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Maybe it wasn’t so surprising that Cash had seemed pretty casual about investigating Loren’s death. Give him a good memorial, a good send-off, but don’t worry overmuch about the details, because whoever killed him did you a favor. Ridded the clan of a problem.
“And that bothered you.”
“Fuck yeah, it bothered me.” He slapped the table with the flat of his hand. “It’s fucking wrong. It’s the same shit different day around here. Elders are in charge, and we don’t question them. Elders do wrong and too fucking bad. They get away with it.”
“Did you tell Georgia?” I asked.
Traeger’s combative position didn’t change, but his gaze softened. “No. What could she do? Everybody knows Cash calls the shots.”
“Do they?” Connor’s words were barely a whisper. And I began to feel a little bit sorry for Cash and the rest of the elders.
“It’s the truth, man.” Traeger looked up, met his gaze. “Maybe you do things differently in Chicago or Aurora or Memphis, but we ain’t in any of those places. We’re here in the sticks where Cash and the others are in charge. Their way or the highway. And where else would we go?”
Connor didn’t answer, just watched him.
“Here,” Traeger continued, “playing at being humans while we’re surrounded by wilderness. That’s ironic, don’t you think?”
“So, what? You thought you’d bring back a little of the wildness?” Connor asked. “Wreak a little havoc?”
Traeger seemed to go a little paler. “Not me, man. I don’t have anything to do with it.” But he looked away, avoiding eye contact and the truth.
“You haven’t lied to me yet, Traeger. Don’t start now.”
Traeger stared hard at the refrigerator as he considered, worked through whatever dilemma he was facing.
After a good minute of silence, and while Connor watched him, he turned back again.
“It started with Zane Williams. One of my friends. I was pissed and blowing off steam, told him I thought Loren had been harassing Paisley. I said I’d love to take a few swings at him, but couldn’t. Because he was clan, because he was an elder.” Traeger cleared his throat. “Zane said things needed to change. And I said he was fucking right.” He looked up at Connor. “And he still is.
“That was a few months ago,” Traeger continued. “And then Paisley died, and Zane said it was too fucking bad the clan hadn’t stopped Loren in the first place.” He swallowed hard again. “And then Loren was dead.”
Silence fell over the cabin, heavy and full of magic. Traeger’s: nervy and uncertain. Connor’s: barely banked anger.
“And you think Zane killed him.”
“Yeah.”
“Did you help?”
“What? No. Of course I didn’t help.”
“There were four creatures at the Stone farm, Traeger.Fourof them. That means Zane isn’t working alone.”
“I’m not one of them,” Traeger said, bitterness in his voice. “I mean, I’m one of his friends, but not his only friend. I wasn’t included in the plan.”
“Who was?” Connor asked.
Traeger swallowed hard, as if working past the guilt of betraying his friends. “He was closest to John, Beyo, Marcus. He’s supposedly got some human friends in town who sell to him when he wants to get high, but I don’t know their names.”
“And he didn’t give you any details about how they were doing it? What they were changing into?”
“Not really. He’s been cagey about it.”
“You were friends enough that you think he might have killed Loren because Loren hurt your girlfriend,” I said. “But he didn’t invite you to play with him? He didn’t tell you how he was going to do it?”
“Because of Georgia,” Alexei said quietly, and Traeger nodded.
Connor sat back, watched Traeger. “They weren’t sure if you were trustworthy.”
