Reuben slapped Caleb on the back, almost sending him headfirst into a tub of potato salad.

“I knew it. Friendship is thicker than official duty.”

“Yeah, well, we’ll see, won’t we?” she murmured. “But in the meantime we can’t just sit on our butts. We need to keep digging away.”

Reuben tossed the bones of his chicken breast into the woods, wiped his mouth and balled up his napkin. “I’m ready to roll. I’ll do a recon of the area, see if anything hits me.”

“And me and Caleb?”

“Talk to some more people in town. And Caleb stays with you. Remember there’s a killer on the loose. We’ll meet back here later.”

“I’m worried about that reporter,” said Annabelle. “Even if we find Oliver, that guy could screw it all up. I didn’t like his look. It was like he’d just suddenly figured something out.”

Caleb said, “Well, maybe we have to convince him it would not be in his best interests to follow any of that up.”

Annabelle considered this suggestion. “I think you might be right.”

Reuben drove off on his Indian while Caleb and Annabelle headed back into Divine. When they reached the main street Annabelle had Caleb park near the courthouse.

“The sheriff told me that Willie Coombs’ mom works at the courthouse as the clerk. I want to see if I can get a word with her.”

Caleb looked around and his eyes brightened as his gaze fell on the library.

“I think I see something I can do,” he said. “But if you need a bodyguard, I can hang with you. Like Reuben said, there is a murderer on the loose.”

She gave him a gracious smile. “I appreciate the offer, killer, but I think I’ll be fine. The sheriff’s office is just right next door.”

Caleb headed off and Annabelle went inside the courthouse.

Shirley Coombs looked up from her desk when the door opened. Annabelle introduced herself and said why she was there. Though Annabelle couldn’t know it, Shirley Coombs looked as though she’d aged several decades.

“I’m really sorry about your son.”

Shirley eyed her suspiciously. “Did you know Willie?”

“No, but Sheriff Tyree told me what happened.”

“Parents aren’t supposed to outlive their children,” she said in a hushed tone and then lit up a cigarette; her fingers shook so badly she was barely able to work the Zippo.

“No, ma’am, they’re not.”

“Lost my husband too. In an accident,” she said quickly. “And my daddy in a mine cave-in.”

“God, that’s awful.”

“Yeah, life is just awful, ain’t it?” she said sarcastically. “What can I do for you?”

“I was hoping you could tell me something about my dad.”

“I never met him,” she said immediately.

Annabelle studied the woman closely without appearing to do so.

Okay, that was a lie.