Terry Odell - Mapleton 02 - Deadly Bones (8 page)

Neither had Gordon. Kind of took some of the fun out of the accomplishment.

“Getting back to haunted woods,” Gordon said. “Was it just Fred’s place, or were there other rumors?”

Justin shrugged. “I think it was the woods in general. Made everything scarier, since you couldn’t avoid one specific spot. Not that I was prone to wandering the woods at night. I’d proven myself and that was plenty.”

“Any details about the hauntings?” Gordon asked. “You know, whose ghosts, what they were doing, why they were there?”

“Like were there ghosts killing people and burying them?” Megan said.

It sounded stupid put like that, but any straw was worth clutching at right now. “Or anything else? Rumors and stories are often based on fact.”

Justin and Megan exchanged a quick glance, more affectionate than questioning. Not all that different from the ones between Rose and Sam. Gordon wondered if people got the same message when he and Angie looked at each other.

“Nah,” Justin said. “Just generic ghosts. You know,
the
if you go into the woods at night, the ghosts will get you
stuff.”

“Megan?” Gordon asked. After all, she’d grown up here, unlike Justin who merely visited. Maybe she’d heard more, although he doubted it, since he’d never heard anything about ghosts, and he’d grown up here, too. However, he was a couple of years older, and they’d run in different circles.

She shook her head. “Nope. Other than some kids thinking the noises at Crazy Freddy’s—Mr. Easterbrook’s—were ghosts. Most of us thought it was him coming after us.”

“Ghosts. Sneaking around. Buried bones. What will come next?” Rose said.

Sam patted her arm again. “Nothing, I’m sure. Gordon is a good man. He’ll straighten things out.”

Gordon hoped Sam was right. He put away his notebook. “Thanks for your time. I’m going to call in a search dog to go through the woods. I doubt I can get anyone to show up before tomorrow, but I’ll let you know when to expect it.”

“I thought Mapleton had a police dog,” Megan said.

“Buster’s not a—he’s not trained for that,” Gordon said. Mapleton’s K-9 unit was Solomon’s German shepherd, and he was a tracking dog, not a cadaver dog. Somehow, using the term “cadaver” felt out of place in Rose’s pristine home.

“The sooner the better,” Rose said. “I don’t like the idea of bones in the yard.”

“You want us to search?” Megan asked. Her eyes glistened a little too much. Like it was a game.

“No, I’d rather nobody go out there. And if you do notice anyone on your property, call me right away. Don’t confront them.”

“Are you saying someone might be skulking around out there? That we’re in danger?” Rose asked.

“No, I’m not,” Gordon said. “That’s part of the reason we’re trying to keep this quiet. My assumption is that whoever buried the bones is long gone. But if it turns out to be someone local, I’d rather he go on thinking nobody’s discovered his secret.” He explained the story he and Jake Shore had worked out. Rose and Sam laughed at the idea of a time capsule, but agreed to play along should they hear any gossip.

After saying his good-byes, and armed with yet another plate of treats, Gordon stopped at the station.

Dropping the plate off in the break room, he took in the quiet pervading the station. Quiet was good. He popped in to Dispatch, requesting an increase in patrol frequency in the Kretzers’ neighborhood. Tessa looked up from the paperback she was reading.

“Everything okay with your mom?” Gordon asked.

“Broken wrist, but she’s home now, thanks.”

“Good to hear. Treats in the break room,” he added as he left.

In his office, he was pleased to see his inbox was still empty. Laurie, his admin, would fill it with the weekend reports on Monday, but for now, he felt like a free man. He called in the request for a cadaver dog, explained it wasn’t high priority, and left his number with the search coordinator.

Two-fifteen. Ahead of schedule. Time to enjoy what was left of his weekend. He called Angie to let her know he was finished early. Her answering machine picked up, so he tried her cell. Puzzled when his call went straight to voicemail, he left a message saying he was on his way.

Gordon found a slot on the street not far from Daily Bread. Nothing unusual about stopping in for coffee or a late lunch. After all, nobody would know he’d eaten his fill at Rose and Sam’s.

Before getting out of his car, he tried Angie’s land line and cell again, with the same results as before. Maybe things had gotten busy, or they were short-staffed and Angie had to work after all. Her phone might be off, or maybe she’d forgotten to charge it. They’d both been… distracted… last night. If she was waiting tables, he knew she wouldn’t have her phone.

