Carnal Innocence

Burke’s truck. Pictures were taken to record the scene.
    “All right.” Burns nodded toward the water. “Let’s pull her out.”
    For a moment no one spoke. Burke pressed his lips together and unhooked his gun belt.
    “I’ll do it.” Surprising himself, Tucker stepped forward. “I’m already wet.”
    Burke set his gun belt aside. “It’s not your job, Tuck.”
    “It’s my land.” Turning, he took Caroline by the shoulders. “Go inside.”
    “We’ll go in together when it’s finished.” She kissed his cheek. “You’re a good man, Tucker.”
    He didn’t know about that, but as he slipped into the water, he was certain he was a stupid one. Burke wasright, it wasn’t his job. He didn’t get paid to deal with this kind of horror.
    He eased his way through the cool, dark water toward the hand, white as bone, fingers curved beckoningly.
    Why did he feel it was his responsibility to drag a dead woman out of the water? She’d been nothing to him in life, shouldn’t she be less than nothing to him now?
    Because the pond was Sweetwater, he realized. And he was a Longstreet.
    For the second time, he curled his fingers around the lifeless wrist. As the head rose, he watched her hair float and spread toward the surface. His stomach lurched. He tasted acid in the back of his throat and ruthlessly forced it down. Using his feet to tread, Tucker hooked an arm around the torso.
    There was silence on the bank, the kind so deep you could hear your own heartbeat. A graveyard silence, he thought while he struggled against the weight that was trying to drag him and his burden down.
    His grip slipped, and when he shifted and tightened it, her head lolled back on his shoulder. Tucker stiffened, but it wasn’t revulsion that filled him. It was pity.
    Tucker looked toward the bank. White faces stared back at him. He saw Dwayne, with an arm around Josie. Their eyes looked huge in the flood of light. Burke and Carl already hunkered down, ready to reach out and take the burden Tucker was dragging over. Caroline, her face wet, stood with her hand resting on Cy’s shoulder. Burns stood back, observing, as though it were a moderately interesting play.
    “Something’s tied to her legs,” Tucker called out. “I need a knife.”
    “That’s evidence, Longstreet.” Burns stepped forward. “I want it intact.”
    “You son of a bitch.” Tucker managed to haul her another foot. “Why don’t you come on in and get your fucking evidence yourself?”
    “I’ll help you, Mr. Tucker.” Before anyone could stop him, Cy was running over and slipping into the water.
    “Christ, boy, get back from here.”
    “I can help.” Slick as an otter, Cy paddled over. “I’m strong enough.” His face blanched when he swam close, but he reached down to take part of the weight. “We can do it.”
    “Keep your eye on the bank,” Tucker told him. “And try not to think.”
    Cy scissored his feet. “I’m thinking about what an asshole that FBI man is.”
    “Even better.”
    It was a short and grisly swim. When they reached the bank, both Carl and Burke hooked hands under Darleen’s arms.
    “Look the other way,” Tucker ordered Cy. “There’s no shame in it.” He would have done so himself, but the angle was wrong. So he saw what had been done to the body. As it was dragged effortfully out and onto the grass, he saw everything. “Go on over with Caroline now, Cy. No.” He caught the boy’s head before Cy could turn it. “Don’t look this way. Go over with Caroline. You did good.”
    “Yessir.”
    Tucker hauled himself out. He sat there a moment, his feet dangling in the water. “Dwayne, give me a smoke.”
    It was Josie who brought him a cigarette, already lighted. “After that, I figure you deserve a whole one.” She laid her cheek against his. “I’m sorry it had to be you, Tuck.”
    “So’m I.” He took a greedy drag. “Burke, don’t you have a blanket to put over her? This isn’t right.”
    “If you civilians would go into the house,” Burns began, “this area will remain off limits until the investigation is completed.”
    “Goddammit, we knew her,” Tucker said wearily. “You didn’t. Least you can do for her is cover her.”
    “Go on, Tuck.” Burke reached down to help Tucker to his feet. “There are things we gotta do. It’s best if you went on while we get to it. We’ll be as quick as we can.”
    “I saw what was done to her, Burke.” Tucker said in a raw voice. “You can’t be