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“Oh, uh, me?” He cleared his throat and spoke louder. “Do you think there’s a serial killer on the loose?”
“Well, that wasn’t a complete disaster,” André remarked. “Except for the serial killer part.” That had basically ended up being the last question as the other newscasters had immediately added their serial killer-related questions, to all of which André respondedno comment.
Moore, Hamarsson, André, Morrison, and Bolic had taken over the lobby of the station. André had tried to get rid of Morrison, but he just shook his head and claimed the seat behind Carol’s desk. Carol was enjoying her lunch break, and the room was hardly big enough for the five of them. Six would have been impossible.
“The serial killer groupies will be next,” Hamarsson said morosely. “With luck, most of them will fuck off once they realize there’s nowhere in town to stay. But, fair warning, a few will stick around and do their best to make your life miserable.”
Sacha nodded from his perch against Carol’s desk. Like André’s, the thing dated back to the fifties and could probably hold three of Sacha.
“As long as I don’t have any of them following us up to the site,” Moore said grimly. He’d leaned one shoulder against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. André had been impressed by his calm demeanor during the press conference. The man had clearly been a part of more than one.
Hamarsson snorted derisively. “You totally will, Ethan. Be prepared.”
André wasn’t so sure. After he’d hiked up to the site with Martin, Mags, and Critter, he’d concluded that he wasn’t in as good of shape as he’d thought. Sitting behind a desk did that to a person.
Note to self: add a fitness regimen to his schedule.
“The last thing I need is someone messing with what’s up there,” Moore grumbled. “Or getting lost, forcing us to waste resources finding them.”
“Unpopular opinion,” Sacha rumbled, “but if someone gets lost up there trying to find the site, they get what they deserve.”
“With any luck, the weather will keep people away,” André added. “Regardless, Critter and Mags have offered to keep an eye on the trailhead. And when they’re not available, one of my deputies will be there. It’s the best we can do.”
“I’ll take a shift. It’s been a while since I was legally allowed to intimidate anyone,” said Sacha.
Ethan nodded and glanced over at Sacha, then at André. “I’m sorry, did you say Critter? Mags?”
“Ah.” André smiled, thinking about two of his favorite people in Cooper Springs. “Mike Zweig—aka Critter—and Mags Serle. They’re the forest service around these parts.”
A well of satisfaction surged in his chest for finding a way to usethese partsin a sentence. Hamarsson raised one dark eyebrow at him and shook his head.
“How long do you think you need?” André asked Ethan. The excavation could only take a couple of days, but he knew it might be weeks before they were finished. They still didn’t even have an idea of the true size of the scene—all they’d done so far was wrap crime scene tape around what they’d found. Hopefully, evidence hadn’t been crushed under hikers’ boots or moved far away by forest creatures.
A crease formed between Moore’s eyebrows as he pondered André’s question. “It’s difficult to say since we don’t have an idea yet how far the site extends. Could be three days, could be three weeks.”
André sucked in a breath; fingers crossed that it didn’t take that long.
“Are the feds interested yet?” Hamarsson asked.
André shook his head. “No phone call yet. Maybe if we get an ID.”
“Whenwe get an ID,” Ethan emphasized.
“I can make some calls,” Hamarsson offered, “if that’s what you want?”
Did André want the feds in Cooper Springs? He wasn’t against their involvement; it was just that there was already a three-ring circus. Did they want to add a big top? Most likely, when it came down to it, André wouldn’t have a choice.
“I’ve worked with the Skagit office several times,” Ethan said. “It might be a bit far for them though.”
Hamarsson shrugged. “They fly all over the country,” he pointed out. “Go where their skills are most needed.”
“Let’s wait and see what we find up there,” André decided.
Morrison had been so quiet during this exchange that André had almost forgotten he had an unwanted bodyguard. Two unwanted bodyguards, he revised, eyeing Bolic.
Looking around at the rest of them, Morrison patted his stomach. “Anybody else hungry?”
Moore, Bolic, and Hamarsson had declined the offer of a meal. Hamarsson was catching a flight back to Piedras. Ethan needed to prepare his team of three for what they were up against, and Sacha was assisting. They planned to hike up to the scene at first light the next day, map out the site, and begin retrieval. André didn’t envy the hike with all the equipment they needed. If it had been summer, the team might have camped close by, but as Ned Barker had told him when he did his usual stop, weather forecasters were predicting a fierce storm was on its way. They needed to work as fast as possible and not get hurt.