Go inside, idiot. Speculating about bones is one thing. No need to play detective with Angie.

With Angie, what you saw was what you got. And he was looking forward to a little more seeing and getting today.

He strolled down the sidewalk toward the diner’s entrance. Pausing briefly to get his damn grin under control, he pushed the door open and gazed around the room.

Donna, one of the wait staff, smiled and walked toward him. “Hey, Chief. If you’re looking for Angie, she’s not here.”

Chapter 8

Reluctantly, Megan trailed behind Angie as the two of them wandered through the woods. Angie halted in a small clearing. With her eyes closed, she raised her arms to shoulder height and turned slowly, first in one direction than the other.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Megan said. But at least it kept her mind off her own problems.

“Unless you’d rather tell me what’s bothering you.” Angie stopped mid-turn and narrowed her eyes at Megan. “Is it Justin?”

Megan couldn’t deal with that now. Yes, she and Justin were good together. But would they be good together if he knew what she was doing? She fisted her hands at her sides. “I told you, nothing’s bothering me.”

“If you say so.” Angie resumed her rotations. “I want to see if I can pick up any sensations.”

“Since when do you see into the past?” Megan asked. “I thought you got premonitions, not…
post
monitions.” Not that Megan believed Angie’s self-proclaimed powers actually existed. But it was easier to go along with her request than to argue. So here they were, walking back and forth, round and round, stopping from time to time so Angie could
absorb
the vibrations
.

“I’m testing my senses,” Angie said. “Who knows what powers I might have?”

“Does Gordon know you’re doing this?” Megan asked. “He told us we shouldn’t poke around out here.”

“I’m not poking,” Angie said. She flapped her hands. “See, not touching.” She moved deeper into the woods.

Megan sighed and followed. Rose had gone upstairs for a well-deserved nap. Sam was probably asleep as well, although he’d be in front of the television set. She sensed that Gordon’s earlier visit had stressed both of them, and they’d earned the down time, especially after the excitement of Rose’s surprise party. For the first time in as long as Megan could remember, Rose hadn’t been up at dawn fixing breakfast.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Megan said. “Does Gordon know you’re here?”

Angie reddened. “No. I figured I’d be done here before he finished whatever he was doing. I’d rather beg forgiveness than ask for permission. Especially when I know he’d never give permission.”

Megan bit back her immediate response. That was between Gordon and Angie. She had half a mind to leave Angie on her own. But her conscience wouldn’t allow her to. She might not be able to convince Angie that she shouldn’t be out here, but at least she could make sure her friend didn’t do anything stupid.

Oh, admit it. You’re curious, too.
And maybe trying to solve the mystery of the bones would fill the void until she figured out what to do next. After all, she and Justin had done a respectable job helping Gordon solve a murder on her last visit to Mapleton.

“So, where were these bones?” Angie said. “No, wait. Don’t tell me. Let me see if I can sense their presence.”

“Their absence, you mean. Someone from the Coroner’s Office took them to be tested. Besides, I don’t know where they were, so I couldn’t tell you if you were right.”

“Then I’ll go with my gut.” She pointed. “I’m getting some kind of vibes from over that way.”

“More like the vibrations of a woodpecker pounding on a nearby tree,” Megan muttered.

“You know, you don’t have to tag along.” Angie smirked. “Isn’t Justin in the house?”

“He’s working,” Megan said. “He’s got a grant proposal due for his job, and he doesn’t need any distractions.”

Angie’s smirk turned into a laugh. “I can see how you’d be one major distraction. Tell me. Did you sneak into his room last night, or did he sneak into yours?”

“Sheesh, Angie. In Rose and Sam’s house? Neither, thank you very much.”

“So, where?”

Megan knew she was redder than Rose’s borscht. “The gazebo,” she mumbled.

“Ooh. Under the stars. How romantic.”

“Yeah, well it’s not going to happen again. Not with stories of bones buried in the woods. Rose and Sam will be hypersensitive to any outside noises.”

“Oh, so you made noises, did you?”

“No, we didn’t, and let’s drop the subject. I’m not asking for all the details between you and Gordon, am I? Go pick up vibes, or whatever it is you’re doing out here.”

