She hated the disappointment in his expression.
“You sure you didn’t know him? Haven’t seen him around anywhere?”
“I’ve never seen him before. Truly. And I have absolutely no idea why a bear attacked him. It doesn’t make any sense.” Given all she was hiding, needing him to believe her on this point wasn’t logical, but there it was.
He nodded once and stood, his large frame taking up way too much space in her tiny camper. He pulled out a business card, wrote something on it before he handed it to her. “My cell number is on the back. If you think of anything, please call me. Day or night. In the meantime, avoid that area while we trap the bear.”
“I will.” She glanced down at the card, then back up at his face, not sure what else to say.
“Be extra cautious when you’re out doing your research, okay?” He touched a finger to the brim of his official FWC ball cap and said, “Delilah,” in a low tone that curled her toes.
She didn’t draw a full breath until she peeked through the curtains and saw him disappear into the forest.
* * *
Josh headed back the way he’d come, his odd conversation with Delilah running through his mind. Her words had been straightforward enough, but her eyes said there was quite a bit she wasn’t saying. Since she was normally warm and friendly, even a bit flirty on occasion, her response today was way off, and that made his cop antenna twitch.
Given her passionate position on leaving the monkeys alone, if the victim was a researcher with an opposing viewpoint, had there been a professional disagreement she was embarrassed to mention? He couldn’t quite see it, but he couldn’t ignore the connection, either.
By the time he arrived back at the scene, Sanchez was bagging evidence, and the medical examiner was on-site, preparing the body for transport. Hunter had been taking photographs and stepped away when Josh arrived. “Did you find whoever those footprints belonged to?”
“I did. I followed them to a truck, which led me to a camper, which led me to Delilah Paige.” At Hunter’s questioning look, he added, “The monkey researcher we’ve seen at the Corner Café.”
A quick grin flashed over Hunter’s face as he and Sanchez exchanged a look, but then he sobered. “Two monkey researchers in the same place? What was she doing out here?”
“She said she’d come to see the Atwoods, claims she’s a friend of theirs, only they weren’t there. On her way back, she ran across the body. Says she has no idea who he is. Has never seen him before.”
“Why didn’t she call it in?” Sanchez asked.
“I asked the same question. She said when she got back to her camper, she was pretty shaken up.”
Hunter studied him for a moment. “What’s bothering you?” He had worked homicide in New Orleans before joining FWC and had great instincts. He also had great faith in his men’s instincts.
Josh narrowed his eyes as he scanned the area, trying to pinpoint what it was about his conversation with Delilah that nagged at him. “It’s nothing concrete. I just got the distinct feeling that there was more to the story than what she was saying.”
Which grated like sand in his shoes. Delilah had been trying to deflect his attention from something, not realizing that’d only made him more curious. And determined to get answers. His late fiancée, Elaine, hadn’t even told him she had cancer, let alone that she had refused treatment. He still hadn’t completely worked his way through the quagmire of guilt, fury, hurt, and frustration she’d left behind, but one thing was for sure. He’d never again let things slide when he wasn’t getting the whole story.
“You figure out where the gunfire came from earlier? Did she hear anything?” Hunter asked.
Josh rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “She said she heard it but didn’t seem to find it unusual. I didn’t see the Atwoods or anyone else in the vicinity. I couldn’t find the marijuana grow either, but maybe I got close and someone wanted to keep me away.”
Hunter studied him. “Keep digging until you get answers that make sense. Might not hurt to keep an eye on her, too, while we figure out what’s going on here.”
Before long, the medical examiner left with the body, and Sanchez and the biologist set up the trap and started tracking the bear. Hunter checked in with their captain, but Josh was only half listening. His mind was focused on the mystery of Delilah Paige.
Chapter 3
After Josh left, Delilah paced the small space. He was clearly suspicious because she’d acted guilty. The last thing she needed was a cop dogging her heels. Especially a gorgeous, funny, tempting cop who seemed to see past all her carefully constructed defenses. If John Henry suspected official heat of any kind, he’d pack up the family and disappear. Again.
She pulled Mary’s burned doll from her backpack, and the sight of it galvanized her. Here was proof of John Henry’s plan. She could no longer coast along with a vague hope that things would be different this time. She had to take action. Fast.
Once she checked her camera battery, she repacked her backpack. She had to think, and the forest had always been the best place to do it. She threw on a clean T-shirt, coated herself with more essential oil against the bugs, and set off on foot.
There were four documented troops of rhesus macaque monkeys that roamed the area near the Silver and Ocklawaha Rivers, and she’d been fascinated by them since childhood. So had her sister. When John Henry wasn’t around, Mama had let her take Mary and follow them for hours. Right now, she needed that sense of connection to her sister.
She also needed to burn off the antsy feelings inspired by Josh’s questions and piercing gaze. Delilah heard the monkeys chattering before she saw them and smiled. This was just what she needed, a distraction while her subconscious mind worked on a plan. She approached slowly but didn’t make eye contact, as they saw that as a sign of aggression.
She settled on a log and watched the alpha male approach from the corner of her eye. She tucked her backpack down between her knees and fiddled with her camera, head down as she waited. She heard rustling in the trees all around and knew the other monkeys were moving closer, waiting for his signal that there was food to be had. Doggone it. Why wouldn’t people follow the rules and quit feeding them?
She kept her breathing slow and even, though her heart rate picked up as the troop inched closer. She slid the air horn from her backpack, just in case she had to scare them away. Humans only used about 15 percent of their strength, but she’d read that a monkey used 85 percent. They were not only incredibly strong, they could be mean when thwarted. She wasn’t far from a walking trail, and based on the way the monkeys were watching her every move, they were obviously used to getting a handout.
The goal of her research—and her most fervent hope—was to convince people to leave the monkeys alone and stop feeding them. But she wasn’t naïve. People did what they wanted, especially when cute, furry creatures were involved. Slowly, she aimed the camera in the male’s direction and took several pictures of his expression before ducking her head again. Most of the current research outlined the dangers posed by the monkeys’ continued presence in the area. The viral video Wells had mentioned only added weight to that argument. But she’d watched the entire clip—not just what the news media showed in an endless loop—and sure enough, the family she’d spoken to had not only fed the monkeys, they’d started taunting them, too. That was what proponents for their removal didn’t want to talk about: the so-called signs of aggression could almost always be directly linked to people feeding the monkeys.