Page 52 of Found Objects

“Probably,” he muttered. “Get in the goddamn car, will you, please?”

Once I was in, he had us heading for the highway quickly.

“Do you wanna hear what they found out there by the shed?”

“No. It’s none of my⁠—”

“They found a body they think is no more than a couple of decades old.”

But that made no sense. “Decades, not a century? You’re sure?”

“Yeah, that’s what they said.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Well, obviously, they have to do a full examination of the bones,” he explained, “but the preliminary word is yeah, decades only.”

“Okay. What else did the state police say?”

“Nothing yet. I’m sure they’re going to have words with Bill Rader, though.”

“And all he’s going to say is that he had nothing to do with any bones they found.”

“But a twenty-year-old corpse, that would be on him.”

“Unless the bones tell another story.”

“The fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“I don’t know,” I told him. “There’s no use wondering until we know more.”

He thought a moment before saying, “Can I ask, is there something in the forest, in the woods, that would kill someone? All I’ve heard since I moved here is to beware of going out at night, and that the forest is a dangerous place, and on and on. We need to know if⁠—”

“There’s nothing in the mountains that would kill something and then carry it down to your land and bury it there,” I assured him. “Think about what you’re asking.”

“Yeah, all right.”

“The important part is, you’ll know soon whose bones those are. The forensic team will pull DNA and that’ll be it.”

“Right.”

“Meanwhile, though, your pack land is making headline news.”

“Yes, it is, which isn’t great for shifters.”

“No, it’s not.”

“I guess Tuss will have to leave us alone for now until all the interest dies down,” Reggie muttered.

“Which is good.”

“Anyway.” He took a deep breath. “We really do appreciate everything you did for us Friday night, Merritt.”

“It doesn’t sound like Abel does. He was ready to throw me under the bus.”

“Only because he wasn’t thinking for a minute.”

That didn’t make me feel any better.