by Renee Marski
Clara raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
He sighed. "She thinks that if Katy hadn't been mad at Patricia, she would've been at the house that afternoon instead of off by herself. Patricia blames herself."
"And doesn't strike you as a killer?"
He shook his head.
"Thought so. Doesn't really strike me as one either. Maddy mentioned she'd taken acting classes a couple of years back but her reaction at the news of Katy's death was just so genuine, it didn't seem fake to me."
"Me either. She even offered to take a polygraph. That alone tells me she didn't do it."
Clara ran her fingers through her hair and sat back. "Any thoughts on who did?"
He shook his head. "Not yet. Finding the murder weapon would certainly help. Fingerprints on it could lead us to the killer."
"Did the same weapon kill both Katy and Gretchen?"
The deputy looked surprised but covered it quickly. "You think they're connected too?"
Clara nodded. "Both killed at the camp? Has to be the same person. I just don't know who."
He scratched at something on the tabletop, his nails moving back and forth. "Same here. But I'll find out. Promise." The waitress brought their food and gave the deputy a big smile as she set it down on the table. He smiled back, then pulled apart the sandwich to add ketchup before putting it back together. Clara watched the process with a smirk.
"My older brother does that. Says they never stack it right."
He nodded. "He's not wrong. Everyone just kind of throws it together." He took a bite and nodded at how good it tasted.
Clara popped a fry into her mouth, considering her next question. "I think we need to talk about Tracy."
The deputy stopped chewing. He cocked an eyebrow at her, then swallowed and took a swig of water. "Really? What about her?"
Clara played with the edge of her plate, worry eating at her. Tracy might get mad at her, but she felt she had to say something. "What happens after the summer when she goes back up north?"
He drizzled dressing over his salad, not making eye contact. "We keep in touch, see where it goes."
"Didn't you offer that to Gretchen?"
He set down the dressing, finally looking at her. "I see. You think because I wasn't willing to make it work with Gretchen, that I'll break Tracy's heart. I'd never do that."
"But Gretchen-"
"Gretchen had her own plans. She wanted to go out to California and go to some big, fancy school. She never had any intention of coming back here. And I was fine with that. I understood that she needed to follow her dreams. That didn't mean I had to give up mine too." He took a bite of salad. The crunch of the lettuce distracted Clara for a moment. She ate another fry, enjoying the salt mixed with the ketchup. "Tracy doesn't have those kinds of dreams. She wants to settle down somewhere, be happy. She's going to get her teaching degree. When she does, she's considering coming back here to teach and see where this goes. She said she could continue working at the camp too, which she really seems to enjoy."
Clara's shoulders sagged in relief. "I'm sorry. I know it's not my place, but I was worried about her." Clara sighed. "I guess I could've asked Tracy first."
He held up a hand and smiled. "It's okay. Tracy warned me one of you girls might come bugging me about my intentions. She thought Hannah would be the one to do it, in all honesty. I was well prepared for this conversation." They ate their food in silence, enjoying the flavor and the vibe of the diner. It was relaxing after the week they'd both had.
He drove her back to the van and leaned into the window as she started it up. "It may not seem like it now but we'll catch whoever did this. You can count on it." Clara nodded and watched him walk back inside. While he seemed confident, Clara was worried. She had to find the murder weapon if they had any chance of figuring out who did it. But for all they knew, it was at the bottom of the lake.
17. PATRICIA’S BELIEFS
C lara wondered whether she should say anything to Tracy about her talk with the deputy when she got back to the camp. Deciding that if she didn't, he would, she found Tracy in the barn, brushing down one of the horses. Tracy noticed Clara watching her and motioned her over, then handed her another brush. "Go on, he likes it." Clara joined her, finding the repetitive motion to be soothing.
"Hey, so I spoke to the deputy today." Clara grimaced at the blurted words.
Tracy glanced over at her, smiling. "About?"
"His intentions with you."
Tracy laughed, the sound filling the whole barn. Her face turned red. "Oh, Clara. I knew one of you would. I honestly expected it to be Hannah. She's so overprotective."