Angie tossed her head. “Fine. Be that way.” She flounced a few steps into the woods, then pivoted. “In the shower. Twice. And in bed. Which had to be more comfortable than
your
gazebo.” She grew serious. “Damn, I shouldn’t have said that. Gordon’s…
shy
isn’t the right word, but he’s got this thing about PDA. At least I think he’s afraid to display his affections in public. I don’t think he’s embarrassed to be seen with me. I hope. But he doesn’t touch me… won’t put his arm around me, or even hold my hand if we’re someplace someone might see.”

“He cares. Plenty. It’s all over his face whenever he looks at you. And that necklace?” She pointed to the lapis pendant Angie wore every day. “I saw him look at it, and it was like he was saying, ‘She’s mine. Hands off.’ Don’t worry.”

Angie looked down and slid the lapis along the chain. “You sure he’s not using it as an excuse to check out my boobs—not that I have a lot in that department.”

“Trust me. It’s not a boob thing.”

“Thanks, girlfriend.” Angie tromped off again. A few seconds later, she shouted, “I’ve found the spot.”

“Are you sure?” Megan rushed to catch up. When she reached Angie’s side, she gave her friend a smack on the arm. “Well, duh. You don’t think the crime scene tape is a dead giveaway?”

Angie huffed. “It was my
feeling
that led us here.”

As if they hadn’t covered almost the entire woodlands. “If your
feelings
were so accurate, why didn’t we come here first?”

Angie rearranged her bangs. “Hey, this is new territory for me. I’m still learning how to read the sensations.”

Megan didn’t have the heart—or the energy—to argue. And while Angie was intent on playing detective, Megan could avoid revealing her own problems. “So what are you feeling?”

“Dunno. Maybe the spirit of whoever was buried here will speak to me.”

“C’mon, Angie. I need to finish packing. Plus, Justin and I are taking Rose and Sam out for dinner tonight.”

“There’s plenty of time. And Gordon said he wouldn’t be done until three.”

Megan’s patience had reached its limit. “Angie, enough. Instead of relying on your”—Megan avoided
woo woo,
the first words that came to mind—“
feelings
, I think we’d do better to figure out who went missing—which is the way the police are handling it.”

Angie’s shoulders slumped. “You’re right. But that’s so… Gordon. I wanted to use a different approach.” Suddenly, she straightened, and her eyes sparkled. “Hey, I know. Old Mrs. Blanchard came into the diner this morning, grumbling about how Crazy Freddy was cutting down trees and digging holes all over his place. What if he’s burying bones up there?”

“You’ve got to be kidding. And even if he is, what does that have to do with the bones buried here?”

“I don’t know. What do you say we go find out?”

Chapter 9

Gordon took a calming breath. He had no hold over Angie, and he’d told her he wouldn’t be free until three. Since she normally finished work by noon on a Sunday, she was certainly free to do as she pleased. He had no right to expect her to be sitting around waiting for him.

He dumped the to-go coffee he’d bought at the diner to justify his stopping in, into the gutter. Why hadn’t he been able to ask Donna if she’d known where Angie had gone?

Times like this, he hated the cop mentality, with images of the worst-case-scenario flashing through his brain. He also hated the visions of Angie spending her free time with anyone else. And that made him
absolutely
hate the thought that he might be jealous, which meant he cared about her more than he was ready to deal with on a conscious level.

He thwacked the steering wheel and put the car in gear. Might as well do something productive before he was chained to his desk tomorrow. He pointed the car in the direction of Fred Easterbrook’s house.

He slowed as he entered Fred’s property. As he drove up the long, winding drive, he spotted freshly-cut trees scattered about. He saw no evidence of digging, or dynamited stumps, but there was a lot of acreage not visible from his vantage point. He pressed the accelerator and continued on.

When he spotted Angie’s ten-year-old red Kia in front of Fred’s house, he wasn’t sure if he was happy, relieved, or if he should throttle her. What was she doing up here? Had she been eavesdropping when he and Solomon had been discussing the incident at Fred’s? That was unacceptable, and Angie knew it.

Storming the place wouldn’t be smart. Gordon took a few seconds to regroup. He was here on official police business, following up on a legitimate complaint. Unless Angie was breaking the law, he had no reason to confront her, no matter how much it irked him that she was here.