“Deputy Wilson?” Tommy called, voice tight.
Scout stepped toward him immediately—not aggressive, just controlled. Blocking him from crossing the line without making a scene.
“What’s up, Tommy?”
Tommy swallowed. “I… I heard something.”
Scout didn’t blink. “From who?”
Tommy hesitated like he knew he was about to get himself in trouble.
“My uncle,” he blurted. “Mike Stevens.”
Scout’s focus sharpened.
Mike Stevens.
The bartender.
The one who’d been up on Miller’s Ridge yesterday morning.
The one who’d stumbled into the worst thing a person could ever find.
Tommy’s voice dropped, shaky. “He called my mama last night. He was real shook up. Said he found… something. Up there.”
Scout held still, letting Tommy talk.
Tommy’s eyes flicked toward the woods like the trees might be listening. “He said it wasn’t normal. Like… like somebody laid it out.”
Scout felt a cold line move through his chest.
Tommy rushed on, words tumbling. “People are saying it’s bones. Like a skull. Like it was sitting up—like it was looking at you.”
Behind Scout, the crowd shifted. A few heads turned.
A woman’s hand went to her mouth.
A man muttered, “Lord have mercy,” like he’d just remembered every missing person story he’d ever heard.
Scout stepped closer, voice dropping low enough that only Tommy could hear.
“Tommy,” he said, calm and steady. “You listen to me.”
Tommy nodded hard.
“Tommy,” Scout said, voice low. “I know what your uncle told you. But if that gets loose, this town’s going to panic. They’ll stop helping and start hiding. I need you to keep it to yourself for now. Can you do that for me?”
Tommy swallowed. “Yes, sir. So what do I do?”
Scout gave him something solid. Something useful.
“You help by keeping it quiet,” Scout said. “If you hear anything else, you bring it to me. Not Facebook. Not the gas station. Me.”
Tommy straightened like he’d been sworn in. “Yes, sir.”
Scout nodded once. “Good. Now go grab those hand warmers off Kayla’s tailgate and take ’em to the fire chief. Quietly.”
Tommy moved fast—relieved to have a job, relieved to be useful.
