AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Um, I think I have a picture of a tree somewhere. Maybe a screen saver.”
“Oh my God, I’m the only one here with wilderness experience.”
“We can’t all grow up in Maine,” D.D. grumbles. “That’s why it’s Maine.”
I feel a renewed sense of responsibility. “Anything else?” I ask Dr. Jackson.
She studies me for a long while. “Examine the topography. Look for signs of water runoff. You’ll want the dogs to trace any and all creeks, as small bones can easily wash downstream. Pay particular attention for debris dams, which may have captured some of the bones. At this stage, they’ll resemble small, weathered sticks, so expect to wade into the water, get up close and personal. Finally, check for predator activity, signs of animal dens. In the beginning of decomp, raccoons are the worst. They’ll even crawl right into the chest cavity to gnaw on the ribs, let alone the damage they do to hands.”
I once burned a man alive. But this conversation is making me queasy.
“Small rodents—rats, mice, squirrels—steal bones once they’re dry. Chances are, many of the missing phalanges and ribs are in nests. So again, you can’t just study the ground. You need to look all around, get a local wildlife expert if you can. Someone who can track small game. I once worked a search where we recovered an arm and half a rib cage from a coyote’s den. That kind of find could make a huge difference for us. I’m assuming you have a search team?”
She glances at D.D., who nods.
“Standard protocol applies. Lay out the grid, work the grid. Then... listen. This line of work.” She turns back to Lilah’s graceful face. “Bones talk. And all children just want to go home again.”
