The Secrets of Lake Road

“Why?” Kevin tightened his grip on her hand. “What’s this about?”


“They found a fracture on his ulna, the smaller bone in the lower arm,” the sheriff said. “I’m curious how it might’ve happened.” He directed his next question to Kevin. “As I recall, you were with him that night. Did he fall? Did he get into a fight with someone? Anything at all you can remember, even if you don’t think it’s relevant.”

“No,” Kevin said without hesitation. “Nothing I can think of.”

The sheriff waited a beat or two, perhaps hoping one of them would offer more information in the silence. When no one spoke up, he said to Kevin, “So there wasn’t a fight over anything, say, like a girl?” He looked back at Jo.

“What’s your point?” Kevin asked, digging his nails into the back of Jo’s hand.

“No point. It’s just funny how you ended up with the girl.”

Jo concentrated hard on keeping her face neutral. But Kevin, he shook his head, clearly disgusted. “We got together afterward. Not before.” His voice was strong, convincing.

“I had to ask,” the sheriff said, although it didn’t sound like he believed him. “If any of you think of anything that might help clear up this matter, you be sure to let me know.” He turned to walk away.

“Do you even know if the bones are Billy’s?” Kevin asked, and Jo wished he hadn’t. She didn’t know how much longer she could hold it together. She wanted the sheriff gone.

The sheriff turned back around, taking his time, looking them over. “Nothing’s confirmed. Yet,” he said in a low, cool voice.

*

Eddie set two bottles of beer on the bar. “Don’t let the sheriff get to you. He’s just being a prick. He’s got a hard-on for Dee Dee, and he’s just making shit up to keep her happy.”

Jo nodded and reached for a beer. She was too shaken to talk, although she didn’t lie to the sheriff when she told him she didn’t know Billy had hurt his arm. But still, she had a sick feeling in her stomach because she knew how he might’ve hurt it.

Kevin kept his eyes on the bottle in front of him. His body was tense. “It doesn’t change anything,” he said.





CHAPTER TWENTY

Kevin sat at the bar the rest of the afternoon into early evening. He lost count of how many bottles of beer he’d had, but by the buzzing in his head and the slight sway of the room, it had been a lot. In the time it took to numb his brain, he convinced himself the fracture in the bone meant nothing. It could’ve happened in any number of ways.

Stimpy and his clowns had gone and come back, their search unsuccessful. They were settling in for the night. They whispered about picking up first thing in the morning. The sole watercraft left on the lake was the underwater recovery team, whittled down to three men, who were also packing it in now that the sun had set.

Jo had gotten off her stool and headed to the bathroom some time ago. She was in there forever or maybe she wasn’t. Time became a fuzzy thing. Earlier, after their run in with Sheriff Borg, she had grown increasingly quiet. She became distant, locked inside that place she went, shutting him out.

He turned to look at the bathroom door again. Maybe he should check on her. It seemed like a hard decision to make at the moment; he was unsure how it would play out. She might be appreciative for his concern or agitated with his smothering. He’d give her another five minutes.

Glass shattered behind the bar. Kevin came up out of his seat to find Eddie crouched over a broken mug. “You okay?” he asked.

Eddie waved him off. It was then Kevin noticed Sheila had walked inside with Nick, the drummer from one of the local bands. Heil must’ve hired them to play for the night.

“Hey, Kevin,” Sheila said, and kissed his cheek. She leaned over the bar. “Hey,” she said to Eddie, and reached for him. Eddie looked so damned happy, Kevin almost felt sorry for him, because he knew how Eddie felt. He knew how loving a woman could make you so happy one minute and then miserable the next.

The band carried in their equipment and began the process of setting up for the show. Kevin recognized one of the guys: Tony, the lead singer. He had been playing at the Pavilion for as long as Kevin could remember. In fact, when Kevin was playing guitar regularly, Tony used to let him play a song or two to warm up the crowd on the nights Eddie had worked as bar back.

Tony walked over to him, holding a guitar. He shook Kevin’s hand. “It’s been a long time. Do you still play?” he asked.

“Not much anymore,” Kevin said. He had tried to play in the months after Billy had drowned. He’d pick up a guitar, play a few chords, and end up putting the instrument down. At the time it had felt too hard, and he had wondered if he’d ever be able to play again.

Tonight Tony held out his guitar. “Warm us up,” he said.

“No, I don’t think so.”