They got lucky that morning and drew the long straw. Sheriff Garret arrived only twenty minutes later. He was accompanied by an ambulance that doubled as the coroner’s van and was attended by Dr. Hyder, who was prepared to give either first aid or pronounce death, depending on which was needed. He was the town’s only doctor and saw to both the births and deaths of those locals who chose not to visit the HMO about fifty miles down the coast. Juliet watched him climb the trail. He paused to look at her easel and said something to Asher Temple who was standing in his door, smoking his pipe and scowling. “Miss Juliet,” Sheriff Garret said when he finally reached Harvey’s yard. They had met at an art show last summer and Juliet was pleasantly surprised that he remembered her name. It was possible, maybe even likely, that the sheriff investigated everyone who moved into Bartholomew’s Wood. There had been some disreputable drug-dealer types over the years and it would not be surprising if the local law kept an eye on the tenants.
