Limbo

Still In The House?

ASHLEY:

Within just a few minutes, the road and driveway are packed with police cars, fire trucks, and some sort of van that I'm assuming is from the coroner's office, or whatever their system is around here. Whitworth and a couple of other guys are standing around peering into the well with flashlights, while one of the firetrucks is attempting to back up to it without taking out a tree.

I'm sitting on the top of the porch steps, hoping I don't get sick again, when I hear, "Here, Ashley, take this. It should help settle your stomach." I look up, and see Susan standing next to me, holding a can of Seven-Up, and actually not glaring at me for the first time in days.

"Thanks," I reply, accepting the can and taking a drink. "Well, it looks like I've made another mess of things, doesn't it?"

"No, it absolutely does not!" she says emphatically, which is kind of surprising. "You've kept your promise, that's what you've done. Granted, I don't think this is how any of us actually expected it to happen, but at least now maybe she can go on and be at peace."

"Yeah, hopefully so. But this... This is just so... wrong! Who the hell kills their own flesh and blood and dumps them in a well right in front of their own fucking house? Right where they'll have to look at the place day in and day out!"

"A narcissistic control freak like Victor Berridge, that's who," another voice proclaims from the bottom of the stairs. I turn my head, and see Whitworth moving up toward me, followed by the guy who came with him when we found the gun. "This is exactly the sort of thing I would have expected from him, just another way for him to try to prove he was in control. The girl tried to leave, so he made sure she'd never do it again."

"Oh, man, if you only knew how right you were," I think when I hear his words.

"And you have to admit that it made a certain amount of sense, considering that he wasn't counting on having to run," he adds. "Having them there would have guaranteed that he could keep tabs on the bodies, and not have to wonder if anyone might find them. I'll tell you right now, if I'd had any idea when I took over the department that this cistern was there, my first order of business would have been to order it searched."

He pauses, giving me sort of a once-over, then says, "I'm sorry you had to see that, Mr. Purdy, that's never an easy thing. But I need to know exactly what happened here, so do you think you're up to answering some questions?"

"Yeah, I guess so. What do you want to know, exactly?"

His first question is why I was messing with the planter in the first place, and I explain about everyone helping Charlie with the yardwork. After a minute, he holds up a hand and interrupts, asking, "All right, just to make sure I have everything straight, who precisely is this 'Jinxx' you're referring to?"

Pointing toward the other end of the porch, I reply, "That's Jinxx in the gray shirt, right over there."

He taps a couple of times on the tablet he's carrying, looks over at the other guys again, then says, "Ah, yes, Mr. Ferguson. Jurgens, would you mind going over there and taking his statement, while I finish up with Mr. Purdy?"

The other officer goes to talk with Jinxx, while I go over everything with Whitworth, and try to ignore the noises coming from across the yard as they lower somebody down into the well, presumably to figure out how to get the bodies out. He asks a few questions, apparently to clarify certain parts of my statement, then goes over to talk to Charlie, while Andy and CC walk over and sit down next to me on the step. Andy sort of pats me on the shoulder, and CC questions, "Hey, you gonna be okay, bro?"