Free Silver's Bones by Midge Bubany Page A

was stacked with boxes three feet high. A hefty young man was sitting in a wheelchair watching television in the living room. I fought the urge to go pick up the pop cans and food wrappers littering the floor by his chair.
    He looked up and smiled. “Hello,” he said. He had his mother’s hair and freckles.
    â€œThis is our oldest son, Neal. He was wounded in Iraq,” Patty said.
    He turned down the volume and turned his chair toward us. We shook hands.
    â€œNational Guard?” Troy asked.
    â€œNo, regular army,” he said. He patted his legs. “Took it in the spine, but coulda been worse. Two of my buddies died.”
    â€œSorry to hear that,” I said.
    â€œWe’re grateful he came home to us,” Mrs. Summers said. “We made changes for Neal. We fixed up the downstairs bedroom for him and had a bathroom installed, and we moved upstairs.”
    â€œWas your living room furniture in the same spots?” Troy asked.
    â€œNo, we moved everything so Neal can get through easier. The couch used to be perpendicular to the wall and the TV was in the other corner. ”
    â€œSo your bedroom was here at that point?” I asked.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhen Silver Rae sat for you, did she stay awake until you got home?” I asked.
    â€œWe always told her to sleep on our bed, but she never did, even if it was late.”
    â€œIf you don’t mind, could we see the upstairs?” Troy said.
    â€œSure.” We followed her through a door off the living room and up a set of dark wooden steps.
    â€œThere are three bedrooms up there. At that time the two younger boys slept in the bedroom at the top of the stairs on the left, and Neal had his own room down the hall, above the living room here. Not a thing was disturbed anywhere,” she said.
    We did a quick walk through. None of the beds were made, clothes were strewn about, and the rooms all smelled like dirty socks. How would anyone know if anything had been disturbed with housekeeping like this? Clutter was the natural state.
    We returned to the living room.
    â€œNeal, I understand Parker Gage was with Silver Rae when she picked you up from the reception?” Troy asked.
    â€œYeah, all I remember about him was that he tried to be funny, but he wasn’t.”
    â€œSo, did he help Silver Rae get you ready for bed?” he asked.
    â€œNah, he just watched TV while she tried to get us down, which was no easy task, I guess.”
    I asked, “After you were in bed, did you hear any sounds coming from downstairs?”
    â€œI didn’t, but you should talk to Matt. When’s he gonna get back from town, Ma?”
    â€œAny time now. He went to pick up a part for the combine.” She looked out the living room window and said, “Oh, here he is now.”
    Troy and I followed Mrs. Summers into the kitchen to wait for Matt. Neal wheeled in behind us.
    â€œWhat about your other son? Where does he live? “ I asked.
    â€œDallas. Rick doesn’t know any more than Neal. Once they were down, both those boys slept like rocks,” she said.
    â€œMrs. Summers, did you know Parker Gage was here with Silver?” I asked.
    â€œI found out the next day when our boys told the investigator. I wouldn’t have cared, but it would’ve been nice to know.”
    The patio door slid open and Matt entered. His eyes traveled from us to his mother. “Where’s Dad?”
    â€œHe’s out in the northwest field. Told me to have you call him when you got back, but that can wait. Come in for a sec. The deputies have some questions for ya.”
    Matt Summers entered and introductions were made. He resembled his brother with his blond hair and big belly. He was about five-foot-ten and weighed 200 to 225 pounds.
    â€œWhy don’t you sit down here in the kitchen,” Mrs. Summers said as she began clearing the table, strewn with newspapers and farm magazines, and moving them to an