If Catfish Had Nine Lives(84)

            “Is that the only way to understand what happened to my brother? Is that the only way to understand who killed Norman Bytheway?”

            Joe nodded, but I could tell he wasn’t completely sure.

            “How in the world are we supposed to finish the last letter?”

            “I think that we need to find Astin’s remains, that’s all.”

            “That’s all?”

            “I know. It sounds next to impossible, but I think we’re getting closer. I think your friend Jerome is getting closer.”

            “And yet, you don’t you like him? Why?”

            “I don’t know him, and I’m uncomfortable around those I don’t know.”

            What a strange comment for a ghost to make.

            “Joe—that makes no sense. I’m having a hard time coming up with a logical response to anything you’re saying.”

            Joe shrugged.

            I wanted to question Esther. At that point, I wasn’t even quite sure how to get out of it. Thanks for your willingness to share, but I’m not interested anymore wasn’t going to work. And I really, really wanted to know what she had to say. It didn’t seem right not to find out what she knew. I looked hard at Joe, but I didn’t sense anything. And then the horse nudged my shoulder with his nose. It was when I looked at its brown eyes that I somehow understood the need to wait until the last letter was finished. It was something I’d never comprehend or be able to explain, but those big brown glimmering eyes did me in, and I suddenly got it, whatever “it” was. Or had I been covertly hypnotized?

            “Okay,” I mumbled.

            I was grateful to see Cliff at the edge of the campsite. He waved before he jogged across the path. I put the silent phone back into my pocket and went to join Esther.

            “We’ll talk later,” I said conspiratorially to her.

            “Sounds good,” she said with a note of relief.

            “Hi,” Cliff said as he joined us. “Cliff Sebastian.” He extended his hand to Esther. If she’d talked to any of the police officers before, it must not have been him.

            “Esther Reagal.”

            “You two hear the commotion?” Cliff asked.

            “Yes, is everyone okay?” I asked.

            “Fine. Thankfully, no one was hurt. A real gun with a real bullet was fired, but it didn’t hit anyone.”

            “Whose gun?”

            Cliff shrugged. If he knew, he’d tell me later, when we didn’t have an audience.

            “It’s all taken care of,” he said. “You’re welcome to come on over there if you’d like.”

            Cliff might have thought that Esther and I had run away from the noise. Neither of us offered up that we’d been at the station the whole time.

            “Thank you, and excuse me. I think I will go over and see what’s going on,” Esther said before she scurried off as though she decided she actually didn’t want to tell me about the letter and was glad for the chance to get away.

            “I’ll find you later,” Joe said before he turned to follow Esther. The horse glanced at me with what I interpreted as gratitude and then followed behind its rider.

            “Cliff, what happened?” I asked as they all disappeared into the crowd.