“I thought so.”
Call reckoned the tension on the buckboard bench must be more palpable than he realized since the doctor was trying his best to cut through it. Problem was, the man needed a sharper scalpel. Call decided they all would be better served by going to the root of what brought them together.
“What information do you need about Josey Pye before you perform your autopsy?” he asked. The abrupt change in conversational tone was met with silence. The buckboard creaked and groaned as it bounced along.
“Mr. Landry has to move his investigation on,” said Laurel.
Call expected her to add something about him moving on as well. She didn’t, though, and that left him feeling unsettled. In some ways it was better when she was predictable.
“Of course,” said Singer. “Perfectly understandable. Idon’t need to know many particulars. It’s better if I draw my conclusions from the evidence rather than what either of you say that might sway my judgment. Does that make sense?”
“Yes,” said Call.
Laurel nodded. “We passed the path to the falls a little ways back. Would it be helpful for you to see where we found him? I can turn around.”
“Actually, that would be helpful. Thank you.”
Laurel guided the pair of roans to make the wide turn and take them back to the trampled path leading to the falls. She offered to stay with the buckboard while Call escorted the doctor.
“They’ll be fine,” said Call, looking over the team. “You made the discovery. Go on. Toss me the reins and I’ll hitch them to that willow over there before I follow. Doc? You want to leave your bag here?”
“No. It goes where I do. It’s too valuable to be where I can’t reach it.”
Call nodded and watched the doctor fall in step behind Laurel before he led the team over to the willow and looped the reins around a branch. He purposely did not try to catch up to Laurel and the doctor to give them an opportunity to talk alone. Laurel was telling Dr. Singer about the falls when Call came upon them.
“It’s mostly rocky ground above,” she said, pointing to the lip of the horsetail waterfall. “Mr. Landry found some evidence that suggests Mr. Pye was up there at one point.” When she saw the doctor look up and his expression turn doubtful, she explained there were alternate routes to reaching the top other than the one she’d used in her youth.
“I don’t have the excuse of youth to explain why I made that climb,” said Call.
Singer raised both dark eyebrows, whistled softly, but otherwise kept his thoughts to himself. He asked Laurel to point out where she’d found the body.
Laurel walked to the edge of the flat rock that was herusual perch and pointed to the middle of the pool. “I didn’t know that I’d found anything except a rope. Mr. Pye came up behind me. Mr. Landry saw him first.”
“Pye was tangled somehow?”
“Seemed as if he was,” said Laurel. “I had to yank hard on the rope to free it.”
“You pulled him out, Mr. Landry?”
“Yes. Lassoed him. Laid him over here.” He pointed to the ground a few feet to the left of where he was standing.
“On his side? On his back?”
“Both. On his side briefly, and then we left him on his back for the sheriff to see. Is it important?”
“Might be. You used a wagon to transport the body to the undertakers?”
“No. Slung him over the back of one of the horses.”
Dr. Singer sighed and nodded. “All right. Tell me what’s under the water. More rocks, I presume, but what about animal life and vegetation?”
Laurel answered. “It’s not a good fishing hole. That’s better downstream, but there’s always a few circling in the pool, especially deeper where the current isn’t as strong. Some turtles call it home. I used to see them sunning themselves on the rocks, but not so much anymore. I think the children who come out here to swim have scared them away or carried them off. I don’t know about the vegetation. Dead leaves if you stir the bottom and things I can’t identify.”
“It’s all right. Doubtful that it matters.”
“Anything else?” asked Call.
“No. We can go back.”
