Read Online Bones by Jan Burke - Free Book Online

we'd get better results. Lord, who knows what he could accomplish? More than once, I've looked back and realized that I just failed to read him; he was trying to show me where to find something, but I insisted that we do things my way. There are times when I can see he's frustrated, trying to get things across to his dumb handler."
    "I don't know," I said, "you two seem to have a pretty good partnership."
    "Well, partner," he said to Bingle, who immediately became alert, "ready to have another go at it?"
    Bingle got quickly to his feet, but continued to watch David with anticipation.
    "VBuscalos!" David said, giving the same hand signal he had before. "Find 'em!" The dog immediately went back to work.
    David worked him for another twenty minutes, and again provided water and rest. On the fourth round of work, the dog's weaving pattern suddenly narrowed. He was still moving side to side, but faster and faster. He stopped and looked back at David, his ears forward, the look intent.
    "That's an alert," David said excitedly. "Whatcha got?" he said to Bingle. "Show me where it is. Muestrame donde esta. Sigue--keep going."
    Bingle moved off again, nearly in a straight line.
    "How did you know it was an alert?" I asked.
    "I know him," David said simply, hurrying after him. "When his ears are straight forward like that, it's as if he's checking in with me. I'm part of his pack. He's asking me, 'Can't you smell that?' " He kept watching the dog as he spoke, then said, "He's got something. Look--the scent has caught on the grass."
    Bingle was rubbing his face against the grass, biting at it.
    "VBuscalo, Bingle!" David said. "Find it!"
    The breeze came up again and the dog stopped, held his head high, and sniffed with a slight bobbing motion of his nose, as if trying to draw in more of a specific scent.
    "Whatcha got?" David asked again. "Whatcha got, Bingle? Show me! VMuestramelo! VAdelante!"
    Bingle sang a high little note, then rushed on ahead of us. He stopped about twenty yards away--I could see him circling anxiously in one area, heard him making chuffing noises. Suddenly, he sat down on his haunches, lifted his head back so that his nose was straight up in the air, and began crooning.
    "That's his way of giving a hard alert," David said, rushing forward.
    Bingle met him halfway, and nudged at a pouch on David's belt. "zDonde esta? Where is it?" David said, and the dog loped back to where he had alerted and barked.
    David reached the dog before I did. "Bingle," he suddenly said, "you beautiful son of a bitch!"
    Bingle gave a loud bark of agreement.
    ** CHAPTER 8
    WEDNESDAY MORNING, MAY 17
    Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains
    If I hadn't talked to Andy before following Bingle, I might not have understood why David was now enthusiastically praising his dog, pulling out a floppy toss-toy that was apparently the dog's all-time favorite. On the ground where Bingle had indicated his find, I could clearly see the burial signs Andy had mentioned. There, in a long patch, the soil contrasted slightly in color with other nearby soil--it appeared to be less compact and there were more rocks and pebbles in it. The plants growing over it were not as tall or sturdy as their neighbors.
    It was not a clearly defined grave-size rectangle with nice, neat edges. But it was not much bigger than a grave might be, and was obviously unlike the area immediately around it.
    "Let's move back from this site," David said. "We don't want to disturb evidence."
    We moved over to a level spot nearer to the tree, where David continued to play with Bingle and praise him. The other members of our group must have been watching us, because before David beckoned, Ben and Andy donned packs and headed our way, with Thompson and Flash Burden not far behind. Duke and Earl moved more slowly from the campsite, bringing Parrish; Merrick and Manton managed to sleep through the commotion.
    "A hard alert?" Ben called as he came within earshot.
    David smiled. "Yes, and my dog