Buried [Completed]

Chapter thirty

At work on Thursday, Jamie left her cell phone off. If Kyle called her, she didn't want to talk to him. He was supposed to be home later tonight. Hell, tomorrow they were supposed to leave on their honeymoon. She could just imagine what her brother would say about that. As far as Dougal was concerned, the next conversation she had with her husband should take place around witnesses. Though it was supposed to be the day she worked at Quinpool Realty, Jamie spent the entire eight hours of her work day at her accounting firm. She felt so safe here. She hoped when she came begging for her job back, they would give it to her. 

Finally, at five o'clock, just before leaving for the day, she switched her phone on. Sure enough, there was a missed call from Kyle. But what alarmed her more were the five missed calls from Dougal. She tried him back, immediately, but he didn't pick up. She tried Charlotte next, but she didn't answer either. Instinct warned Jamie something was wrong. Hurrying to her car, she got in and drove, first to the library, and after that, to Charlotte's house. 

She found no one at either place. Jamie headed to the highway, next, driving fast until she reached the Old Forestry Road. With each mile, her stomach clenched tighter. For Dougal to have tried to contact her that persistently, something had to be very wrong. The trees on either side of the road seemed to be taller than usual, darker, pressing in toward her car as if begrudging the strip of land that snaked through their midst. She felt as if she were leaving behind, not only civilization, but also time. She was going back in history, to a time when her big brother had had all the answers. If only it could be so simple now. 

When she was less than a quarter-mile away, she could see lights. Too many lights. She rounded the last bend and pulled up to a driveway choked with emergency response vehicles, including the Sheriff's SUV and an ambulance. Whatever had happened, Dougal was okay. She could see her brother standing with Wade. They both turned at the sound of her approach. She parked quickly, jerking the car out of gear and barely remembering to shut off the ignition before running toward them. Both men looked worried and concerned. But also, oddly, relieved. 

"Thank God. I've been worried sick." Dougal actually hugged her. She couldn't remember the last time he'd done that. 

Wade put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?" the Sheriff asked gently. 

"I'm fine, but— what's going on here?" 

"I kept trying your cell. Where were you?" Dougal said. 

"I had it off. But what's going on here?" 

She glanced around, scrambling to make sense of all the people, the noise, the vehicles. Spotting Charlotte's sports car, she asked where she was. 

"Charlotte's lying down in the cottage," Dougal said. 

"Did something happen to her?" 

"Just a shock. I found something today, Jamie. I'm sorry. This is going to be hard for you to hear." 

She stared at him, wondering when any of this was going to make sense. Dougal gestured toward an area off in the woods where yellow police tape had cordoned off a large plot of land, including what looked like an old gardening shed. The people around the area were suited up. Crime scene techs, she realized. 

"What did you find, Dougal?" she asked quietly. 

"A body." 

She turned away from the woods, studied her brother's face. Then Wade's. She was going to ask whose. Then, suddenly, she knew. 

"Is it Daisy?" 

Dougal nodded, even as Wade answered more cautiously. 

"We suspect so. We won't get confirmation on that until after the autopsy. But your brother and I both recognized her watch. It's quite unique. She wore it all through high school." 

Jamie clasped her hands to her heart. The worst had been proven true. Daisy hadn't run away from her children. She was dead. When everyone had thought Daisy had gone mad, mitigating the pain had been the hope that one day she would get better. One day she might come back. Now even that hope was gone. As she watched, two paramedics emerged from the woods carrying a stretcher. She stared at the body bag on top of the stretcher. It seemed almost empty. She turned away from the awful sight. 

"What happened to her? How did she die?" 

Wade answered. "From the state of her skull, I'd guess a blow to the head." 

She stared at him, then her brother, in silent horror. Who had done it? Though no one provided an answer, she could tell what they were both thinking. The same thing she was. The most obvious person in cases like this was always the ex-husband, wasn't it? And she couldn't deny that Kyle had been deceitful. 

"Oh my God. Kyle's trips to Sacramento. Was he going there so he could withdraw money from Daisy's account?" 

"We think so," Wade said. 

Dougal pulled her close for a second hug. "I'm sorry, Jamie. When I advised you not to marry him, I never guessed it would be this bad." 

"I was so stupid—" 

"Shh. Don't say that. You saw the best in Kyle. You always had a big heart. Just like Mom. And that's a good thing. But we've got a situation now, and the most important thing is for you to keep away from Kyle until we've sorted it out." 

She nodded. 

"Where are the children?" Wade asked. 

"They're at Wolf Creek Summer Camp. We dropped them off on Sunday. They're supposed to be there for two weeks." 

"Great," Wade said. "At least we know they're safe for now. Now all I'm worried about is you. Obviously it's not a good idea for you to go back to Kyle's place. And you shouldn't be alone, either." 

"You can stay here with Charlotte and me," Dougal offered. 

She shook her head. "Stella will take me in." 

"I have to go back to town in a bit. I'll drive you there," Wade said. 

She wanted to argue. But she was afraid she was about to become very sick.