PART TWO
DEATH’S OTHER KINGDOM
We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.
—Oscar Wilde, The Duchess of Padua
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
TOWN OF STEBBINS
The radio crackled while Dez was still two miles from the hospital. She snatched up the mike.
“Unit Two. ”
“Dez? What the heck’s going on out there?” blurted Flower. “They’ve upgraded the storm again and they want to start moving the kids to the elementary school. All the stores in town are closing at noon, and I can’t get the chief on the radio. ”
The elementary and middle schools in Stebbins were regional, pulling in busloads of kids from all over. Early closings meant long delays as parents had to scramble to get out of work and drive to pick up their kids. That meant that the kids were usually kept in the school auditoriums or lunchrooms for hours. But with a storm coming, only the elementary school was rated as an official shelter. It was on high ground at the end of Schoolhouse Lane. All of the middle school kids had to be bussed there, and all of the parents rerouted. It was a logistical nightmare under good conditions. Today it would be insane.
“I can’t help with that, Flower. Things are pretty crazy right now. You’re going to have to bring in the volunteers to handle bussing the kids over to the Little School. ”
“Are you at the hospital yet?”
“Almost. ”
“Well … what should I do with the lieutenant from the state police?”
“Say again?”
“Lieutenant Hardy’s on the other line. He keeps asking to talk to the chief, but—”
“Patch him through, Flower,” said Dez, “I’ll bring him up to speed. ”
“Thanks! Meet him on channel eight,” Flower said, sounding greatly relieved.
Dez dialed over to eight, which was one of the secure lines. There was a burst of squelch and then a strong male voice spoke.
“With whom am I speaking?”
“This is Officer Desdemona Fox, Stebbins County PD. ”
“Officer Fox, good. This is Lieutenant William Henry Hardy, State Police, Troop B. Are you with Chief Goss?”
“No, sir. He’s at a crime scene—”
“The Hartnup scene?” interrupted Hardy.
“Yes sir. ”
“He isn’t answering his radio. ” Hardy said in a tone that seemed to suggest that he was deeply offended that a police chief from a one stoplight town would dare to dodge his call. “I can’t seem to make contact with him. ”
“He had a radio when I left him, Loot. Maybe fifteen minutes ago. Aren’t your boys on site yet?”
Just as she said that, three state police cruisers rounded the corner and shot past her, lights flashing, sirens blaring. She’d have heard them if it hadn’t been for the wail of the ambulance.
“Correction, Loot … three units just passed me en route to the scene. ”
“Very well. I’ll get a full report from them,” said Hardy, sounding only slightly mollified. “In the short term, what can you tell me?”