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home. The guy was usually sleeping it off with his mistress or a hooker, or he was out all night gambling—something that was usually explainable. We didn’t do anything unless he was gone for forty-eight hours. Are you following me?”
    “I am. And we have the same kind of stuff happen over in Gladestown as well. However, this wasn’t just anybody. It was Roy Johnson. And she told me he walked down Gladestown Road at night after he’d been drinking. That road is surrounded by swamp and we have reports all the time about gators walking across it. There’s been a drought this winter that’s extended through the start of the spring and the gators are aggressive because it’s mating season. He could have fallen into the swamp. The wife asked me to go out and look for him and I did.”
    Vern just shook his head. He didn’t know shit about gators himself.
    “Let’s go see the sheriff,” he said.
    Sheriff Frank Cousins was waiting for them. Sheriff Cousins was a politician. He knew that the incident had to be reported to the state and the feds. He also knew this story was going to get out and probably be big news, even if Roy Johnson showed up tomorrow. He extended his hand to Carlisle.
    “How are you, Carlisle?” he said, putting his left arm on Carlisle’s shoulder like they were old friends.
    “I’m fine, Sheriff.”
    Vern filled him in on the particulars.
    “Did you bring those two pieces of evidence with you?” the sheriff asked.
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Fine. I want you to sign them into the property room as soon as you leave my office. We’ll send them to the FBI lab for testing immediately. I’d like a full written report on your investigation by the end of today. Can you do that?”
    “Yes, sir. If you give me a computer, I can type it up while I’m here.”
    “Good, good. I’m assigning Vern to work with you on this case. I want you to report everything that happens in town to him. We are assuming the press might get a hold of this story in the near future, and I don’t want you to talk to them. Refer everything to Vern or me, you got that?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “Good, good. You’re an auxiliary officer and a good one, but we need trained personnel handling this investigation. You understand, don’t you?”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “You’ve done a tremendous job, Carlisle. You may end up a deputy yet when all this is over.”
    “Thank you, sir.”

Chapter Ten
    S usan was sitting in the living room waiting for Kevin to come home from work. It was not like him to be over an hour late and not call. She wasn’t particularly alarmed or even upset. She was hungry. There was nothing in the house to eat, and she had made the decision earlier that they were going to go out rather than shop and cook. Kevin had five more minutes or she was going alone.
    It was as if he had eavesdropped on her thoughts because five minutes later Kevin walked through the door. He kind of lurched in actually, his shoulders slumped, his tie loose, and his head hanging forward like a limp ostrich. As she approached him, Susan smelled the alcohol and the cigarettes.
    “Kevin, you smell like a saloon. Where have you been?”
    Kevin lifted his head and gave her a deranged smile. “Hi, honey, I love you too.”
    He lunged for her and she caught him, afraid that if she stepped out of the way he would hurl himself headfirst into the furniture. He was quite drunk, which was unusual since he was not much of a drinker. “You’ll be happy to know I’m going out on my own immediately.” He slurred the words as she struggled to hold him upright.
    “When did you make that decision?”
    “I didn’t. The Rug made it for me. He even had his trusty bodyguard escort me out of the building.”
    The Rug was their nickname for Bernie who, unbeknownst to most, wore a very expensive toupee. He was going to replace the toupee with implants but he had not yet made the transition.
    There was no sense talking about it now. Kevin was in no position