tomorrow, although the weather should still be warm enough to
take the boat out on the lake. Will you still be in town? Want to
go?”
The girls looked at each other. “Sure, that
sounds like fun!” Vivian said. “Wear your fireman outfit. I can’t
resist a man in uniform.”
Larson looked at Vivian with a mischievous
twinkle. “Give me your number and I’ll get you details tomorrow.”
They exchanged numbers, then he said, “I’d better get to work. I
might be here as a volunteer, but Moreno treats me like he pays me
a six-figure salary.” He laughed, gave Austin a final pat on the
head, then winked at Vivian as he walked off.
Lucy slapped herself in the forehead.
“Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. We find a piece of a
decomposed body and you’re ready to make out with the first hiker
to come along.”
Vivian grinned. “He wasn’t just any hiker.
Did you see his legs? I bet his ass is picture perfect.”
Groans all around.
“What? I’m single!”
“Just making the best of a bad situation,
huh?” Lucy butt-bumped her. “Come on, let’s move.”
The girls passed the crime scene techs who
had begun to lay out a grid; two worked in one quadrant, while two
others worked in another. Doda took pictures while Larson and the
techs got started digging in another section. Two more sheriff
deputies arrived along with three men in street clothes, and Moreno
put them all to work on the grid. The girls watched the action a
few minutes until Kate said, “I’d like to use a real toilet the
next time I feel the need. Can we head back?”
Larson bent over as Vivian admired. He
straightened and she turned to leave. She giggled as they headed
down the mountain. “Did y’all see the size of his feet?”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “I didn’t pay attention
to his feet.”
Vivian looked around at them and grinned. She
just couldn’t help herself. “I bet that fireman has a big
hose.”
13
T he girls hiked past
Deputy Young, who looked bored babysitting the jawbone, and down
the mountain to the car without incident. No more porcupines,
tricky streams or body parts, though Austin sniffed the tracks of
several somethings and left his mark on the mountain more than
once. Vivian didn’t want to find out what the somethings were, so
she held his leash firmly until they got to the trailhead.
“I’m looking forward to a long, hot bath,”
she said. “When the water cools, I’m going to drain the tub and
fill it again.”
“I’m ready for a nice, mellow bottle of
wine,” Wendy said. “At a minimum.”
Lucy rubbed her cheek. “I can’t wait to use
my Clarisonic. Wash off the jawbone funk.”
“You didn’t even touch it, Lucy,” Kate said.
“I’m just looking forward to using a real toilet. Is that too much
to ask?” She dug in the right-hand pocket of her red North Face
jacket, then in the left pocket. She patted her pants pockets
before saying, “Uh, guys, I can’t find the car key. Did I give it
to someone to keep track of on the hike?”
“I don’t think so,” Wendy said, patting her
pockets.
Vivian and Lucy checked theirs, too, and Lucy
checked her CamelBak and backpack.
“Nothing,” Lucy reported. “Do you think you
could have dropped it on the trail?”
“I hope not.” Kate looked back at the trail
and shook her head.
“Maybe it’s in the car,” Vivian said.
Wendy peered through the passenger window to
their rental. “Yep, there it is. Right there on the seat.” She
tried the door handle. “Locked. We just need a slim jim or
something similar. We can pop the lock.”
“At least it’s not lost,” Kate said,
relieved.
Vivian looked toward several sheriff cruisers
parked close together. A deputy stood outside one of them. “I’ll be
right back.”
The officer strode to Vivian as she
approached. His name tag read Dawson. She smiled and said, “Hi,
there, we seem to have locked our keys in the car. Would you happen
to have a slim jim?”
He looked
take the boat out on the lake. Will you still be in town? Want to
go?”
The girls looked at each other. “Sure, that
sounds like fun!” Vivian said. “Wear your fireman outfit. I can’t
resist a man in uniform.”
Larson looked at Vivian with a mischievous
twinkle. “Give me your number and I’ll get you details tomorrow.”
They exchanged numbers, then he said, “I’d better get to work. I
might be here as a volunteer, but Moreno treats me like he pays me
a six-figure salary.” He laughed, gave Austin a final pat on the
head, then winked at Vivian as he walked off.
Lucy slapped herself in the forehead.
“Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. We find a piece of a
decomposed body and you’re ready to make out with the first hiker
to come along.”
Vivian grinned. “He wasn’t just any hiker.
Did you see his legs? I bet his ass is picture perfect.”
Groans all around.
“What? I’m single!”
“Just making the best of a bad situation,
huh?” Lucy butt-bumped her. “Come on, let’s move.”
The girls passed the crime scene techs who
had begun to lay out a grid; two worked in one quadrant, while two
others worked in another. Doda took pictures while Larson and the
techs got started digging in another section. Two more sheriff
deputies arrived along with three men in street clothes, and Moreno
put them all to work on the grid. The girls watched the action a
few minutes until Kate said, “I’d like to use a real toilet the
next time I feel the need. Can we head back?”
Larson bent over as Vivian admired. He
straightened and she turned to leave. She giggled as they headed
down the mountain. “Did y’all see the size of his feet?”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “I didn’t pay attention
to his feet.”
Vivian looked around at them and grinned. She
just couldn’t help herself. “I bet that fireman has a big
hose.”
13
T he girls hiked past
Deputy Young, who looked bored babysitting the jawbone, and down
the mountain to the car without incident. No more porcupines,
tricky streams or body parts, though Austin sniffed the tracks of
several somethings and left his mark on the mountain more than
once. Vivian didn’t want to find out what the somethings were, so
she held his leash firmly until they got to the trailhead.
“I’m looking forward to a long, hot bath,”
she said. “When the water cools, I’m going to drain the tub and
fill it again.”
“I’m ready for a nice, mellow bottle of
wine,” Wendy said. “At a minimum.”
Lucy rubbed her cheek. “I can’t wait to use
my Clarisonic. Wash off the jawbone funk.”
“You didn’t even touch it, Lucy,” Kate said.
“I’m just looking forward to using a real toilet. Is that too much
to ask?” She dug in the right-hand pocket of her red North Face
jacket, then in the left pocket. She patted her pants pockets
before saying, “Uh, guys, I can’t find the car key. Did I give it
to someone to keep track of on the hike?”
“I don’t think so,” Wendy said, patting her
pockets.
Vivian and Lucy checked theirs, too, and Lucy
checked her CamelBak and backpack.
“Nothing,” Lucy reported. “Do you think you
could have dropped it on the trail?”
“I hope not.” Kate looked back at the trail
and shook her head.
“Maybe it’s in the car,” Vivian said.
Wendy peered through the passenger window to
their rental. “Yep, there it is. Right there on the seat.” She
tried the door handle. “Locked. We just need a slim jim or
something similar. We can pop the lock.”
“At least it’s not lost,” Kate said,
relieved.
Vivian looked toward several sheriff cruisers
parked close together. A deputy stood outside one of them. “I’ll be
right back.”
The officer strode to Vivian as she
approached. His name tag read Dawson. She smiled and said, “Hi,
there, we seem to have locked our keys in the car. Would you happen
to have a slim jim?”
He looked
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