The Girl in the Woods

 

Diana stopped listening when Dan said "woods that went on and on." Those words tingled her spine. She closed her eyes and leaned against the grimy window for support.

 

"What did the woods look like?"

 

 

 

"Diana, I don't know where you're going with this. They looked like woods. We went into them and looked around and didn't find anything."

 

 

 

"Was there a clearing? A place in the woods where no trees or grass grew? An open space—"

 

 

 

"I'm sure there was. And there were birds and squirrels and rocks, too. The only strange thing was how neat this guy's house looked. For a half-retarded bachelor he keeps his house pretty damn clean."

 

 

 

"How did he seem?"

 

 

 

"Nervous. As nervous as you would be if a swarm of cops came into your house. We checked him, Diana. No record. Not even a traffic ticket. I'm not sure he could steal a pack of gum from a convenience store. It's not him. We had bad information, I guess."

 

 

 

"It might not be him. It might be something else. The place. It might be working through him."

 

 

 

"Where are you, Diana?"

 

 

 

"I stopped to see my mom."

 

 

 

Diana heard a whine of static in the phone line and voices in the background on Dan's end. "I'm sorry there isn't better news about McMichael. I'm still holding out hope there's a reasonable explanation. I don't know what else to think."

 

 

 

"Dan?"

 

 

 

"I have to go, Diana. Jason's story is going to hit the news. I'm sorry."

 

 

 

He cut the connection. Diana flipped her phone closed.

 

She looked up the hallway and saw Deborah emerge from her mother's room and wave.

 

"She's fine now," Deborah said. "Perfectly fine. You can say good-bye now if you'd like."

 

 

 

Diana didn't move or respond right away.

 

"Are you okay?" Deborah said.

 

"Fine," Diana said. "I just got some bad news about a friend."

 

 

 

"Oh, I'm sorry."

 

 

 

"It's okay." Diana walked toward the room. "I guess I'll say good-bye."

 

 

 

Diana wasn't sure if she'd ever see her mother again. She wanted to make sure nothing was left unsaid.

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

 

 

 

 

 

Nate Ludwig was in his office. A stack of student papers stood imposingly on his desk, begging for his attention by its very height. They should have been returned the week before, but he had given his time over to wandering country roads and isolated stretches of woods, searching for The Pioneer Club. Now that he believed he had found the spot, it stood to reason he would find time to catch up on all the neglected work that had piled up on his desk. Not so. Ever since his visit to Captain Berding's office—and its unsuccessful conclusion—Ludwig had found himself more distracted than before. A roiling impatience had taken over his body and mind, so much so that he found any task from his daily life—taking out the garbage, doing laundry, preparing lectures—to be a huge impediment to his real work and calling: the investigation into The Pioneer Club.

 

The radio played in the office, as always. Classical music from the campus public station, pointless noise that didn't even register in his brain. But at the top and bottom of each hour as news time approached, his ears perked and honed in on the voice on the radio like a divining rod for water. He thirsted for that news. He needed it.

 

A student knocked on the door. Ludwig looked up. He had forgotten he was holding office hours at that time, and the student's appearance seemed momentarily out of context and surprising, like having a long-lost relative show up unexpectedly on the doorstep.

 

"Dr. Ludwig?"

 

 

 

He didn't recognize the student. He didn't really recognize any of his students these days. This young man looked like all the rest of them. Ball cap. Baggy shorts and sandals despite the cool weather.

 

"Yes?"

 

 

 

"I'm in your Introduction to Folklore class? The one at ten o'clock?"

 

 

 

Ludwig hated this generation's habit of making everything sound like a question, even statements of fact. No wonder they were always so confused.

 

"I don't have the papers graded yet. Next week. I've been busy."

 

 

 

"That's cool. I'm not here about that."

 

 

 

"Oh?"

 

 

 

"I wanted to tell you about something. You know how we were talking about all those missing persons cases? And you know how that girl disappeared?"

 

 

 

Ludwig's interest rose exponentially. "Yes, yes."

 

 

 

"Well, my roommate's a cop here in New Cambridge. You know, he's a student and he's a cop. I think he's majoring in criminal justice or something."

 

 

 

"I understand. What's your point?"

 

 

 

"He told me last night that they're searching an area out in the country today. Apparently they think someone out there might know something, so they're going out to check it over."

 

 

 

"Are you kidding? Are you messing with me?"

 

 

 

"No, sir. I thought you'd like to know. I mean, he's not supposed to tell me stuff like that, and I'm not supposed to tell you, but I thought you'd like to know."

 

 

 

"Yes, of course. Thank you." The kid turned to leave, but Ludwig stopped him. "Who are you?"

 

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