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on that side of the road.”
    â€œOkay, honey. Call if you need anything.”
    â€œI will,” I promised.
    The ambulance and two police cars following it ignored the pedestrians only sign that marked the pebbled path leading from Maple Grove Lane into the village. I winced. I didn’t want to be around when Shepley, our cranky gardener, saw the damage to his lawn.
    A New Hartford police officer in a navy uniform walked up the path with a deliberate stride. “Are you Kelsey Cambridge?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhere’s the body?”
    â€œMaxwell Cherry. He’s—”
    â€œHey, Sonders,” Chase said from behind me.
    â€œChase, hey man, how’d you get here so fast?” the officer asked.
    The two men clasped hands, and Chase said. “I found the body. Not pretty.”
    â€œGive me the lowdown.” Officer Sonders bypassed me and went directly to Chase for the play-by-play of our gruesome discovery. I watched them walk away with a pang of irritation. I know that shouldn’t have bothered me. Chase was a paramedic after all. He would know the information the police wanted to hear. Even though it should not have bothered me, it did. The Farm and what happened here was my responsibility.
    The two paramedics and a second officer waved at Chase as they surveyed the brick pit.
    I stood on the pebbled path wondering what to do as a man dressed in a Confederate uniform crossed the township road. I stopped him.
    â€œI’m sorry. The village isn’t open yet. There’s been an accident.” I looked around. Shouldn’t a police officer be guarding the road, so something like this didn’t happen?
    â€œI’m Chief Duffy, New Hartford police chief.”
    â€œI’m so sorry, Chief Duffy.” I felt my face grow hot. “I didn’t recognize you in your uniform.”
    The chief finger-combed his sideburns, which were reminiscent of Union General Ambrose Burnside’s magnificent whiskers. Considering how large and signature Burnside’s sideburns were, the chief must have grown his purposely for the reenactment. They were truly a sight to behold. Why he, who reenacted as a Confederate general, would want to emulate a failed Union general I did not know.
    â€œIt’s the sideburns,” Chief Duffy said. “The sideburns throw everyone off. It’s been nice to be a part of the reenactment incognito. I suppose the jig is up now. Where’s the body?”
    I pointed. “In the brick pit. An ambulance and two officers are already here.”
    â€œOh good, Chase’s here too, I see. He must have gotten a call about the incident while camping on the other side of the road too.”
    I cleared my throat. “I found Chase when I discovered the body.”
    â€œSo you mean he discovered the body. He’s the one I should talk to, then?” He leaned over and patted my stoic dog between the ears.
    I ground my teeth. “No, that’s not what I mean. I discovered the body, but I also discovered Chase crouching over Maxwell.”
    â€œMaxwell?”
    â€œMaxwell Cherry. He’s the one who had the accident.”
    Chief Duffy whistled. “So,” he said with an appeasing tone, “you discovered the body second then. Is that a fair statement?”
    â€œYes.” I took a step closer to the chief and lowered my voice. “I found Chase’s behavior suspicious.”
    â€œYou can’t be implying that Chase had anything to do with this. He’s a paramedic, one of us, one of the good guys.”
    â€œJust because he’s a paramedic doesn’t make him innocent. I asked him what he was doing standing over Maxwell’s body.”
    The chief looked me up and down. “He also happens to be my nephew.”
    â€œOh,” I swallowed. “Oh.”
    The chief leaned in. “And what did Chase say?”
    â€œThat he was checking for vitals and seeing if he could