To the Bone (David Wolf Book 7)

by Jeff Carson

  And Shumway’s? They were about the same size as Boydell’s, but the tread was deep and jagged, not the same pattern either.

  Wolf realized they were stuck in silence once again. “Do any of you own a pair of Converse All-Star shoes?”

  Megan raised her hand and Wolf ignored her.

  “That’s quite a change of subject,” Dr. Mathis said.

  Wolf shrugged. “It’s what I do.”

  “Not me,” Mathis looked at his own feet, “I just stick to my good ol’ Timberlands. These students, though. They wear that kind of stuff. Used to be popular in the eighties, and now they’re all the rave again.”

  “Steven has a pair,” Karen said.

  Wolf looked at her.

  “Purple ones. Can’t miss him when he’s got those things on.”

  Wolf and Shumway exchanged a glance.

  “We’re talking about Steven Kennedy?” Wolf asked. “Down at Dig Two?”

  Karen nodded. “Yep.”

  Megan stood mute. She avoided eye contact with Wolf and her face turned red.

  “Did Steven kill a fossil dealer?” Dr. Mathis asked. There was a hint of amusement in his eyes.

  Wolf gestured to the bones in the ground. “Were these predators? Or plant eaters?”

  “Ha!” Dr. Mathis leaned his head back. “The subject changes once again. Yes. It’s an herbivore. Did Steven Kennedy kill someone? I think we have a right to know, him being so close.”

  “We are not sure who killed the fossil dealer at this point.”

  They stood in silence.

  “How often do you two visit Professor Green’s dig?” Wolf asked.

  Dr. Mathis and Karen looked at each other.

  “Last time we saw it was last year.”

  “Early last year,” Karen said.

  “When Green and his students used to be more social,” Dr. Mathis said.

  “Yeah,” Karen said. “Now we all call them The Hermits.”

  “And why’s that?” Wolf asked.

  “Professor Green’s made it clear he doesn’t want anyone near his dig.” Dr. Mathis stepped around the pit. “It’s like he’s protecting some masterpiece piece of art he isn’t ready to unveil to the world yet.”

  Wolf frowned. “Can’t you just go down there?”

  Dr. Mathis shrugged. “Done that a couple times. The last time I went, they had it all covered up. Told me point blank to get back to my own dig. He did pretty much the same thing the first time I went down. And when I asked him about it he just flat told me to leave. I said fine. No sense dealing with crazy people.”

  “So you haven’t seen the dig at all?” Wolf asked.

  “Yeah. At the beginning, but not recently, though. No.”

  “So you have no idea how far along they are with their specimen?” Wolf asked.

  “No.”

  “You and Professor Green both work at the University of Utah, right?” Wolf asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Dr. Talbot is your boss, too?”

  “Yes, he’s the head of the Paleontology department.”

  Wolf nodded. “That is odd, you being part of the same university and all, you’d think he would share the find a little more.”

  “You’re telling me.” Dr. Mathis leaned forward and stepped into the pit by accident.

  “Why do you think they’re acting the way they are down there?” Wolf asked.

  “Internal politics that we don’t know about,” Karen said. “Gotta be. Green’s vying for a job, doesn’t want to share any credit. That, and he’s straight crazy.”

  “Pssh,” Dr. Mathis waved a hand. “We both have tenure and the guy is most definitely not looking for more responsibility. Believe me. The guy doesn’t even read half the papers he makes his students write. If anything, he wants less responsibility.”

  Karen made a sour face and glared at Dr. Mathis.

  Mathis seemed embarrassed at his back-stabbing outburst. “Anyway. Politics wouldn’t make sense. That’s not how things work.”

  “When Dr. Talbot came a month ago for his ‘surprise’ visit, they drove away together,” Karen said. “Went to lunch or something. Remember that? I’m telling you, Green’s looking for some sort of promotion or something. Maybe it has to do with—”

  Shumway cleared his throat. “If we could maybe get back on track here?”

  “Dr. Talbot came in a month ago to check the dig?” Wolf asked. “Why?”

