"In the meantime, Bill Geller may wake up and wonder where his wife is.” Heck, Bill might be on the run. He’d had a motive to kill Graham, and now Buffy was dead, too.

“We don’t have murders down here. Worst that happens is hunting accidents. You people arrive, and we got two.”

Randy stepped back into the room and gave a tiny nod.

I glanced at my watch. Six. “I’m going to call the hospital.”

“We’re not done,” said Deputy Kincaid.

“For now, we are.” I escaped into Randy’s office, where he'd left the hospital’s phone number on the desk for me.

I dialed and asked for Detective Jones’ room.

“It’s too early for calls, ma’am.”

“This is his wife.”

“Yes, ma'am. It’s still too early.”

My jaw clenched. “He was admitted in the past hour. With a snake bite.”

“It’s too early for calls.”

“May I speak with his doctor?”

“The doctor is on rounds.”

“So, if I can’t speak to my husband and I can’t speak to his doctor, with whom can I speak?”

“You’re speaking with me.”

“Your name, please.” I sounded like Mother.

“Florence.”

“Florence, can you update me on my husband’s condition?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Can you connect me with someone who can?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Why not?”

“It’s too early for calls.”

I stifled a scream. “May I leave a message?”

“I’ll take it down.”

I had no faith she’d actually give the message to Anarchy, but I gave her the number.

“Spell the last name, please.”

“J.O.N.E.S.” She was messing with me. It was time to call in the big guns. "Thank you, Florence." For nothing, Florence. I hung up and dialed a different number.

“Hello." The voice was sleepy and surprised, but still held authority.

“Mother, it’s Ellison. I need your help.” I explained to her what had happened.

“Buffy Geller is dead, and you found the body?”

“You’re missing the important part of the story.”

“Not the part that’s important to the Gellers.”

I hated when she was right. “Yes,” I admitted. “That’s important to the Gellers. But Anarchy was bitten by a snake—a copperhead. He was taken to the Miami County Hospital, and no one there will tell me how he is. They won’t connect me to his room. Nothing. “

“Why don’t you go to the hospital?”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“There's a sheriff’s deputy questioning me.”

“You’re a suspect?” She sounded suitably outraged.

“Yes. And when he’s done. Someone needs to tell Bill about Buffy. Deputy Kicked-in-the-Head will make a mess of it.”

“Kicked-in-the-Head?”

“His real name is Kincaid, but Kicked-in-the-Head is so apt.”

“What do you need from me?”

“Find out how Anarchy is. Please.”

“Consider it done. Where should I call?”