done deal. If Dad were still alive, I wouldn’t bother. But he’s not.” She hurried out the door, already pressing numbers on her keypad. Over her shoulder she called, “And don’t forget to lock your door!”
Sixty-five miles away, in Yellow Bend, a tiny suburb of Pine River, Officer Frank Lujan was about to make a discovery that would have him questioning his decision to become a police officer instead of a firefighter like he had once intended.
He’d only been a solo patrol officer for a couple of months, so when he saw an animal run across the street dragging something that looked like a human arm, he pulled the cruiser to the side of the road, slammed the gearshift into Park, and jumped out to give chase. It was only after the coyote dropped the arm that Officer Lujan realized it really was human.
“I thought it was part of a store dummy,” he kept repeating when his backup arrived. “You know, one of those mannequin things. I didn’t seriously think it was . . . real.”
He couldn’t say anymore. He was too busy attempting to regain his composure and figure out what to write on his report. Meanwhile, his backup had arrived and was on the radio calling for the Medical Examiner. After he signed off, he asked, “Which way did the coyote come from?”
Officer Lujan pointed to the east. “I guess I should start searching in that field.”
The experienced officer shook his head. “First we’ll cordon off the area. Then we’ll wait for further instructions.” He adjusted his utility belt. “Sarge might even want us to wait until daylight. Be less likely to trample evidence if we can see it.”
The rookie understood the logic of waiting. But it really tested his patience to stand by, knowing that animals might be chewing on the remains of a human out there somewhere. He was very relieved when the Chief herself came down and told them a cadaver dog and its handler were being brought in as soon as possible.
Lujan and another officer stood watch the rest of the night, and when day broke, the dog was brought out. Within four hours it had pinpointed the rest of the young woman’s remains. Dental records would be required to identify her. All they could tell for certain was that she had been a blonde female. There were traces of blonde hair still attached to her skull, and the Medical Examiner said the pelvis was definitely that of a woman.
***
Beth was groggy and disoriented when she awoke around three a.m.. For a moment, she had the idea she had run off the road and was stuck in a ditch. She expected the strange little boy to show up at any moment, but then the moonlight through the picture window reminded her where she was. The light was still blazing from the overhead fixture as well, because she had never gotten any further than the recliner. The fire was also still going, but now it was smoldering, glowing instead of crackling brightly.
After everything she’d been through, plus her experience beside the road, Beth was completely wiped out. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d eaten. As if on cue, her stomach rumbled loudly. Nothing like a little mental and emotional turmoil to work up an appetite.
She pressed a hand to her middle and wandered to the fridge while mentally cataloging the interior, which she had so recently filled. She rubbed her eyes again. Tiny lights flickered at the edge of her vision. Tired, she thought, rubbing gently. Too much driving and crying. Ought to write a country song. She laughed morosely. The lights flickered again, briefly. She switched on the single bulb over the sink, turned off the higher watt fixture over the table. Too much glare, maybe? Colored sparks jumped away into the air just outside her normal field of vision. If she tried to actually see them, they were gone. If she went gestalt, they were there: bright darts of light like a rainbow of electrical sparks.
“Damn,” she turned on the tap to splash water on her face. “Hope
Sixty-five miles away, in Yellow Bend, a tiny suburb of Pine River, Officer Frank Lujan was about to make a discovery that would have him questioning his decision to become a police officer instead of a firefighter like he had once intended.
He’d only been a solo patrol officer for a couple of months, so when he saw an animal run across the street dragging something that looked like a human arm, he pulled the cruiser to the side of the road, slammed the gearshift into Park, and jumped out to give chase. It was only after the coyote dropped the arm that Officer Lujan realized it really was human.
“I thought it was part of a store dummy,” he kept repeating when his backup arrived. “You know, one of those mannequin things. I didn’t seriously think it was . . . real.”
He couldn’t say anymore. He was too busy attempting to regain his composure and figure out what to write on his report. Meanwhile, his backup had arrived and was on the radio calling for the Medical Examiner. After he signed off, he asked, “Which way did the coyote come from?”
Officer Lujan pointed to the east. “I guess I should start searching in that field.”
The experienced officer shook his head. “First we’ll cordon off the area. Then we’ll wait for further instructions.” He adjusted his utility belt. “Sarge might even want us to wait until daylight. Be less likely to trample evidence if we can see it.”
The rookie understood the logic of waiting. But it really tested his patience to stand by, knowing that animals might be chewing on the remains of a human out there somewhere. He was very relieved when the Chief herself came down and told them a cadaver dog and its handler were being brought in as soon as possible.
Lujan and another officer stood watch the rest of the night, and when day broke, the dog was brought out. Within four hours it had pinpointed the rest of the young woman’s remains. Dental records would be required to identify her. All they could tell for certain was that she had been a blonde female. There were traces of blonde hair still attached to her skull, and the Medical Examiner said the pelvis was definitely that of a woman.
***
Beth was groggy and disoriented when she awoke around three a.m.. For a moment, she had the idea she had run off the road and was stuck in a ditch. She expected the strange little boy to show up at any moment, but then the moonlight through the picture window reminded her where she was. The light was still blazing from the overhead fixture as well, because she had never gotten any further than the recliner. The fire was also still going, but now it was smoldering, glowing instead of crackling brightly.
After everything she’d been through, plus her experience beside the road, Beth was completely wiped out. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d eaten. As if on cue, her stomach rumbled loudly. Nothing like a little mental and emotional turmoil to work up an appetite.
She pressed a hand to her middle and wandered to the fridge while mentally cataloging the interior, which she had so recently filled. She rubbed her eyes again. Tiny lights flickered at the edge of her vision. Tired, she thought, rubbing gently. Too much driving and crying. Ought to write a country song. She laughed morosely. The lights flickered again, briefly. She switched on the single bulb over the sink, turned off the higher watt fixture over the table. Too much glare, maybe? Colored sparks jumped away into the air just outside her normal field of vision. If she tried to actually see them, they were gone. If she went gestalt, they were there: bright darts of light like a rainbow of electrical sparks.
“Damn,” she turned on the tap to splash water on her face. “Hope
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