  “He does that from time to time,” Dr. Mathis said with another wave of his hand. “Comes down and checks our progress, updates for his report to the board of regents. Peels his butt off his desk chair and makes the obligatory rounds.”

  Twisting on his heels, Wolf gazed back toward the two-track road that ran on a straight line across the plateau. “Have you seen Professor Green or any of his dig members drive a moving truck through here recently?”

  Dr. Mathis smiled. “What? Like a semi-truck?”

  “No,” Shumway said, “A UrMover truck. Like a rental truck you use to move from one house to the next.”

  “You just drove up that road. You think one of those could get up here?” Dr. Mathis chuckled.

  Shumway looked nonplussed. “So is that a no?”

  “Yes. That’s a no.”

  Karen shook her head. “I never saw anything like that.”

  “So Professor Green is secretive. What about the other three students? What do they act like?” Wolf asked.

  Karen and Megan glanced at one another.

  “They’re all right,” Karen said, “They’re definitely more friendly than Professor Green. At least Mo will come up and have a beer or two. We’re kind of friends.”

  “Mo? Molly Waters?” Wolf asked.

  “Yeah. She goes by Mo.”

  “She’s a lesbian,” Dr. Mathis said.

  Karen looked horrified. “So what, Ted?”

  “What? I’m just saying. She is.”

  “And what does she say about the dig when she comes up from her camp?” Wolf asked.

  Karen peeled her glare away from Dr. Mathis. “Not much.”

  “She keeps her lips as tight as Professor Green,” Dr. Mathis said. He ticked off three fingers. “Steve, Felicia, Mo, they’re all just like Green. The whole team’s the same. They’re all hiding something down there.”

  Like an empty hole, Wolf thought.

  “Did you see Professor Green leave past here on Saturday afternoon at all?” Wolf asked.

  “Yeah,” said Karen. “I do remember him leaving. It was like noon-ish. I think Felicia was with him, and Steven followed them in his truck.”

  “And not Mo?” Wolf asked.

  “No. They always keep a guard dog down there,” Dr. Mathis said. “Someone at the camp to make sure we don’t snoop, I guess.”

  Wolf nodded. “And this was after lunch? Noon?”

  “Yep. Right around noon.”

  “Did you see them return?” Wolf asked.

  They both pondered.

  “Steven’s truck came back,” Dr. Mathis said. “Not Professor Green’s.”

  “Oh yeah,” Karen said. “You’re right.”

  “Do you remember who was in Steven’s truck when he came back?”

  “Felicia,” Dr. Mathis said.

  Karen agreed and glanced at Megan once again.

  “And what time was this?” he asked.

  “A few hours later, I guess. We were sitting here grilling, so must have been like four?”

  “So at noon they left,” Wolf said, “and they came back at four. Four hours.”

  Karen nodded.

  Shumway had his head leaned back, eyeing Wolf.

  “Is this road the only way in and out of here for Dig Two?” Wolf asked, this time addressing the whole group.

  “Yep,” Karen said.

  This time Dr. Mathis silently agreed.

  “Technically, no.” Boydell raised a finger. “It’s a little rough but you can cut straight to the wash we came up just now, along the bottom
of the plateau.”

  Wolf nodded. “And was there any other vehicle traffic past here that night?”

  They shook their heads.

  “And how about the rest of the weekend?”

  Karen shrugged. “Just the two deputies last night, and Mr. Boydell with them.”

  Boydell nodded. “I escorted them last night.”

  Wolf saved the best question for last. “And what were you two doing Saturday night?”

  Dr. Mathis raised a finger and shook it. “Now, wait a minute. Do we need a lawyer now? What is this? Are you saying we’re involved?”

  Shumway held up both hands. “Dr. Mathis, Detective Wolf is just covering every base. It’s within your rights to not answer, but—”

  “We were here all night. I thought that much was clear,” Dr. Mathis said.

  Karen nodded so hard her hat threatened to fall off.

  They looked like they were telling the truth.

  “And so it’s clear now,” Wolf said. “Thank you. You two have been a real help.”

