supporting Ronald with an arm under the older man’s elbow.
“I knew losing my house was going to mean some changes, and I knew there would be some danger in living out-of-doors, but I never imagined this,” Ronald stammered.
“Relax,” Jorge said. “We’re going to take you to the church shelter. You’ll be safe there, and with any luck, they will have someone who can give you medical attention.”
Ronald swiped at his forehead with his hand.
“I think that would be for the best. I thought I was in good condition for a man of my age, but this lifestyle is a little more difficult than I could have guessed.”
“Don’t worry,” Jorge said. “We’ll get you inside, and when downtown is open again, we’ll get you set up with someone who can find you transitional housing of some sort.”
“Thank you. I’d appreciate that.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Brandy insisted when Joyce tried to get her to stand up.
Joyce turned to Aunt Beth and Connie, who were now sitting on the bench on either side of her.
“Maybe you should take Ronald to the church without us. Let me take some time to explain things to Brandy without the pressure of all you people standing around watching her.”
“You mean to let her sober up,” Lauren said to Harriet.
Harriet ignored her. “That’s a good idea. That will give us a chance to call Detective Morse and also to see if any police officers are sheltering at the church.”
“Someone needs to tell Marjory’s sister and her daughter, too,” Connie said.
“Oh, my goodness,” Aunt Beth said. “I’d almost forgotten they were here.”
“I’m sure that was the plan,” Harriet said. “They retreated to their car as soon as lunch was over.”
“They may not be the people we would wish Marjory’s sister and niece to be, but they loved Richard and no one deserves this,” Aunt Beth said. “No matter what they did to Marjory, they need our support now. And I know Marjory would expect us to be here for them.”
Harriet sighed but kept her mouth shut. She looked at Lauren and could tell she was biting back whatever sharp-edged retort had formed in her brain, too.
Connie’s husband Rod had just gotten out of his car when Harriet and Lauren, followed by Jorge, Aunt Beth, Tom and Connie came out of the woods behind the restroom building.
“Where’d Kate go?” Harriet asked.
“Probably back to the truck,” Lauren answered. “She didn’t follow us when we went to see what all the screaming was about.”
“Leave them be,” Aunt Beth said. “We’ve got enough to worry about here.”
“So, who’s going to deliver the news,” Lauren asked, nodding toward Richard’s car.
“Señora Beth and I will tell them,” Jorge volunteered. “We’ll drive them to the church and bring their car. Señora Connie, can you and Rod bring Ronald and get him settled? See if you can locate a doctor or nurse at the shelter to keep an eye on him.”
“I’ll take Harriet and Lauren home,” Tom said. “I can come back and get Joyce and Brandy.”
“I wouldn’t bother,” Harriet said. “Brandy isn’t going to leave. She knows they won’t let her bring the stash of alcohol she’s got hidden in the woods. We’ll check at home and see if Detective Morse has called again and find out if there is any news on the slide or the river level. Connie, maybe you and Rod can come by my house when you’re done with Ronald and we can figure out what to do next.”
Connie nodded, and they separated to go to their vehicles.