Free Something About Sophie by Mary Kay McComas

sure? I’m not as wimpy as I must seem right now. I wasn’t expecting . . . it’s a shock is all. I can stay. You shouldn’t have to deal with this alone.”
    â€œThere’s isn’t anything for me to deal with. Once the cops get here, they’ll handle it. Go ahead. I’ll be along in a few minutes.”
    There was no point arguing—she’d rather be the full-time poop scooper at Kaufman Dog Park and the vomit monitor during flu season at her school than contend with the huge strew of blood.
    â€œA nd you’re sure you’ve never seen the victim before this morning?” This was the third time Sheriff Murphy posed the same question. He was a tall, sandy-haired man in his midforties—very serious and awfully intimidating in his efforts to be thorough.
    â€œYes. I’m positive.” But that was all she was sure of. Her ankles and the tips of her fingers were numb—and vomiting again was not out of the question.
    â€œAnd you’re certain it was the same man because you recognized the truck?”
    â€œYes. Well, and the green hat.”
    â€œSo seeing a man in a blue truck, wearing a green hat convinced you that he was watching you?”
    â€œFor crying out loud, Freddy!” A disconcerted Jesse sprang from her chair to begin pacing again. “Pay attention!”
    â€œMom,” Mike said, but she ignored him.
    â€œHow many times does the girl need to tell you? This morning, at the hospital, was the first time she’d ever seen him in her life. He stared at her from across the street and then drove off. She thought it was weird but didn’t put too much stock in it. She was here with me the rest of the day until Drew showed up for their date. They left the house and she saw him, for the second time in her life, parked up the street in front of the Levy’s house. She mentioned both encounters to Drew, who decided to go say hello to Cliff and find out why he was watching Sophie. And that’s when they found him dead in his truck and . . . my God, who would do such a thing? I know lots of us have wanted to at one time or another—he was a miserable excuse for a man but . . . who would do it? I saw Carla at the grocery store the day before yesterday. Poor thing’s so flighty . . . if there’d been anything amiss at home she’d have been a wreck. But she was as calm as she ever gets, the kids were with her— Who would do this?” She stopped to glare at the sheriff. “Don’t make me sorry I voted for you, Freddy. If you accuse Sophie again I’ll . . . I’ll run for sheriff myself next time. And I won’t need a badge to see when someone is so obviously innocent.”
    Sheriff Murphy glared back. “First off, Ms. Halleron, I’m not accusing anyone of anything,” he said, walking toward her. And when he was close enough, he muttered under his breath, “You call me Freddy again and I’ll arrest you .” He turned back to Sophie and Drew, sitting on the couch. “And secondly: sometimes, if a witness repeats what happened more than once, they can recall additional facts like: Did he speak to anyone this morning or did he seem agitated; could there have been anyone with him, in the truck bed maybe, or . . .”
    He looked into the foyer when the front door opened and a deputy walked in holding a camera sealed in a plastic bag.
    â€œHey, Mike,” Jesse said.
    â€œJesse.” He nodded, approaching the sheriff. He glanced at Sophie. “Ma’am.”
    â€œHow’s it going out there?” Drew asked, having seen the officer earlier.
    â€œIt’ll be a while yet.” He looked to his boss. “I thought you should see this right away. I noticed it was still on when I bagged it. I meant to turn it off—to save the battery—but this first picture showed up on the screen. I looked at the others.