Clara shrugged. "I think I just got to him first." She smiled. "So, thinking of moving here, huh?"
Tracy nodded. "I love it here. It's so peaceful. I love the camp. I can see why Katy enjoyed it so much. These girls, they're special. They need us. And I can teach during the school year. Maybe help these same girls."
Clara's heart felt like it would burst at how sweet Tracy sounded. "And it doesn't hurt that a certain deputy is here too?"
Tracy giggled. "He's grown on me, I think."
Clara set down the brush and pulled in Tracy for a hug. "As long as you're happy, that's all I care about. I'll come to visit any time you want."
Tracy smiled up at her. "Texas isn't that far from Tennessee."
Clara barked out a laugh. "What makes you think I'm going to stay in Texas?"
Tracy shrugged, then went back to brushing the horse. "Just a certain police officer you can't seem to get away from."
Clara bit her lip and picked her brush back up. "But I'm with Anthony."
Tracy glanced over at her. "Clara, young love is nice, but it's young. It thinks nothing can break it. If you truly wanted to be with him, that ring would be back on your finger right now. But it's not, because you have doubts. Because you have feelings for someone else."
Clara sighed. "But what if I break up with Anthony and Will doesn't want me?"
Tracy shook her head. "Doesn't want you? That boy is so into you, anyone can see it. I bet Anthony can see it." Tracy ran a hand through the horse's mane. "I get that it's scary. There's always the chance of rejection. But can you honestly say you'd be happy with Anthony if you didn't at least see what was possible between you and Will? That you'd be happy, with no regrets?"
Clara sighed, clutching the brush in her hands. "No, I wouldn't. I'd always wonder ‘what if.' And that's not fair to Anthony either."
Tracy nodded. "Exactly. Talk to him. He knows something's up. He's not stupid. Just let him down easy."
Clara huffed. "I don't wanna break his heart."
Tracy gave her a sad smile. "In this instance, I don't think you can avoid that." They finished in silence. Clara turned Tracy's words over in her head. Tracy wasn't wrong. Anthony deserved someone who wanted to be with him and only him. She couldn't promise him that right now. Maybe she never could, and she couldn't expect him to spend his whole life waiting for her. She decided they'd have to talk when she got back. That conversation wasn't going to be easy, but it had to be done.
Heading back into the house with Tracy, Clara smiled to find the campers gathered in the kitchen, helping Maddy and Patricia get dinner ready. The smell of marinara sauce made Clara's stomach grumble. "That smells so good, you guys." She smiled at them, hoping they were slowly getting through what had happened here. Her eyes landed on Diamond, who frowned. Clara stepped forward, but Diamond stepped back, obviously not interested in talking. Clara held up her hands, surrendering. Diamond would come to her when she was ready to talk.
Over dinner, the campers chatted about their week and the upcoming end of camp. Clara's stomach clenched at the thought of camp ending without an idea of who the killer was. Two girls were dead and no one had been arrested. She didn't want to leave until the murderer had been brought to justice, for both Gretchen and Katy's sakes.
Clara was pulled out of her thoughts by Patricia, who clapped her hands together. "Lad
ies, I just wanted to thank you all for another wonderful year. Every year, it seems you grow brighter. The gods are certainly proud of how you are all turning out." She rose and left them sitting at the table.
Stacy leaned toward Clara, her fork raised. "Gods? Did you hear that?"
Denise, seated on the other side of Clara, nodded. "Yeah, that was weird. What gods?"
Clara's eyes cut to Maddy, who was talking to the campers around her, not paying attention to the conversation the girls were having. "Maybe she's a practicing Wiccan?"
"Or it's left over from when she did practice," Hannah said, her fork pointing at Clara. Red sauce dripped from it. Clara had to admit that Hannah had a point.
Clara sighed. "Let's not overthink it. She's really stressed. She may be retreating into things she finds comfort in." The others nodded, but Clara didn't feel satisfied. It was too much of a slip for her to let go of it.
