Chapters (110)
- Cover
- ALSO BY J. TODD SCOTT
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- PROLOGUE
- I
- II
- PART ONE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- PART TWO
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- PART THREE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- PART FOUR
- SIXTY-TWO
- SIXTY-THREE
- SIXTY-FOUR
- SIXTY-FIVE
- SIXTY-SIX
- SIXTY-SEVEN
- SIXTY-EIGHT
- SIXTY-NINE
- SEVENTY
- SEVENTY-ONE
- SEVENTY-TWO
- SEVENTY-THREE
- SEVENTY-FOUR
- SEVENTY-FIVE
- SEVENTY-SIX
- SEVENTY-SEVEN
- SEVENTY-EIGHT
- SEVENTY-NINE
- EIGHTY
- EIGHTY-ONE
- EIGHTY-TWO
- EIGHTY-THREE
- EIGHTY-FOUR
- EPILOGUE
- I
- II
- III
- IV
- V
- VI
- VII
- AUTHOR’S NOTE
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- Excerpt from LOST RIVER
- LITTLE PARIS
- DILLON
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- What’s next onyour reading list?
It was going to be a long day and a longer night, which was why she’d set up the lights. In a few more hours, once the shadows grew thick as the sun set, she’d turn them on, and she couldn’t help wondering what the bodies would look like under their harsh, unforgiving glow.
Would that pale dead boy appear even whiter, even less real?
Or only more?
—
“YOU KNOW, Dale doesn’t like it when you and Marco talk only in Spanish to each other. He thinks you’re talking about him,” the sheriff said, stopping next to her. He was looking down toward the giant cane and the salt cedar.
“Lo sé. And we are. It wouldn’t hurt him to learn a few words.”
“Yeah, but he’s got as much chance of learning Spanish as I do of building a new wing on my house.” America couldn’t help smiling. The sheriff’s struggles with home repairs and renovations had become legendary in the county. “Anyway, just give it a rest, okay? You two will make him paranoid, and the last thing I need is another paranoid man with a gun.” He made a vague motion at the canyon around them. “I have plenty of those in this county already.”
“Sí. I’ll try not to talk in my native language anymore.”
He looked at her sideways, shaking off a smile of his own. “Don’t pull that oppressed minority bullshit with me, Amé. I personally think it’s great that you’re a smart-ass in not one but two languages.” He grew serious again, turning away from the river. The bodies were downwind, but he could still smell them, like she could. She’d probably still smell them tomorrow and the day after. “I didn’t have much of a chance to talk to Danny. Was he okay?”
“He was fine. Ashamed that Eddy Rabbit caught him with that skillet, but he’s okay.”
“I hate to admit it, but I forgot you all were going to be out here this morning. You know, with the baby, this damn election . . .”
She shrugged. “No es un problema. We had it taken care of. We had no idea about this. Any of this.” She added, “I don’t think Eddy did, either, honestamente.”
Sheriff Cherry nodded. “Danny suggested the same thing before he transported him. Had the feeling that Eddy was just as surprised, just as scared, as anyone.”
She agreed. “After the autopsies, I’ll still show some pictures of these men to Charity, Eddy’s novia. Maybe she’ll recognize them. Maybe this wasn’t the first time they were here.”