“There are two bodies, one old and one new. Both are shifters.” Which was odd in itself. She would’ve said a shifter fight, but shifters didn’t leave one of their own behind.
She crouched, examining the smaller, exposed femur in closer detail. Grooves were gouged into one of the bones. “The tool marks are some sort of animal bites, but I would say there are two of them.”
“How do you know?”
“The size.” She pointed to the shattered femur bone with muscle tissue still dangling from it by strings that were once tendons. Decay had the bones dripping with slime, the smell putrid. “See here? The bridge of this bite is wider.”
Scotts scribbled in his notebook. “So we’re looking for a pair.”
Raven slowly shook her head, swallowing the bile that threatened to rise. “I don’t think so.”
Alerted to her tone, Scotts lowered his book and hunkered down next to her. “Why do you say that? You just said there were two different set of marks.”
One was a shifter, but there was something off about the width marks on the second set of the teeth that didn’t quite match any wild animal.
“One is human, the other is animal.”
Raven jerked when Jackson spoke. “What the hell are you doing? I told you to stay in the car.” Raven leapt to her feet, putting herself between him and the evidence to prevent any contamination. Nor did he need to see the macabre scene.
She had to help the police like a compulsion. Needed to do some good in the world and catch the bad guys to make up for all the lives she hadn’t been able to save when the labs collapsed and the compound was destroyed. No way was he going to ruin this for her.
“I told them I was your assistant, and they let me pass.” Jackson tucked his hands under his arms.
“Raven, do you know this man?” Scotts gripped the handle of his service revolver.
Muscles of her jaw bunched. She thought about refusing to answer, but that would only cause her more trouble in the end. She pried her lips apart and spit out one word. “Yes.”
Scotts didn’t stand down and Jackson refused to budge. They were about the same height. Scotts was thicker in the torso, but Jackson had more bulk on him overall.
“I think it’s best we left.” Raven paused, waiting for Jackson to leave, but the bastard wore a stubborn look that said he wouldn’t budge without her. Her fingers clenched, eager to get her hands on him. Raven nodded to Scotts. “I’ll do some digging and call you when I learn more.” She’d return tonight when everyone was gone and visit the morgue to catch up on what she missed. The privacy would allow her to get a closer look without others watching. She’d be able to see what her gift could pick up.
Those bodies were put in the pond, but she didn’t think they were there to conceal a murder. They were placed there very deliberately, and she would find out why.
She stalked back toward the car, Jackson’s silent tread following, her anger mounting with each step. She slammed the car door, revved the engine and took off as Jackson shut his door. Taggert remained a silent presence in the back of the car.
As she turned onto the main road, Jackson retrieved his phone from his pocket and an ugly suspicion crept into her mind.
“Who do you think you’re calling?” She didn’t bother to look away from the road.
“There are people on the squad who will help bury this case.”
Affronted by his lack of belief that she could do her job, she tightened her grip on the steering wheel. “You can’t do that. Someone is murdering people. If you sweep everything away, he’ll continue his rampage.” Even with what little she knew of him, she couldn’t believe he would help a killer.
When he continued to dial, Raven coaxed a strand of current to rise to the surface. The voltage flared in response to her anger, lashing at his phone. The plastic gave a warning beep and a trail of smoke rose from the keypad.
“What the hell!” He tried to turn the phone back on but without success, then glared at her as if he somehow suspected her involvement.
“This is my case.” She flexed her hands on the steering wheel, taking the turn a little too fast. Tires spun in protest, but no one said a word.
“If the truth of this gets out, the humans will panic again.” The hard mask he always wore sharpened with his conviction. He ran a distracted hand through his hair. She didn’t think he directed his comment at her. It was more talking out loud, but it hit her anyway.
Memories of the horror of the paranormal conflict ten years ago filled the car with tension. People hunting the paranormal community. The police unable to control either paranormals or the humans. The skirmishes and slaughter of innocents on both sides. It only stopped when the government issued a new law that made paranormals legal citizens, their deaths punishable by law.