“There’s another body,” Julian said. “At the Mill Creek Cabins. Chief Grimshaw suspects a human killer. Possibly more than one killer.”
“I’ll wait until I see it before deciding if we need to take that one to Bristol for a thorough autopsy,” Kipp replied. “For now, let’s deal with the one in front of us.”
There was nothing for Julian to do, but no one wanted him to leave, because he was known to the terra indigene who lived in The Jumble and the surrounding area. Besides, the CIU team startled at every snapped twig and would lose their nerve if they were alone—a hard truth since this team had dealt with last summer’s grisly remains and stayed solid.
“I thought someone said these tires were sunk into the road so deep the car couldn’t be moved,” Kipp said once the body had been removed and the team started examining the car. “Even a couple of humans pushing at the back would be enough to help a driver rock the car out of these ruts.”
“They were deeper last night.” Julian smelled rich, sun-warmed earth after a rain before he saw the female who stepped out of the trees and stood beside him.
“Was that not helpful?” Earth asked. “Was the tunnel you traveled through to reach The Jumble not helpful?”
All the men stared.
A human shape, but no one would mistake an Elemental female for human.
A shiver ran down Julian’s back. All the roads leading out of Sproing and the Lake Silence area were blocked by mounds of earth—except the road heading east, which was currently under a small glacier. Coming up from Bristol, Kipp and his team shouldn’t have been able to reach The Jumble—unless someone had overheard Grimshaw’s request for the CIU team and a particular Elemental had formed a tunnel through one of the earth mounds to be helpful.
Gods above and below.
“Yes, that was very helpful,” Julian replied. “And appreciated.” He hoped the tunnel was still there when Kipp and his team tried to leave.
“We will watch Vicki today so that you and Ilya can deal with the humans,” Earth said.
“Also appreciated.”
She stepped off the road and disappeared.
No one spoke. No one moved.
Julian heard all the men suck in a breath—and then didn’t hear anyone exhale.
The resident Bobcat—at least the one who gave guests a donkey-cart tour of The Jumble—stepped out of the trees along with a Coyote who was in a between form that allowed him to walk upright but didn’t change much of anything else.
“You’re observing?” Julian asked, since no one else did.
Bobcat pointed to the car. “Food in box. In bags. In back. Grimshaw gave. Ilya divided.”
Julian nodded. “No point wasting food.”
The two terra indigene looked at the front seat. Bobcat said, “A trade.”
He heard someone gag when the humans realized what Bobcat meant.
While Bobcat and Coyote observed—and thankfully didn’t ask questions the way the Crows would have—Kipp and his team went about their business. There was a brief discussion about whether to call a tow truck to haul away the car or have one of the team put down a sheet and drive the vehicle to . . .
Another sticking point. Considering what the inside of the car looked like, where could they put it? Sproing didn’t have an evidence garage where large pieces from a crime scene could be stored. Such things were usually taken to Bristol or Crystalton.
After checking the glove box for the car’s registration, Kipp confirmed that the vehicle did belong to Peter Lynchfield.
Julian called Ilya Sanguinati.
“Humans would not have access to the vehicle while it is at Silence Lodge, but we do have a building where it could be stored temporarily,” Ilya said after listening to Julian’s request.
Hearing the emphasis on “temporarily,” Julian made arrangements for Boris Sanguinati to pick up the car and drive it to Silence Lodge. Kipp wasn’t easy about releasing the car but agreed there wasn’t another place in the village where some curious resident couldn’t go poking around and get scared into a heart attack.
Finally, as the last piece of evidence to be collected, Julian helped Kipp lift the rock off of Lynchfield’s camera. What should have been Lynchfield’s camera. All that remained were the broken bits and pieces that had been around the rock. The rest of the camera, including any part that might have held an image of the Five, was gone—and the freshly churned earth explained why.
Kipp put all the broken bits into an evidence bag. Boris Sanguinati arrived, walking down from the direction of the main house.
Julian waited until Kipp and his team drove away to deal with the crime scene at the Mill Creek Cabins and Boris drove off with Lynchfield’s car. Then he retrieved his own car and drove up to The Jumble’s main house to check on Vicki and collect Karol and Viktor before he headed to the village to open his store for a few hours.
Buried treasure. Easy enough for Earth to do—bury something or bring it back to the surface.
How deep had she buried that camera to make sure whatever was left of what had been seen would not be found?
CHAPTER 67
Grimshaw
Earthday, Novembros 4
Rodney Roash kept up his belligerent whining all the way to the station. But Grimshaw heard the fear underneath the words. The man knew he was in trouble, but he didn’t yet understand that having the chief of police demonstrate human law at work was the only thing keeping Roash safe from a different kind of justice.
Once they were inside the station, he patted Roash down, having Osgood stand nearby as a witness. He took Roash’s wallet and mobile phone before he removed the handcuffs and ordered the man to put everything else in the tray Osgood set on the desk.
“I’m entitled to a phone call,” Roash said.
“You certainly are,” Grimshaw agreed, while Osgood made a list of Roash’s property.
“I need to call my college and let them know about this mistreatment. And I need to call my attorney.”
“You get one phone call.”
“Then I’ll take my mobile phone back and—”
“No.” Grimshaw sat behind his desk. “There is a human attorney in the village. It’s Earthday, so he won’t be in his office, but I can call and ask him to be present during your questioning if you’d feel more comfortable with that.”
“I want my attorney!”
“Then you’d better tell him that this village is closed off until the killer is found, and if he makes it past the barriers and reaches Sproing, he won’t be able to leave. Since you’ll be staying here for the time being, I guess he could use a bed at one of the Mill Creek Cabins, because there is no other place for him to stay. You be sure to tell him that. You should also tell him the reason you’re sitting here, about to be questioned, is that you have a direct connection with the deaths of three humans and two terra indigene.” Grimshaw smiled. “Professor Roash, if I was your attorney, I wouldn’t return your calls in the foreseeable future—assuming you have a future.”