“I smoked mostly,” Don Paul admitted. “There wasn’t a whole lot that could be done. We’re just gonna have to wait a few days until the water recedes. Forgive my sayin’ so, but if those boys look bad now, imagine how they’re gonna look after a few days underwater? There’s alligator gar the size of bathtubs in that river. It’ll be a goddamn buffet. Say, how ’bout that patty sausage, Bernice?”

Bernice had quit smoking fourteen years ago. She took a Winston from Kip’s pack without bothering to ask, lit it, sat back down, and wiped away another tear. “It’s just the worse thing I ever heard of. Such a terrible accident.”

“I’m not so sure,” Kip said, thumbing the rim of his cup.

“What do you mean?”

He looked at her. “Nothing. Forget it.”

“Aw, go on, Kip, might as well tell her.”

Kip sighed. “Well, we were down on the bank at the base of the ravine all night. We weren’t allowed up on the bridge ’cause they had it blocked off for law enforcement personnel only. Sheriff Clark had near enough his whole force up there for a good while. When they finally came down to the bank, I overheard the sheriff talking to one of his deputies about footprints. Lots of footprints up there near the bridge.”

“Sneaker footprints, like the teenagers wear,” Don Paul added. “And tell her about the shell, Kip.”

“I was just getting to that. I also heard Curtis say something about a spent shotgun shell lying around. Also some fresh candy bar wrappers, stuff like that. Signs of a recent human presence.”

“What are you trying to say?” Bernice asked.

“I’m saying I think the police suspect foul play. What’s more, apparently someone called in to report that they had tried to cross the bridge around the same time that the crash happened, but found the road barricaded off about a quarter mile short of the ravine. The highway department claims they hadn’t blocked off any roads within a ten-mile radius of that area. You ask me, it sounds like someone didn’t want any witnesses around, don’t it?”

“Yeah, but they got one, don’t they?” Don Paul winked.

“Appears so,” Kip concurred.

Bernice motioned for him to elaborate.

“Cole Logan,” Kip said.

“What about Cole Logan?”

Don Paul told her about Cole being found unconscious on the riverbank.

“My god, what was he doing there?”

“That’s the first thing Curtis and his deputies wanted to know,” Kip said. “Seemed a little suspicious, seeing as how red-assed Logan had been about being benched, and how he had made quite a scene in the coach’s office yesterday afternoon, telling everyone where they could stick their football team. Add to that the fact that Logan has a prior criminal record . . .”

“ … and was piss drunk when they found him . . .”