  “The second Levi comes back tell him I want to speak to him,” Shumway said. “Tell him to come down to the station. It’s very urgent.”

  “Sure, yeah. We’ll tell him,” Dr. Mathis said.

  Wolf got the feeling Shumway had other motives for talking to Levi, and when Shumway and Boydell nodded at one another, there was an unspoken understanding.

  “I may be around for a while,” Wolf said, “I’d appreciate it if you’d stay available if I have more questions.”

  “Sure.”

  “Of course.”

  “And Detective?”

  Wolf paused and turned around.

  They were pointing down at Wolf’s feet.

  Jet stared up with a quizzical brow, a hand shovel in his mouth. He dropped the utensil at Wolf’s feet and backed up and sat.

  “What are you doing?” Wolf took the slimy shovel, wiped it dry on his shirt, and handed it Karen. “Sorry.”

  “No problem.” Karen laughed and then turned to Dr. Mathis. “Oh. We should get a dog for the dig.”

  Wolf left them to debate the point. “Jet, come.”

  “I’d like a word Detective,” Shumway said stepping next to Wolf. “What was my daughter doing with you?”

  Wolf took a few steps, choosing his words. “I had little choice Sheriff.”

  Shumway nodded and scratched his chin. “Yeah. She’s a real … Goddamned handful. I’m sorry for the embarrassment you had to endure because of her.”

  Wolf eyed him. “It’s no problem. She’s a … seems like a good kid.”

  Shumway snorted and stopped suddenly. “Boydell, you’ll take Megan back?”

  Boydell poked up the bill of his cap and nodded.

  Megan stretched her arms overhead, ignoring the conversation about her.

  “And how do we get down to Dig Two?” Shumway asked.

  Boydell stepped to them. “Can’t miss it. Just keep going, and then down the hill. It’s steep, and at the very end there’s a doozy of a bump, so go slow. It curves right. Follow it and you’ll hit the camp a quarter mile up.”

  “Thanks.”

  Boydell nodded. “I’ll keep you posted if I see Levi.”

  “Maybe you could swing by his camp tonight,” Shumway said.

  Boydell walked to his truck. “Will do.”

  “I’ll lead the way,” Shumway said walking to his own truck and climbing in.

  “Up,” Wolf told Jet as he opened his rear door.

  Wolf stared at Megan as she walked silently to Boydell’s passenger door. A pair of purple converse was hard to miss, and Wolf had specifically asked if anyone had worn them. She had inserted herself into the situation, and now she’d made herself out as a liar.

  With eyes laser focused on the ground in front of her, she opened the door and got in.

  Chapter 18

  Patterson cranked up the air conditioner in the SUV and leaned toward the windshield.

  “Okay, sounds good honey. I love you,” Rachette said in a cuddly voice that made Patterson’s stomach turn again.

  He hung up the phone and slowed and crept around a tight turn. Around the next corner was another tight turn the other way. They were five minutes off Rocky Points’s main strip and already socked into pine trees and steep hills.

  “This is dumb.”

  Rachette looked at her. “This is necessary work. That’s something you’d say to me.”

  “Wandering around on hundreds of miles of road, only able to see a few hundred feet in front of us until the next bend, with no clue as to where we’re going? This is dumb.” She shook her head. “We need to think this through. Not get reactionary because MacLean has a hard-on for Senator Levenworthless and his precious bones. And while you’re at it, speed it up.”

  Rachette let out a rhythmic hiss between his teeth. “Whoa, woman. You are not in the best of moods today. You need to find a toilet again or something?”

  She ignored him and released her jaw when she realized it was locked shut.

  “Hernandez says Senator Levenworth is buddy-buddy with everyone,” Rachette said, “which includes the district judge.”

  “Whatever. Doesn’t mean the guy can get evidence crucial to a double-murder released,” she said, hoping her skepticism was founded on reality. Could this senator really corrupt the system so flagrantly like that?

  They rode in silence for a while.

  “Hey.”

