MOON FALL Read Online Free Page A
Author: Tamara Thorne
"You can't do it by yourself. Hand him up."
"He's dead." John's emotions, so ordinary a moment ago, nearly choked him now.
"I know. Let us help you."
With that, Paul reached down, and somehow, with those skinny little arms, pulled Greg up to the rock, then turned toward Doug, who reached down from his perch and took the body. John watched it all, until, waiting on the cliff's edge, Beano Franklin pulled the body up and out of sight
"John?" Paul Pricket, his eyes dark, agonized, watched him. ''Take my hand, John."
Dumbly he stared at Paul's fingers. Greg was dead, and it was all his fault.
"John!"
Unthinking, be grabbed Paul's hand and hoisted himself up, then waited while Paul climbed the rest of the way. He stood on the rock, unwilling or unable to move, and after a moment, he looked toward the waterfall.
Far above, on the bridge over the top of the Falls, he saw the old witch, Minerva Payne, looking down at him, her gaze inscrutable. He looked away and began climbing. When he reached the ridge, she was gone.
PART TWO
August 1996
Five
"Who found her?"
Sheriff John Lawson swallowed hard and forced himself to look over the edge of the cliff. "Anonymous caller. Female. Scotty didn't recognize the voice. So, do you think it's a suicide?"
"Can't say yet." Frank Cutter, Moonfall's physician and coroner, scratched his round jowls thoughtfully. ''But I wouldn't be surprised. Wouldn't be surprised if it's foul play, either. You okay?"
John could feel the doctor's eyes on him. "Yeah." Standing on the cliff at the rim of the Mezzanine at Witch Falls, staring down at the pond, at his deputy taking photos of the woman's body floating just below the water's surface, was almost more than he could bear. It reminded him too much of that terrible day over twenty years ago, when Greg . . . God I hate this place!
Until now, he'd returned only three times since the accident: once on the one-year anniversary of Greg's death, again after Doug Buckman committed suicide here at age sixteen, and finally, six years ago, as a deputy investigating the death of a John Doe. Each time, it was more difficult and he wondered what he had ever seen in this place. "I'm fine," he said at last, not looking at Cutter, noticing instead the early morning dew, already drying under the rising August sun.
"Go ahead."
At the sound of his deputy's voice, John glanced down. Scotty Carroll was putting the lens cap on his camera as two EMTs waded into the red-tinged pool and began maneuvering the body into a stretcher basket they would use to haul up the corpse. As he watched, Scotty began climbing back up the same trail John had traveled so long ago. A moment later he arrived topside, wet to the waist and shivering despite the fact that it was already warm out. The water was always chill.
"Her wrists are slit." Scotty's face was pale. This was his first dead body.
John nodded. ''Go on back and get changed, then take care of the film."
The young man nodded gratefully and walked off, keeping to the edges of the clearing to try to avoid damaging any evidence that might still be waiting.
"Suicide, then," John said to Cutter.
"I'll tell you after the autopsy." He eyed the sheriff. "It's not like you to make snap judgments, John."
Morning sunlight streamed through the pines, highlighted the flowers, and glinted off the waterfall. The air smelled fresh and warm, fragrant with the forest and the cold scent of water. The Mezzanine was a beautiful meadow, but he hated it with all his heart. He feared it. "I'm not judging, Frank. I'm hoping."
"John, you've got to let it go someday."
His eyes burned. He couldn't look at Cutter. "I know." He shielded his eyes against the sun and stared up at the top of Witch Falls, half-expecting to see Minerva Payne, the old witch, watching him.
Six
The Moonfall sheriff's office had changed very little since John Lawson's father had been in command. Located in the town's historic business
"He's dead." John's emotions, so ordinary a moment ago, nearly choked him now.
"I know. Let us help you."
With that, Paul reached down, and somehow, with those skinny little arms, pulled Greg up to the rock, then turned toward Doug, who reached down from his perch and took the body. John watched it all, until, waiting on the cliff's edge, Beano Franklin pulled the body up and out of sight
"John?" Paul Pricket, his eyes dark, agonized, watched him. ''Take my hand, John."
Dumbly he stared at Paul's fingers. Greg was dead, and it was all his fault.
"John!"
Unthinking, be grabbed Paul's hand and hoisted himself up, then waited while Paul climbed the rest of the way. He stood on the rock, unwilling or unable to move, and after a moment, he looked toward the waterfall.
Far above, on the bridge over the top of the Falls, he saw the old witch, Minerva Payne, looking down at him, her gaze inscrutable. He looked away and began climbing. When he reached the ridge, she was gone.
PART TWO
August 1996
Five
"Who found her?"
Sheriff John Lawson swallowed hard and forced himself to look over the edge of the cliff. "Anonymous caller. Female. Scotty didn't recognize the voice. So, do you think it's a suicide?"
"Can't say yet." Frank Cutter, Moonfall's physician and coroner, scratched his round jowls thoughtfully. ''But I wouldn't be surprised. Wouldn't be surprised if it's foul play, either. You okay?"
John could feel the doctor's eyes on him. "Yeah." Standing on the cliff at the rim of the Mezzanine at Witch Falls, staring down at the pond, at his deputy taking photos of the woman's body floating just below the water's surface, was almost more than he could bear. It reminded him too much of that terrible day over twenty years ago, when Greg . . . God I hate this place!
Until now, he'd returned only three times since the accident: once on the one-year anniversary of Greg's death, again after Doug Buckman committed suicide here at age sixteen, and finally, six years ago, as a deputy investigating the death of a John Doe. Each time, it was more difficult and he wondered what he had ever seen in this place. "I'm fine," he said at last, not looking at Cutter, noticing instead the early morning dew, already drying under the rising August sun.
"Go ahead."
At the sound of his deputy's voice, John glanced down. Scotty Carroll was putting the lens cap on his camera as two EMTs waded into the red-tinged pool and began maneuvering the body into a stretcher basket they would use to haul up the corpse. As he watched, Scotty began climbing back up the same trail John had traveled so long ago. A moment later he arrived topside, wet to the waist and shivering despite the fact that it was already warm out. The water was always chill.
"Her wrists are slit." Scotty's face was pale. This was his first dead body.
John nodded. ''Go on back and get changed, then take care of the film."
The young man nodded gratefully and walked off, keeping to the edges of the clearing to try to avoid damaging any evidence that might still be waiting.
"Suicide, then," John said to Cutter.
"I'll tell you after the autopsy." He eyed the sheriff. "It's not like you to make snap judgments, John."
Morning sunlight streamed through the pines, highlighted the flowers, and glinted off the waterfall. The air smelled fresh and warm, fragrant with the forest and the cold scent of water. The Mezzanine was a beautiful meadow, but he hated it with all his heart. He feared it. "I'm not judging, Frank. I'm hoping."
"John, you've got to let it go someday."
His eyes burned. He couldn't look at Cutter. "I know." He shielded his eyes against the sun and stared up at the top of Witch Falls, half-expecting to see Minerva Payne, the old witch, watching him.
Six
The Moonfall sheriff's office had changed very little since John Lawson's father had been in command. Located in the town's historic business
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