“Yes, why? There may be more somewhere, God knows.”
“He needs seven,” Rowenna said.
“Seven?”
She reminded them of what she had read in Adam’s book, then explained that she had gone back to the museum and found the reference to the fact that the Harvest Man needed to sacrifice seven women to take on the powers of the Devil.
“Mary,” Brad said weakly. “My God, we have to find her.”
With nothing to do but wait for word from the police, they took Zach’s things to Jeremy’s house, then went to have dinner, though none of them managed to eat much of anything as they brought Zach—and each other—up to speed on everything they knew to date.
At ten, when they were all sitting over drinks with no idea what to do next, Rowenna suddenly said, “The cemetery.”
“What?” Jeremy asked.
“He’s gone to the cemetery.”
“It’s closed at night,” he pointed out.
She gave him an incredulous stare. “Jeremy, a Pekingese could get into that place!”
He sighed. He didn’t want her anywhere near the cemetery. Mary had disappeared from the cemetery.
But he was there, and Brad and Zach were there. “All right, we’ll try the cemetery.”
As they approached it a few minutes later, Jeremy was stunned to see a figure seated cross-legged on top of a tomb just inside the wall.
“Son of a bitch!” Brad roared from behind him.
“Brad!” Jeremy tore after Brad, leaping the wall right behind him. He managed to grab Brad two seconds after he had all but crushed Adam to the ground and taken a swing at his jaw.
“You son of a bitch!” Brad roared. “Where is she? Where’s my wife?”
Jeremy had Brad, but Brad was strong and powerful and running on adrenaline. Jeremy struggled to hold him, while Zach tried to get Adam up and protect him.
Adam didn’t seem to give a damn. There were tears streaming down his cheeks. “I don’t know. Oh God, I don’t know. I wish I did. I’d help you. I swear I’d help you!”
Jeremy, on the ground and still trying to control Brad, was dimly aware that Rowenna was on the phone. In seconds, he heard the screech of sirens. Adam didn’t run; he just stood there, looking bleak and broken. Jeremy rolled on Brad, finally pinning him.
Then the police filed into the cemetery and Adam was taken away.
Only then did Jeremy dare get up. Brad just lay there, panting as Jeremy stumbled to his feet. Zachary watched both of them warily.
Another police car, lights blazing, drove up. Joe Brentwood jumped out, and as soon as he was introduced to Zach and apprised of what had just happened, he pointed a stern finger at Brad. “I know what you’re going through, son. But we don’t have a lick of proof against that man. If he took your wife, we’ll find out and then we’ll find her. Tonight, you get off the streets. If any of my men see you out, you’ll be under arrest, and I’ll find a way to keep you under lock and key until this is over. You understand me?”
Brad seemed to visibly deflate.
“Get in the car,” Joe said, his voice gentler now. “I’ll get you back to your B and B.” He started leading Brad away.
“Joe,” Rowenna said, stopping him. “You haven’t found Eve yet?”
“No,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry. And get the hell out of the cemetery, will you? This place is starting to give me the creeps.”
Despite the lateness of the hour, they drove out to Rowenna’s house, so she could pick up some clean clothes, and then went back to Jeremy’s place. Driving past the MacElroys’ place, Rowenna commented that she needed to stop by soon so Ginny could do the final fitting on her costume.
Someone had to stop the Harvest Festival, Jeremy thought. Surely the town fathers, with five corpses on their hands now, would call a halt.
“I’m going to shower, if you two don’t mind amusing yourselves,” he said once they got back.
He turned the water up as hot as he could stand, hoping to wash away the memories of the corpses along with the dirt. He was amazed he didn’t dwell on the dead women, on Adam Llewellyn, or on the boy he had seen, but he was just too tired, as he let the hot water pour over him.
When he got downstairs, Rowenna and Zach were sitting at the kitchen table drinking beer. He helped himself to one and sat down next to her.
A sudden noise in the house made them all jump. Then Jeremy laughed. There was a fax machine on a Victorian desk in the parlor. He rose and went over to it. Picking up the paper, he saw that it was a list compiled from the credit card receipts Hugh had given them from the night that Dinah Green had last been seen. There were phone numbers next to the names of the locals, who were listed first, and addresses and phone numbers next to those from out of town.
He explained the sheet to Zach.