  With a roll of her eyes she looked over, taking the Rachette bait.

  “It’s going to be all right. Okay? I know you’re probably going through some … stuff with the wedding coming up and all. Maybe some second thoughts?” He held up his hands. “Hell, I don’t know. And I saw the way you looked when I mentioned the pregnancy thing.”

  She turned back to her window. “This is dumb.”

  After another few moments Rachette asked, “So?”

  “So what?”

  “What did it say?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Oh, come on. You think Charlotte’s blind? She saw the pregnancy test in your hand. What did it say?”

  Patterson’s heart raced. “When the hell did you guys even discuss that? Just now?”

  “That was her on the phone.”

  “Well, duh. That was like a two minute phone call.”

  “Not gonna tell me?” He eyed her. “I don’t see why you’re so cranked up about kids. Charlotte’s ready to churn them out when she gets married. Shit … I guess I need to pop the question soon. You think it’s too early?”

  Patterson stared out the window.

  “Thanks for the pep talk.”

  Rachette pulled his phone out again and dialed a number.

  “Damn it. It goes straight to voicemail.”

  “He’s out of range.”

  Rachette stared out the windshield shaking his head, looking like he was on the verge of tears he was so upset.

  “What’s the problem?”

  Rachette looked at her. “What? Nothing.”

  She always marveled at Rachette’s loyalty to Wolf. She felt it too, but not at Rachette’s level.

  Rachette’s jaw was flexing. It was times like these she would have paid a few bucks to know his thoughts.

  “So … seriously?” He turned to her with a big smile. “You’re not going to tell me? Preggers? Heather Patterson, a mom?”

  Maybe a few cents.

  She leaned back, and closing her eyes, she focused on her hara, the spot just below her naval, and pushed it as she drew breath in, filling her lungs from the bottom to the top. She exhaled, pulling in her abdomen, blowing the air out her nose in a steady, powerful stream.

  This was abdominal breathing, a technique she’d learned from her sensei in Aspen long ago to calm her mind and promote peace within her body. It was a technique that came in handy being Deputy Thomas Rachette’s partner.

  With each exhale, with each jet of air shooting from her nose, the built up tension
in her body released. The fire in her body was further extinguished. In the real world, fire grew hotter, blew embers and spread with wind, but in her body the heat dissipated. In her mind, the fire blew away, and set Rachette on fire.

  She opened her eyes. Her concentration was weak today. With a jolt she sat upright. “Wait. Stop.”

  “What?”

  “Stop the car!”

  “Shit.” Rachette cranked the wheel and jammed the brakes hard. The antilock brakes shuddered as they swerved to a stop on the gravel. “Get the door open! Don’t puke in here!”

  She looked at him. “I’m not going to vomit.”

  “Then what the hell?”

  “I figured out where the moving truck is.”

  “What? How? Where?”

  Patterson glared in thought, nodding her head. “Yeah. I’m sure of it. Turn around and head north.”

  “Why? I’m not going back to the station. I don’t care if you’re pregnant or not, you can get out and walk your ass back there.”

  “Shut up for a second and listen. Tell me this. When did that fire start?”

  Rachette blinked. “Which one? The Durango or the new one?”

  “The new one.”

  “Sunday morning? That’s when I heard about it.”

  “Could have been Saturday night, though.”

  Rachette narrowed his eyes. “Yeah … I guess. I don’t know.”

  “And what was the cause?”

  Rachette sat silent.

  “I just watched a video before we left the station of a guy purchasing a gas can. The Brushing gas station. The gas station near that fire.”

  “With taquito-boy?”

  “There was a guy on the video who went inside with a big hat on. He bought a gas can, a candy bar or something, and then he picked something up off the counter after he was done paying.”

  Rachette shrugged.

  “When you were mooching your taquitos, do you remember what was on the counter, just to the right of the clerk window?”

  “Napkins?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Matches. The guy purchased the gas can, then grabbed some matches, and walked out.”

  Picking up his can of chewing tobacco out of the cup holder, Rachette opened it and took a pinch and put it in his lip.