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Chief Dear had been off duty when Martin arrived, panting and sweaty, at the police station. The deputy at the front desk reluctantly called to notify their boss, wincing when Dear answered with a gruff, “For god’s sake,what?” that Martin had heard from across the lobby.
Martin felt bad that Dear’s day off had been cut short. He doubted the chief got many of those. He’d wanted to leave and get back to Nick, but another deputy, Lani Cooper, had informed him he needed to wait for the chief and suggested that he probably didn’t need to hike back up.
Yeah, no.
It had been almost two in the afternoon by the time the team of four—five, if he counted himself—started back up the trail. Martin led the way, even though he knew perfectly well the Forest Service officers would be able to find Nick and the remains on their own.
“Whoever it is, is way past saving,” Dear said between attempts to drag air into his lungs, “unless there’s something you’re not telling us.”
Martin had ignored Dear and kept up the pace. Maybe the chief needed to consider a new fitness regime.
“You ever do any of the mud runs?” Critter asked him with what sounded like appreciation. He had no problem keeping up with Martin and neither did the other officer, Mags.
“Nope. But maybe I will now. I’ve never had the time before.” And he wasn’t going to tell them the only reason he was in good shape now was because he’d had a “cardiac event.”
They passed the boulder that looked like a rabbit. Martin calculated they were about a mile out.
“How much further?” Dear asked.
“Chief, you’re worse than a five-year-old. I’m sure we’ll know when we get there.” That was Deputy Cooper. Martin liked her better and better with every step they took.
Finally,they rounded the last bend before the newly fallen tree.
“Took you long enough,” Nick called from where he waited, his hands jammed into the pockets of his jacket. “I’m freezing.”
“You didn’t have to stay back,” Mags pointed out. “Whoever it is won’t be going anywhere.”
Nick scowled and shrugged, not looking at anyone in particular. “It didn’t seem right to just leave them. Not now that they’re exposed to the elements.”
They’d brought a tarp, rope, a camera, and whatnot along with them. But there wasn’t much daylight left, so they were going to need to hurry. And, in Martin’s opinion, they needed to do something to secure the site.
“Where are we looking?” Dear asked.
Gesturing for Dear to follow him, Nick stepped off the trail. Martin had decided to stay back. He’d already seen it; they didn’t need him. The rest of the group had followed Nick and the chief.
“How’s Nick doing?”
Martin looked up from the coffee Magnus had set in front of him a half hour ago. It was cold now because every time he started to take a sip, someone wanted to ask him questions. Screw the coffee, he was going to need a beer.
The question came from a man about Nick’s age. Martin thought he recognized him as Nick’s friend, Liam, but they’d never been introduced.
“Fine, I think,” he said. “Although he seems to have escaped somewhere. I don’t think we’ve officially met. Martin Purdy.”
“Liam Wright,” Liam said, shaking Martin’s hand. “Yeah, Nick’s not big on crowds.”
“This certainly seems to have brought the entire town out.”
Liam grimaced. “Ghouls, many of them. No offense or anything. I love my town, but I’d bet a dollar that a few showed up hoping to get a look at what you found.”
“Huh,” Martin grunted, feeling like he needed a beer more than ever.
After securing the scene as best they could, they’d all hiked back into town. Chief Dear had immediately contacted the mayor, Roslyn Moore, and that had led to this impromptu Town Hall.
They’d taken over the Steam Donkey. It was the only place in town with space to hold a crowd and, apparently, it was where the adult population of Cooper Springs headed when there was any kind of big news anyway. Martin figured Pizza Mart served the same purpose for teens.
When they arrived, Martin had immediately been bombarded by people he didn’t know, asking him questions he couldn’t answer. Finally, Magnus took pity and rescued him, giving him a cup of coffee and leading him to an empty table with aReservedsign sitting on it. That was when he’d realized Nick had disappeared.
“Do you mind if I share your table?” Liam asked. “I want to hear what Roslyn has to say.”
