Free Over Her Dead Body by Bradley Bigato Page A

“Seriously? We really have to do this? It’s just sleepwalking man. I’m not going to attack you.”
    “Put the handcuffs on!” The sheriff said sternly.
    Michael took a long breath and bent and picked up the cuffs and put them on behind his back. The sheriff stepped toward Michael and put the flashlight under his arm again, long enough to clamp the cuffs down extra tight.
    “Goddamn it! That hurts! What the hell are you doing?” Michael yelled. His skin was being pinched in the cuffs.
    The sheriff grabbed the flashlight from between his knees and took a step back. He ignored Michael’s shout of pain and grabbed the CB on his shirt collar. “Base.” He spoke into the CB .
    “Base. Over.”
    “I’ve got a 187. Send backup to Cherry Blossom. I repeat I’ve got a 187. Suspect in custody. Send back up right away. Over.”
    There was a moment of silence. 187 was code for murder and wasn’t used very often in Angel Falls. Leah came back on audibly shook up. “Confirmed. Back up on the way. Over.”
    Michael turned around toward the sheriff. “What’s a…”
    “Turn back around sir!” The sheriff yelled.
    Michael just stood there mouth open. “I don’t under…”
    “Sir, turn around now or I will shoot!” The sheriff said again. 
    Michael couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He turned back toward the tree and mumbled under his breath. “God. You’d shoot me for sleepwalking? What the hell?”
    “I think we’re a little bit beyond sleepwalking.” The sheriff said.
    “I don’t understand. What does that mean? And why’d you call for backup?”
    “Who’s the girl?” The sheriff asked sternly.
    “What girl?” Michael asked still facing the tree.
    “Well that sure as fuck looks like a girl’s hand to me unless you know something I don’t asshole.”
    “Wha..” Michael turned his head and followed the flashlight beam toward the ground. He didn’t see it at first. There were scrape marks in the dirt where he’d been digging. He could feel the dirt packed under his nails. He had made a small cra ter in the dirt but no more than about a foot deep. He followed the shape of the hole upward until he saw it. Right there at the far left a hand hung out from the dirt. It was dirty but the skin looked soft and the protruding nails with orange fingernail polish indicated that it was indeed likely a girl. A dead girl. A dead girl that he dug up. The implications hit him and his face grew pale. He turned and vomited.
    “Get back against the tree.” The sheriff shouted. Michael was leaning over and vomiting. He stayed where he was at until he had finished and leaned back against the tree resting his head on it.
    Michael mumbled something under his breath about this being a dream. He rapped his head against the tree a few times hoping it would jar him awake but no luck.
    They stood there quietly for what seemed like an eternity. Michael, with his head against the tree mumbling to himself and the s heriff with his gun and light pointed at Michael.
    “So who is the girl?” The sheriff asked again while scanning for his backup. He wished they would hurry up and get here. There was no response. “We’re going to find out one way or another so you may as well tell us. Who is she? Girlfriend? Hooker? What?” Still no response. “You know a lesser cop would just shoot you now and save the trouble of having to feed you in prison. Who the fuck is she?”
    “I don’t know.” Michael said. “I don’t even know how I got here.”
    “Right. You just happened to sleepwalk to a random place in the woods next to your house where there just happens to be a dead girl?” Flashing lights appeared through the woods as cars began to arrive. The sheriff flashed his light in the direction signaling their location and then put it back on Michael. “Well, I guess we’ll find out one way or another. I hope they fry your ass.”
    More cars pulled up and soon there were lights and voices all around. Michael was