After dinner, she found Patricia by the lake, looking down at the water. Worried about startling her, Clara cleared her throat and waited for Patricia to turn to her. "Yes, Clara, can I help you?"
Clara glanced at the lake, at the moon shimmering on its surface, and gathered her courage. "At dinner, you said ‘gods.' What gods did you mean?"
Patricia smiled benevolently, like she loved answering this question. "Why, many gods. The old gods mostly. Those of the Earth." She spread her arms wide and turned in place.
"The old gods? What are those?"
Patricia glanced up at the moon. "Why, the Lady Diana, of course. She's the moon goddess. And Pan, the horned god of the Earth. There are others, but those are the two I mainly focus on."
"Did Katy know about your beliefs? Or share them?"
Patricia shook her head and looked out at the lake with sadness. "No. She thought it was a passing fancy, something silly that I used to distract myself. She wasn't wrong. At first, it was just a distraction, but as time wore on it really hit home with me. I found comfort in it."
Clara gulped and took a deep breath. "Your gods don't require sacrifices, do they?"
Patricia laughed, raising her arms to the sky. "Sacrifices? All gods require sacrifices." She lowered her arms. "But if you mean human sacrifices, no, they don't."
Clara nodded, feeling relieved. So, Katy and Gretchen weren't part of some ritual sacrifice. That was heartening. The bowls in the clearing popped into her head and she realized that she'd forgotten to mention them to the deputy. Mentally kicking herself, Clara pulled out her phone and shot him a text, attaching the pictures she'd taken. Then another thought occurred to her. "Did you ever enlist any of the campers in your rituals? Maybe teach them your ways?"
Patricia nodded, her hair bouncing on her head. "I did. They really enjoyed it. It helped them find solace for their pain."
"And no one seemed to mind?"
Patricia snorted. "No one knew about it. Why do you ask?"
Clara shook her head, moving away. "No reason. I was just curious. You have a good night." She headed to the tents where the campers were sleeping, hoping to find the girls awake. When she stepped into the tent she shared with Hannah and Denise, Clara saw that both were sitting up and waited for her. As soon as Clara slipped in, Stacy and Tracy followed and closed the tent flap.
"Where were you?" Worry tinged Hannah's voice, her face pinched.
"I had to talk to Patricia. What she said at dinner, it was different. I had to know."
"Know what?" Stacy leaned in, not wanting to miss anything.
"If she was a practicing Wiccan." The girls inhaled and waited for Clara to continue. "She is. She has been for a long time. Katy didn't know. She's also been recruiting campers. I'm not sure how well that would go down with the camp's sponsors."
"So, you think someone killed Gretchen and Katy to keep that secret?" Hannah didn't sound skeptical. Maybe she thought it was a good possibility.
Clara shrugged. "I don't know, but it's as solid a theory as any. I need to find out who they were."
Tracy glanced toward the tent flap. "Do you think any of the current campers would know?"
Diamond's face flashed through Clara's mind. "Maybe. But I'm not sure she'd help me. I'll have to ask. I don't really have a choice, do I?"
The other girls nodded in agreement. Clara settled into her sleeping bag, while Tracy and Stacy slipped out to head to their own tent. Clara closed her eyes. The sounds of the night lulled her into an uneasy sleep. She knew sleep wouldn't come easily until the killer was caught.
18. MADDY’S FEELINGS
I t took Clara three days to get Diamond alone, which made Clara think the girl was avoiding her. She finally cornered Diamond in the chicken coop one morning, gathering eggs. Clara stood just inside the coop and leaned against the frame, watching as Diamond filled a basket full of eggs. Clara let her work, not wanting to disturb the chickens. As she finished, Diamond glanced up and almost dropped the basket upon seeing Clara. "My goodness, you scared me shitless." She colored at the cuss word, bowing her head. "Sorry."
Clara smiled. "It's okay. I should've said something." Clara motioned her to follow, then stepped out of the coop and headed around to the back of the big house. She stood by the back deck and stared out at the lake as Diamond stepped up next to her.
"What do you need?" Diamond's voice was tight, like she knew what Clara was going to ask and didn't want to answer.
