Gone to Ground by Brandilyn Collins Page A
Authors: Brandilyn Collins
Tags: Christian - Suspense
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eyes. And his face looked worn. Come to think of it, John had looked awful tired too. If the Amaryllis police force was lackin in sleep, it could only be due to the pressure of findin the Closet Killer. And that pressure made it all the more likely they'd pin the murders on the easiest suspect.
The station phone rang. Chris answered it. Dully I listened to his end of the conversation. Apparently the caller had heard rumors about arrest and wanted confirmation. "Sorry, ma'am, I can't talk about that right now. Rest assured as soon as we have news to tell the town, we will."
Hope glimmered in his voice.
My stomach turned over.
As Chris hung up, Ted Arnoldson came in the door. Terrific. In my eyes Ted rated not much higher than my ex. The man was full of himself, walkin with a swagger and puttin on airs. Judgin by his off-duty designer clothes and the sports car he drove, Ted had to be up to his eyeballs in debt. Police officers don't make that much money. But Ted always had to appear better than everybody else. Why in the world did I ever have a crush on that man?
Ted gave me a curt nod. "Deena."
I stalked out of the station to wait for Trent outside.
After two excruciatin minutes he pulled up to the curb across the street. He ran over, wavin to somebody up the road. I turned to see Theodore Stets outside the drugstore, peerin at me. "They take Stevie in?" Theodore called.
Forget half the town. All of Amaryllis knew by now. I looked away, my throat locked tight.
Trent took my elbow and pulled me close to the police station, out of the sun. "Tell me what you know."
I regarded him, suddenly half-sorry I'd called. Was this Trent, the man in love with me, askin? Or Trent the reporter?
"I told you what I know."
Trent gave me a keen look. Fine, let him wonder.
He shook his head. "He'll need an attorney."
"He hasn't got any money for one, you know that. And neither do I."
"Then he'll be assigned a public defender. But sounds like a lot of damage is already done. The attorney will have to work backwards. I mean, you have to wonderâis Stevie even capable of understanding his Miranda rights? If a lawyer could get everything he says in there thrown outâthat would be major."
Wait, this was all too fast. Trent was talkin how to mount a defense, and I was still hopin I could just take Stevie home.
"Maybe my brother won't say anything. You know how he is when he's corneredâhe just shuts down. The more scared he is, the more he refuses to talk."
Or he'd lie. And if the police caught him tellin lies . . .
The door to the station opened. I jerked my head up to see Chief Cotter step out, holdin Stevie by the arm. John was close behind. My brother's wrists were cuffed, and his face looked like a steel mask.
"Where you goin? What'r you doin?" I jumped around Trent to stand in their path.
"Deena, move aside." Chief Cotter's crisp tone warned he was out of patience.
"Butâ"
The chief pulled to a halt and shot me a look like a laser beam. "We've arrested your brother for the murder of Erika Hollinger. He's on his way to the county jail." He pushed me aside and escorted Stevie to his police car. John opened the back door, Chief Cotter pressed Stevie's head down, and they forced him in.
As they drove away I stood rooted to a sidewalk that dipped and rolled, and threatened to swallow me whole.
http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2010-Feature-Writing
2010 Pulitzer Prize
Feature Writing
The Jackson Bugle
Gone to Ground
What happens to a small, quiet Southern town when evil invades in the form of a serial killer?
By: Trent Williams
October 29, 2010
(Excerpt)
Adam Cotter came to Amaryllis as chief of police a decade ago, upon retiring from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation after 25 years. The MBI is a branch of the state's Highway Patrol and a not unusual gateway through which small-town Mississippi can acquire experienced chiefs of police. Amaryllis was thrilled to welcome Adam Cotter, who hailed from the
The station phone rang. Chris answered it. Dully I listened to his end of the conversation. Apparently the caller had heard rumors about arrest and wanted confirmation. "Sorry, ma'am, I can't talk about that right now. Rest assured as soon as we have news to tell the town, we will."
Hope glimmered in his voice.
My stomach turned over.
As Chris hung up, Ted Arnoldson came in the door. Terrific. In my eyes Ted rated not much higher than my ex. The man was full of himself, walkin with a swagger and puttin on airs. Judgin by his off-duty designer clothes and the sports car he drove, Ted had to be up to his eyeballs in debt. Police officers don't make that much money. But Ted always had to appear better than everybody else. Why in the world did I ever have a crush on that man?
Ted gave me a curt nod. "Deena."
I stalked out of the station to wait for Trent outside.
After two excruciatin minutes he pulled up to the curb across the street. He ran over, wavin to somebody up the road. I turned to see Theodore Stets outside the drugstore, peerin at me. "They take Stevie in?" Theodore called.
Forget half the town. All of Amaryllis knew by now. I looked away, my throat locked tight.
Trent took my elbow and pulled me close to the police station, out of the sun. "Tell me what you know."
I regarded him, suddenly half-sorry I'd called. Was this Trent, the man in love with me, askin? Or Trent the reporter?
"I told you what I know."
Trent gave me a keen look. Fine, let him wonder.
He shook his head. "He'll need an attorney."
"He hasn't got any money for one, you know that. And neither do I."
"Then he'll be assigned a public defender. But sounds like a lot of damage is already done. The attorney will have to work backwards. I mean, you have to wonderâis Stevie even capable of understanding his Miranda rights? If a lawyer could get everything he says in there thrown outâthat would be major."
Wait, this was all too fast. Trent was talkin how to mount a defense, and I was still hopin I could just take Stevie home.
"Maybe my brother won't say anything. You know how he is when he's corneredâhe just shuts down. The more scared he is, the more he refuses to talk."
Or he'd lie. And if the police caught him tellin lies . . .
The door to the station opened. I jerked my head up to see Chief Cotter step out, holdin Stevie by the arm. John was close behind. My brother's wrists were cuffed, and his face looked like a steel mask.
"Where you goin? What'r you doin?" I jumped around Trent to stand in their path.
"Deena, move aside." Chief Cotter's crisp tone warned he was out of patience.
"Butâ"
The chief pulled to a halt and shot me a look like a laser beam. "We've arrested your brother for the murder of Erika Hollinger. He's on his way to the county jail." He pushed me aside and escorted Stevie to his police car. John opened the back door, Chief Cotter pressed Stevie's head down, and they forced him in.
As they drove away I stood rooted to a sidewalk that dipped and rolled, and threatened to swallow me whole.
http://www.pulitzer.org/works/2010-Feature-Writing
2010 Pulitzer Prize
Feature Writing
The Jackson Bugle
Gone to Ground
What happens to a small, quiet Southern town when evil invades in the form of a serial killer?
By: Trent Williams
October 29, 2010
(Excerpt)
Adam Cotter came to Amaryllis as chief of police a decade ago, upon retiring from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation after 25 years. The MBI is a branch of the state's Highway Patrol and a not unusual gateway through which small-town Mississippi can acquire experienced chiefs of police. Amaryllis was thrilled to welcome Adam Cotter, who hailed from the
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