Divine Evil

I have a missing person, but I'm holding the parents off.”
    “I think that's best under the circumstances. Could I buy you another cup of coffee?”
    “Yeah. Thanks.”
    Loomis led the way down the corridor. Meticulously, he counted out change and slid coins into a vending machine. “Cream?”
    “I'm taking it black these days.”
    Loomis handed Cam a cup, then pushed more coins into the slot. “Sheriff, this is a very shocking and difficult case, and I realize that it also has some personal connection for you.”
    “I played in those fields as a child. I baled hay with my father where that girl was found. And my father died there, crushed under his own tractor on a pretty summer afternoon. Yeah. I guess that's personal enough.”
    “I'm sorry.”
    “Forget it.” Annoyed with himself, Cam rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I've got evidence that my mother's husband had held that girl in a shed. That girl, and maybe others. Now it looks as though he raped her, killed her, and tossed her body in a field.”
    Whatever Loomis thought was a secret behind his mildeyes. “It would be your job to prove that, but it's mine to tell you that the body was not in that field for weeks.”
    Cam stopped with the cup partway to his mouth. “What do you mean it wasn't in the field?”
    “It was certainly found there, but it was put there fairly recently.”
    “Wait a minute. You just said she'd been dead a couple months.”
    “Dead and buried, Sheriff. That body has been in the ground for several weeks. My estimate is that it was exhumed and placed in that field no more than two or three days ago. Perhaps even less.”
    He wanted to take it slow. “You're telling me that someone killed that girl, buried her, then dug her up again?”
    “There's no question of it.”
    “Give me a minute.” He turned to stare at the green walls. It was worse somehow, worse than her abduction, her rape, and her murder that someone had violated her even after death. “Sonofabitch.”
    “Your stepfather may well have murdered her, Sheriff, but as he's been dead for several weeks himself, he wasn't the one who put her in the field.”
    Cam's eyes narrowed. He drank coffee now without tasting it. The muscles in his stomach hitched as he turned back to face the coroner. “Whoever did wanted her to be found, and to be found there.”
    “I'm forced to agree. From my viewpoint, it was a very clumsy maneuver. But then, your average lay person might not be aware of the scope of forensic medicine.” Loomis sipped delicately from his cup. “It's highly possible that it was assumed the evidence would be taken at face value.”
    “Your profession is underrated, Dr. Loomis.”
    Loomis gave a small smile. “Sadly true.”
    * * *
    When Cam came out of the hospital, the sun was setting. It was nearly fourteen hours since he had gotten the call from Chip Dopper. He wasn't just tired, he was drained. When he saw Clare sitting on the hood of his car, he stopped, waiting for her to slide off.
    “Hey, Rafferty” She walked to him, put her arms around his waist, and hugged. “I thought you could use the sight of a friendly face.”
    “Yeah. Yours is the best one. How long have you been here?”
    “Awhile. I went up and visited Lisa. I rode in with Blair.” She eased back to study his face. “He wanted to interview the coroner.” Dozens of questions raced through her mind, but she couldn't ask them, not now. “You look beat. Why don't you let me drive you home?”
    “Why don't I?” He took the keys out of his pocket, then squeezed until the metal scraped his hand. His eyes changed from weary to furious in the space of a heartbeat. “You know what I want? I want to beat the hell out of something. Pound the shit out of it.”
    “We could wait for Blair to come out. You could kick him around.”
    With a half laugh he turned around. “I gotta walk, Slim.”
    “Okay, we'll walk.”
    “Not here. I want to get the hell away from here.”
    “Come on.” She took the keys. “I know the place.”
    They drove in silence, Cam with his head back and his eyes closed. Clare hoped he was asleep as she juggled her memory for direction. When she stopped the car, she continued to sit, saying nothing.
    “I haven't been here in a long time.”
    She turned, studying him in the soft evening light. “I always liked coming to City Park. We'd bring a bag of Saltines and feed the ducks. Got any crackers?”
    “Fresh out.”
    Inspired, she reached for her