muscular, mid-thirties, sandy blond guy
approached. He moved with agility, and his hiking boots looked well
worn. His Red Hot Chili Peppers T-shirt was ripped on the side, and
Vivian could see part of the six-pack that lay beneath.
He nodded to the girls as he passed. “Good
afternoon.”
Vivian stopped to look at his backside.
Baggy, khaki cargo shorts hid his rear, but muscular calves
indicated nice muscles farther north.
“You digging for dinosaur bones, Stokola?” he
teased. “I heard Young’s call on the radio and figured you could
use some volunteers for this one.”
Stokola greeted the man with a handshake and
a shoulder hug. “Larson, good to see you. I think we can probably
use your help. We’ve got a jaw with a silver filling, and I suspect
there’s more to be found.” She tucked some stray strands of hair
back into place and fluffed the back. “Could be scattered around.
The dog was digging at the roots of that tree.”
“So they found the bone?” Larson asked and
glanced in the girls’ direction.
Vivian gave a little wave and smiled.
Larson and Stokola talked a few more minutes
before he wandered over to the girls, who hadn’t left as
instructed.
“Who was the lucky girl playing fetch with
the golden retriever?” he said with a grin.
Vivian raised her hand. “Me, and I may never
play fetch with my dog again. I’m too afraid of what I’ll get
back.”
Austin loped up to Larson who bent down and
scratched behind the dog’s ears, flopping them around. Larson’s
voice turned playful. “Who’s a good boy? Who deserves a treat for
finding the bone?”
Austin started licking Larson in the face and
almost trampled him to the ground.
Larson stood, wiping his face on his sleeve,
and patted Austin’s side. He looked at Vivian. “He was just doing
what was natural, digging, chomping on bones.”
“It’s just best when they’re not human,” Lucy
said.
The girls laughed and Kate made
introductions, Austin included. “We’re visiting and thought a hike
would be just what we needed today. You know, take in the fall
foliage, get some exercise, help with a police investigation, that
sort of thing.”
Vivian looked toward Moreno who was
excavating the dirt under the roots with a small shovel, then
looked at Larson, who was still petting Austin. “We got more out of
this hike than we bargained for, but things are definitely looking
up.”
Larson laughed. “You never know what you’ll
find out here. I love to hike and I’ve found some interesting
things over the years. You’ve got to heed the Boy Scout motto and
always be prepared.”
“So you heard Deputy Young’s call?” Wendy
asked. “Are you a police officer?”
“No, I’m a volunteer fireman. We’re part of
search and rescue, and we pitch in with emergencies or situations
like this.”
“What is there for you to pitch in and do?”
Lucy asked.
Larson pointed up mountain to where the crime
scene tape had been hung in a 30-foot radius around the tree. Doda
was busy taking pictures while Moreno pulled tools out of his bag.
Five more guys arrived and started setting up big spotlights and
running extension cords to a generator.
Larson waved to the new arrivals. “They’re
going to lay out a grid in a few minutes and start searching by
section. We’ll probably be here all night.”
“You’ll work all night even though this isn’t
a fresh crime?” Vivian asked.
“It’s freshly found, and we have to gather
all of the evidence and info as quickly as we can,” Larson said.
“I’ll probably go from here directly to work in the morning for a
half day because I have an event tomorrow with the fire department.
Good thing I’m off from both the day after that.”
“What do you do?” Kate asked.
“I’m a line repairman for the electric
company.”
Vivian cringed outwardly and inwardly. “I
can’t function without sleep. I don’t see how you do it.”
“Doesn’t happen often. I’ll sleep in the day
after
approached. He moved with agility, and his hiking boots looked well
worn. His Red Hot Chili Peppers T-shirt was ripped on the side, and
Vivian could see part of the six-pack that lay beneath.
He nodded to the girls as he passed. “Good
afternoon.”
Vivian stopped to look at his backside.
Baggy, khaki cargo shorts hid his rear, but muscular calves
indicated nice muscles farther north.
“You digging for dinosaur bones, Stokola?” he
teased. “I heard Young’s call on the radio and figured you could
use some volunteers for this one.”
Stokola greeted the man with a handshake and
a shoulder hug. “Larson, good to see you. I think we can probably
use your help. We’ve got a jaw with a silver filling, and I suspect
there’s more to be found.” She tucked some stray strands of hair
back into place and fluffed the back. “Could be scattered around.
The dog was digging at the roots of that tree.”
“So they found the bone?” Larson asked and
glanced in the girls’ direction.
Vivian gave a little wave and smiled.
Larson and Stokola talked a few more minutes
before he wandered over to the girls, who hadn’t left as
instructed.
“Who was the lucky girl playing fetch with
the golden retriever?” he said with a grin.
Vivian raised her hand. “Me, and I may never
play fetch with my dog again. I’m too afraid of what I’ll get
back.”
Austin loped up to Larson who bent down and
scratched behind the dog’s ears, flopping them around. Larson’s
voice turned playful. “Who’s a good boy? Who deserves a treat for
finding the bone?”
Austin started licking Larson in the face and
almost trampled him to the ground.
Larson stood, wiping his face on his sleeve,
and patted Austin’s side. He looked at Vivian. “He was just doing
what was natural, digging, chomping on bones.”
“It’s just best when they’re not human,” Lucy
said.
The girls laughed and Kate made
introductions, Austin included. “We’re visiting and thought a hike
would be just what we needed today. You know, take in the fall
foliage, get some exercise, help with a police investigation, that
sort of thing.”
Vivian looked toward Moreno who was
excavating the dirt under the roots with a small shovel, then
looked at Larson, who was still petting Austin. “We got more out of
this hike than we bargained for, but things are definitely looking
up.”
Larson laughed. “You never know what you’ll
find out here. I love to hike and I’ve found some interesting
things over the years. You’ve got to heed the Boy Scout motto and
always be prepared.”
“So you heard Deputy Young’s call?” Wendy
asked. “Are you a police officer?”
“No, I’m a volunteer fireman. We’re part of
search and rescue, and we pitch in with emergencies or situations
like this.”
“What is there for you to pitch in and do?”
Lucy asked.
Larson pointed up mountain to where the crime
scene tape had been hung in a 30-foot radius around the tree. Doda
was busy taking pictures while Moreno pulled tools out of his bag.
Five more guys arrived and started setting up big spotlights and
running extension cords to a generator.
Larson waved to the new arrivals. “They’re
going to lay out a grid in a few minutes and start searching by
section. We’ll probably be here all night.”
“You’ll work all night even though this isn’t
a fresh crime?” Vivian asked.
“It’s freshly found, and we have to gather
all of the evidence and info as quickly as we can,” Larson said.
“I’ll probably go from here directly to work in the morning for a
half day because I have an event tomorrow with the fire department.
Good thing I’m off from both the day after that.”
“What do you do?” Kate asked.
“I’m a line repairman for the electric
company.”
Vivian cringed outwardly and inwardly. “I
can’t function without sleep. I don’t see how you do it.”
“Doesn’t happen often. I’ll sleep in the day
after
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