Drops

“Do me a favor and ask Radar who is assigned to the cruiser.” O’Malley goes to talk quietly, Lewis digging through the bits and pieces in his head. Tiny thoughts they are, tiny whispers of yesterday floating around in his head. Every one of them is important to Lewis when O’Malley says, “Field officer Robert Woods. Has a sister, guess who. The parents are deceased, an eighteen-wheeler said hello to them one evening. Grandmother took them in after that.” The corners of his mind collect in forming the framework, those tiny thoughts getting louder in his head. “So, they were kids?” “Yes, seven and eight. Oh crap, look at the size of that pine blocking the road.” “This tells us that officer Woods has been here before. But why would he park off the road instead of driving in as far as he could. Why be so obvious?” “That hermit is supposed to live out this way. And if everyone knows this, then all the public will see is their tax dollars at work.” “No suspicions.” “Exactly which makes me think the two have been groomed.” “Grandma’s revenge.” “Fits, officer Woods would not be a stranger in offering that ride home, darling sister picking from the litter, this one bothers me, take her.” “Got away with it once, why not twice.” “To easy.”

“We probably walked right by the way around.” One on either side of the road, it is O’Malley who calls out to Lewis, “Found it.”

Walking single file, the way through the grove of pine ends abruptly that brings O’Malley and Lewis to the edge of a massive field. She can feel him getting close, the painting filling in to where a vague form is beginning to take shape. The sun is over her now, the brick-sized window filled with the late afternoon sun, but fear has her tucked in the corner that has Lewis feeling sick to his stomach.  O’Malley notices, “Take a sip of water. Breathe.” “I will be all right. There’s birds around, she can hear them. They sound mean to her, like they are fighting over the best parts.” As if on cue, a crow soars across the field to a stubby tree. O’Malley says to Lewis, “Chief Henry is not going to happy about this.” “Call him anyways.”  O’Malley nods and in turning away from him, Lewis wants to smoke but knowing the scent will give them away, he holds off until the cavalry arrives.

Hours later, the grandmother and the Woods siblings are in custody, the victims at the local hospital.  Feeling good, O’Malley holds the door open for Lewis as the two step out of the lobby and onto the sidewalk. “Before we go, how about we get something to eat.” Lewis smiles, “Sounds like a plan.” Side by side, their stroll is easy going, the evening sky still warm as the sun sets over the distant mountain range.