"Answers. Did you know Patricia is a practicing Wiccan?"
Diamond blew out a breath, almost sounding relieved. "All the campers know. Every year Patricia comes to the camp and offers to guide us, help us in our journey. Some girls take her up on it, most of us don't. It's not really our thing."
"And she did this right under Katy's nose?"
Diamond looked at Clara, sadness in her eyes. "Katy was great, but she couldn't control her mother. Patricia visited every year."
That caught Clara's attention. "Wait, so was Patricia already here when Gretchen went missing?"
Diamond nodded. "Yeah, of course she was. That's why she offered to handle it for Katy. Didn't you know that?"
Clara shook her head. "No, I thought Katy called her in."
Diamond nodded. "She hadn't been here for more than a couple of days."
Clara bit her lip, wondering how much she could ask Diamond before she shut down. "Do you know who is practicing with Patricia?"
Diamond nodded. "Yeah, I do." She sighed. "You want to know, don't you?"
Clara smiled. "That would be helpful."
Diamond shrugged. "Whatever. I'll have a list for you by tonight."
Clara thanked her and watched as Diamond walked into the house, her shoulders sagging. Did Diamond suspect who the killer was? Was she worried Clara would figure it out? Was she protecting someone? All these queries flitted through Clara's mind. She was left with more questions than answers.
***
After dinner, Diamond passed Clara a piece of paper, sliding it across the counter at her. Then she slipped away, not waiting for Clara to say anything. Clara tucked the paper into her back pocket, deciding to wait to read it until everyone was settled during free time. The girls wanted to play another game of cards, so Clara could use that time to read it.
Sitting around the table with her friends, Clara pulled out the paper and briefly glanced at her cards before reading the names. To her surprise, Diamond's little sister, Crystal, was on the list. Maddy was there too, right at the top. Clara glanced over at Maddy as she sat putting together a puzzle with some of the other girls. Savannah said they'd played at being Wiccan, but what if Maddy had taken it seriously? Would she have tried to hide it from her friends? Clara passed the list to Hannah and looked back at her cards. Hannah shook her head and handed the list to Denise.
"All these girls?" Denise handed the list off and looked at Clara.
Clara nodded. "Yep, all of them. I think we need to get that list to the deputy."
Tracy spread it out before her and pulled out her phone to snap a picture. A few quick swipes and she
set down her phone, smiling. "Done."
Clara grinned. "The perks of dating law enforcement." The girls chuckled, then went back to their game. While the list was intriguing, there was nothing they could do with it at the moment. Who knew if the girls on the list had anything to do with what had happened? Clara knew their best bet was to find the murder weapon, but she had no clue what it was. She'd have to bother the deputy for more information on that soon.
In their room that night, while getting ready for bed, Clara wanted to ask Maddy about the Wiccan stuff. If Diamond knew that Maddy and the others were practicing, she wouldn't be surprised to find out that Clara knew too. Taking a deep breath, Clara tried to phrase her question properly. "So, Maddy, Patricia is a practicing Wiccan?"
Maddy nodded, brushing out her hair. "Yeah, so? Everyone knows that."
Clara frowned. "Are you sure? Katy didn't seem to."
Maddy sighed and turned to Clara. "Katy saw only what she wanted to see. To her, her mother was a flighty weirdo who did what she wanted. Patricia really embraced Wicca. It gave her stability."
"You sound like you really understand it. Savannah mentioned to me that you guys used to pretend you were witches. Did you take it beyond that?"
Maddy's hands fell to her sides and a hard glint entered her eyes. "You mean, did I decide to do my research and become a real Wiccan? Yes, actually, I did."
Clara nodded, not wanting to offend or upset Maddy. "Did Gretchen know?" Clara guessed that Savannah didn't, as she hadn't mentioned it.
"I tried to teach her. When we got to camp last summer, I was so excited. Savannah didn't come to the clearing anymore but Gretchen did and I was so stoked to show her what I'd learned while we were apart. She wasn't really interested." Maddy sounded sad.
Clara glanced at her to find Maddy brushing away a tear.