Secrets in a Still Life by Kari Ganske

Author:Kari Ganske [Ganske, Kari]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blue Heron Press
Published: 2021-05-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

We opted to park in the reservoir parking lot since that path was more worn. My ankle felt loads better, but with moving today, I didn't want to press it. I texted my parents to tell them we were going out "for supplies." Yes, I was thirtysomething, but I didn't want them to worry if they came back to an empty apartment. And, given their history of missing children, they would definitely worry. We made our way to the spot where I'd taken the picture. I sat on a tree stump to rest my ankle and pointed in the general direction.

"Somewhere over there," I said, massaging the aching muscle. Probably I'd overdone it today what with moving and now hiking. I made a mental note to ice it when I got home. If I could find ice in my new place.

Colleen poked around in the grass and rocks. Then her head popped up suddenly. "I think I found it!"

"Don't touch it! Let me take a picture of it first. That way, in case it is Missy's, we will only be in a little bit of trouble from the police," I said. I limped over to Colleen and shot from several angles.

"We should have brought gloves," Colleen said in a hushed whisper as if we were superspies.

I replied in my normal voice. "For what?"

"There could be fingerprints on it! We don't want to contaminate the evidence when we touch it. 'Cause we're totally gonna touch it, right?"

I looked down at the locket. The smart thing to do would be to call the police. Of course, if this did turn out to belong to Missy, Chief Duncan would find it super suspicious that I was once again the one to find it. Definitely not a plus in the Alex is Innocent column.

On the other hand, if I didn't tell them about it and it did turn out to be evidence, that looked just as suspicious. Rock and a hard place. Again. I'd found myself in that particular spot too often for comfort lately.

"Find a stick," I said. "A pointy one."

"Are we going to poke at it?" Colleen asked with a chuckle. "People usually do that with dead bodies not jewelry."

I scowled at her. "If I can see the front, I could tell you if it belonged to Missy or not. Then we can decide if we're going to open it."

"Fine," Colleen conceded. She disappeared into the brush returning a moment later with a pointy stick. "Will this do?"

I took it from her and bent down to turn it over. But between the weight of the camera around my neck and trying to balance on one foot, I almost tipped face forward into the dirt.

"Let me do it," Colleen said. She took the stick and easily flicked the locket over. Not only was it Missy's locket—the engraved MVP on the front clearly visible—but the chain was also broken. I took several more pictures, making sure to get one of the clasp still locked tight.

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