Grimshaw blew out a breath. It looked like he would have to call Osgood to come here and secure the scene—and then remain here. Alone.
“You don’t need to worry about terra indigene taking away evidence.” Aiden pointed. “Because of that.”
That was the crow’s feet tied to Janse’s lower front teeth.
“The Hawk will keep watch for any sneaky humans, and I will stay nearby to deal with them until your police people come to retrieve the body.” Aiden smiled. “Will that be satisfactory?”
Since he heated his cabin with a woodstove, he had no desire to upset Fire in any way. “That will be satisfactory. Thank you.”
Grimshaw headed for the cabins, trusting a crime scene to an Elemental and a Hawk. Then he stopped and turned back. “Are any of the Elementals keeping watch over Vicki DeVine today?”
“Should we be?” Aiden asked.
“Might set folks’ minds at ease if someone was there, quietly keeping watch.”
“I will pass along the suggestion.”
He had to be satisfied with that.
He was certain this next bit of business would feel a lot more satisfying.
* * *
* * *
You’re arresting me?” Roash shouted from his side of the gate.
“I’m not arresting you. You’re coming with me to assist the police with their inquiries,” Grimshaw said. “Since you’re indirectly responsible for the deaths of one student and two academic colleagues, you have some questions to answer.” Not to mention the two Crows and a crow that had died.
“You don’t know that!” Roash’s face was turning purple. “You can’t prove that!”
“Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re in?” Grimshaw asked quietly. “Not with the police. With the terra indigene. Bodies are piling up, Roash, and everything is pointing at you being the cause.”
Roash crossed his arms over his chest. “What if I don’t want to go with you? Are you going to shoot me in front of a witness?”
At this point, Grimshaw wasn’t sure Cardosa wouldn’t look the other way. If he’d been stuck in a cabin with Roash, he’d have been tempted to smother the man in his sleep.
Movement near one of the vehicles. For a moment, just long enough to draw the humans’ attention, a chubby brown pony with a storm gray mane and tail stood next to the minivan. The next moment, the minivan was spinning across the lane and heading for the creek.
“Twister?” he called over the exclamations of the academics. “I don’t think Water will be happy with you if you dump that vehicle in her nice creek. You just bring it back here, okay?”
The spinning slowed a little before curving away from the creek and returning to the cabins, picking up speed again.
While the other men watched the spinning minivan head toward the space between two of the cabins, Grimshaw pulled out his handcuffs, grabbed Roash, and had the man cuffed and stumbling toward his cruiser before Cardosa shook off . . . Fascination? Horror? Grimshaw had seen what Twister and Fire had done to rigs hauling backhoes and other large pieces of equipment. This was just play for the pony. But the underlying message was it could be more . . . and worse . . . if humans didn’t play nice.
With Roash in the back seat of the cruiser and the minivan parked in its space, more or less, Grimshaw drove up the lane and headed back to the village.
CHAPTER 66
Julian
Earthday, Novembros 4
Peter Lynchfield looked a lot worse in daylight.
Julian had waited for Doc Wallace to check on David Shuman again and confirm that the wounds from Conan’s claws were healing and showed no sign of infection. After Wallace reassured Vicki that her guest would survive, the two men headed down the access road. The doc didn’t look toward the body inside the car as they walked past the crime scene;he simply said that he wasn’t sure what help he could offer as medical examiner, but he would be available later in the day for anything Chief Grimshaw needed from him.
For people like Doc Wallace, life had been so much easier when they’d been able to believe the Others were Out There instead of Right Here.
When they reached their cars, Doc drove home for a shower and a fresh set of clothes. Julian parked his car on the shoulder of the road and waited until Detective Kipp and his CIU team cautiously backed their vehicles up the access road. He gave them a few minutes to view everything on their own. Then he walked to the crime scene.
The smell of fresh vomit. Not surprising. Even seasoned professionals would have difficulty with the amount of trauma that had been done to Lynchfield’s body, especially when there was no way to know if the beings who had done that trauma were out there watching the team—and deciding if these humans should remain among the living or die the same way.
Kipp looked at him and wagged a finger—a request to join him at the car.
“This is as bad as it gets,” Kipp said quietly.
“No,” Julian replied. “It isn’t.” He’d seen worse during the years between leaving the police force and settling here in Sproing.
“Do you know what did this?”
“I do. They come into Lettuce Reed once a week to exchange books. I see what they allow me to see. They were very clear that the only person allowed to see them last night when they came to The Jumble for a book exchange was Vicki DeVine because she holds the esteemed position of being the Reader for this terra indigene settlement, as well as being the place’s caretaker. Lynchfield tried to take photographs of them as they were leaving.”
Kipp gestured toward a rock and the shiny bits surrounding it. “I’m guessing the camera is under that?”
Julian leaned closer to Kipp and lowered his voice. “If there is anything left that might contain an image or might give you a way to access an image—”
“We should see what we can get?”
“No, you should destroy it before there is any possibility of you or your team seeing anything you weren’t invited to see.”
“Destroying possible evidence . . .”
“Saving your team.”
They studied each other. Then Kipp nodded.
“Sir?” someone called. “The hearse is here for the body.”
“Tell them to come up,” Kipp said. “They can take the remains to Ames Funeral Home. The local medical examiner can examine the body there, sign the death certificate, and fill in cause of death.” He looked at Julian and lowered his voice. “And say whatever is usually said in cases like this.”