Secret Hollows by Terri Reid

tried in Stephenson County, they should have some information about the case, too.”
    Mike nodded. “So, are we going to talk to Emil?” he asked. “Seems like he could shed some light on the circumstances.”
    “Yeah, I’ve got some contacts at the prison in Dixon,” Bradley agreed. “I’ll call them and set something up.”
    Ian leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. “I’d like to interview Timmy,” he said. “See if I can get him to remember anything else about the murder.”
    “No!” Mike exclaimed as he quickly floated around the table to be next to Ian. “He shouldn’t have to remember what happened to him. He shouldn’t have to relive the pain.”
    “But if he doesn’t remember it, we can’t find the guy who did it,” Ian argued.
    “There are other ways we can find out the truth,” Mike insisted. “We’ve got to explore those other options first, Ian.”
    “Listen, Mike, I know he was your friend,” Ian said.
    “Damn it, he was more than my friend,” Mike said. “He was like the brother I didn’t have. And I didn’t go with him that day.”
    Mike took a deep breath. “I wasn’t there,” he said, “and he died. I didn’t protect him then, but I sure as hell can protect him now.”
    He floated away from the table towards the front room.
    “Mike, wait,” Mary said, jumping up from the table. “Ian didn’t mean…”
    Mike turned back to her and nodded. “Yeah, I know,” he said. “But I just got to figure this out, okay?”
    She nodded. “Yes, of course.”
He floated over to Timmy. “Hey, want to hang out?” he asked.
    Timmy looked up at him and smiled. “Sure!”

    Mike took his hand and they both faded away.

Chapter Fourteen
    Mary parked in front of the abandoned gym and looked up and down the street before she got out of her Roadster. The snow from the day before had been cleared from the streets and many of the sidewalks, but in front of the gym, the snowplow had left a foot and a half tall pile next to the curb and the walkway still had six inches of snow on it.
    Grabbing her workout duffel, she climbed over the mound on the curb and slushed through the snow on the walk. The door opened for her and she entered the dimly lit space once again. “You know, you could have shoveled,” she called out.
    “Yeah, sister, my snow shoveling days are over,” Ernie said, as he appeared next to her. “Besides, you’re the one in training. You wanna get a little warm-up time with a shovel?”
    Shaking her head, she dropped her duffel on a bench and sat down next to it, removing her boots and putting on her gym shoes. “Thanks, but no thanks,” she said. “I already did that warm up this morning on my driveway.”
    “You mean Scotty didn’t get his butt out of bed and help you out?” he asked.
    Mary chuckled. “Well, actually, he shoveled most of the snow from yesterday,” she admitted. “I just had to do the little bit that blew onto the drive overnight. Besides, he was up late doing some research.”
    “You got a case?” Ernie asked, walking over to the punching bags.
    Following him over, Mary nodded. “Yeah, back about twenty years ago there was a series of murders, little boys,” she said. “Looks like they might have caught the wrong guy.”
    He stopped suddenly and turned, anger flaming in his eyes. “Guys like that ought to be handed over to the kids’ parents,” he said. “Let them get a little revenge for what he did to their kid.”
    Mary shrugged. “Still wouldn’t bring their child back.”
    “Yeah, but it might make them feel a hell of a lot better.”
    “I don’t know,” Mary said. “I don’t know if it would make them feel better or make them feel they lowered themselves to the murderer’s level.”
    “See, that there’s your problem, sister,” Ernie said. “ Ya got too much conscience. Sometimes, ya just gotta let loose and give people what they deserve.”
    “Yeah, well they frown on that kind of thing at the Chicago