Dead Deceiver by Victoria Houston Read Free Book Online Page B

answer tonight we can take care of in the morning, but it’s pretty boilerplate and maybe will take us less than half an hour at the most.”
    Looking over at the ranger, Osborne extended his hand again and said, “Lorene, we haven’t met. I’m Dr. Paul Osborne. Don’t know if Chief Ferris mentioned I would be filling in for Mr. Pecore?”
    “Lorene Manson, Dr. Osborne,” said the forest ranger. “Yes, Chief Ferris told me she was lucky to be able to bring you in on this tonight. I know you need to complete some paperwork so let me give you two some privacy.” She walked over to join Lew, who was deep in conversation with the EMTs.
    “This way, Rob,” said Osborne, motioning for Rob to follow him over to the large ATV, “let’s take a seat here.”
    They settled into the front of the four-wheeler and Osborne pulled a clipboard from his medical bag. Rob answered his questions in a voice that grew more clipped with each query. When Osborne had to ask for the names and addresses of Kathy’s parents, Osborne could see that the poor guy was barely holding it together. “That’s enough for now,” said Osborne, slipping the clipboard back into his bag.
    “Dr. Osborne,” said Rob, his eyes full of pain, “what do I do now? What the hell do I do now? How do I tell our children? Oh, my God,” he said, and wept.
    Osborne put an arm around his shoulders. He had no idea how to answer.
    Two years earlier, after the trauma team had taken Mary Lee off life support at three a.m. that winter morning, he had asked himself the same question: What the hell do I do now?
    He had been fortunate not to be alone. In spite of knowing that Mary Lee Osborne was the “anonymous party” lodging complaints with the town board in hopes of forcing him off his property, Ray Pradt had not hesitated for an instant when he got Osborne’s call.
    “It’s my wife, Ray,” Osborne had said in a voice quivering with panic. “She’s having trouble breathing and the fever has spiked. I’ve got to get her to the hospital but the ambulance can’t—” That was all Osborne had to say.
    Though it was after midnight at the height of a raging blizzard with sub-zero temps and winds gusting forty miles an hour, Ray had stopped him before he could say more. “It’ll take me five to bolt the plow on the truck. Wrap her up real warm. Be sure to cover her face and I’ll be right there, Doc. You call the hospital and tell ‘em we’re on our way.”
    He had waited with Osborne while the emergency team worked. He was still there when Osborne got the news. Even as Osborne sat silent and stunned for a good half hour, gathering the strength to call his daughters—Ray stayed with him. Quiet. Ready to help in any way he could.
    “Do you have a close friend we can reach by cell phone? Someone who might be able to help you out tonight?” said Osborne. “I’ll make the call for you.”
    Rob was silent for a few beats then said, “Yes, I do know someone I would like to call. One of my colleagues in our engineering office. He and his wife are close friends of ours … I think I can make that call.” Looking down, he patted his jacket pockets. “Looks like I left my cell phone in my car.”
    Peering over Rob’s shoulder, Osborne noticed that the EMTs had begun their preparations to move the body. This he really did not want Rob to see.
    “You are welcome to use mine,” said Osborne, handing over his cell phone, “but I suggest you stand close to the lake. You’re likely to get better reception.”
    Rob climbed out of the ATV and walked across the trail to stand on the bank of the small lake. As he placed the call to his friend, Osborne got out of the ATV and walked onto the bridge. He looked out over the ice towards the distant shore then turned to follow the sound of open water noisy in the night air.
    The lake was to the south of the bridge and its water spilled under the bridge to flow north, up and into the swamp. As he watched the current, it