Trail of Secrets(87)

                “Callie.”

                Her heart fluttered. The memory of Anthony headed toward her on a bulldozer returned, and she shivered. Seth had come to help her. She had to get to him.

                Her voice wouldn’t work right, and the words came out in a whisper. She swallowed and tried again. “Seth.”

                Did he hear her? She waited a moment, and then someone touched her hand. “Callie,” Seth said, “lie still. There’s an ambulance coming. We’ll have you on your way to the hospital in a few minutes.”

                She opened her eyes and stared up into his face. “You came for me,” she whispered.

                He smiled and tightened his hold on her hand. “Of course I came for you. I love you, Callie. I want you to know I don’t expect anything from you. You don’t have to love me in return, but I have to let you know.”

                Tears filled her eyes, and she put her other hand on top of his. “There are things I have to tell you, Seth, but they can wait until later.”

                He nodded. “Yes, after you’re better.”

                The memory of Anthony telling her he was going to kill her returned, and she cringed. “What about Anthony?”

                Seth glanced across the shattered house. “He’s injured, but I think he’ll live.”

                “He killed her,” she said.

                “I know. We found Abby’s body in the other room.”

                She shook her head. “Not Abby. He killed Hope.”

                Seth’s eyebrows arched, and his mouth dropped open. “Hope?”

                “Yes. Her car is buried beside the barn. He used that bulldozer to do it. He was digging a grave for Abby and me.”

                “B-but why Hope?”

                Callie took a deep breath and told him what Anthony had confessed to her before he left to go dig her grave. Seth’s expression changed from shock to anger as she talked.

                “And all these years he tried to stay one step ahead of Uncle Dan to keep his crimes covered up.”

                When she finished, Seth exhaled and shook his head. “I can’t believe he’d be involved in something like this. Not only was he Dan’s friend, he is an officer of the law. He sold out everything that his friends and fellow officers thought he stood for. I don’t imagine the justice system is going to go too easy on him.”

                “Detective Dawtry?”

                Callie glanced up into the face of an officer she didn’t recognize. “Yes?” Seth said.

                “The ambulance just turned off the highway onto the gravel road. ETA is two minutes.”

                “Thanks.” He glanced back down at Callie. “I’ll stay with you until you leave with the ambulance. Then I need to help with this crime scene. I’ll see you later. You said you had some things to tell me.”

                She hoped her smile distracted him from the tears in her eyes. “I do.”

                He tilted his head to one side and leaned closer. “Callie, whatever it is. I know we can work it out.”

                Before she could respond, one of the deputies touched his shoulder. “The ambulance just turned into the yard.”