Buried Secrets (New Adult Dark Suspense Romance) by Emme Rollins Page B

records or that new DNA technology they got on that CSI program.”
    “Really?” Mike’s voice sounded faint.
    “I ain’t kidding,” Will affirmed. “Mike, I knew Scott Summers. Real well. But I didn’t know him when they brought that body in. He looked... inside out.”
    Remembering her dream, Dusty's stomach roiled. She closed her eyes, trying to think of something else. Trying not to think of Nick that way. Inside out. No. No! She couldn’t imagine him like that. Dusty bit the side of her tongue—it was sore but she did it anyway—hard, focusing on the physical pain. That was good. That took her mind off the image filling her head.
    “So you do think it's a cat of some sort?”
    “Cat, bear, hell… I don't know.” Will sighed. Dusty smelled the distinct odor of his pipe. “But I wonder.”
    “I wonder too.”
    “Whole town is wondering.” Will paused, puffing on his pipe. “It doesn’t add up.”
    “That’s what I keep saying.”
    It was quiet for a moment and Dusty stood again, contemplating just putting her stuff down and going quietly out the door. Then Cougar started talking again.
    “Mike, I’ll tell you something…”
    Dusty smiled. That’s what Cougar always said when he was about to pontificate.
    “I've lived in this town all my life and I've never seen anything like this. A bear won't usually attack unless it's threatened. It's possible to have an isolated incident of bear attack, say, after disturbing one from sleep, but they're really not very smart. They would've caught a bear by now, with all the traps they've set up.”
    “Uh-huh,” Mike agreed.
    Dusty nodded, listening, waiting for more. Her stomach had settled. Biting her tongue—literally—had been very effective.
    “A cat, on the other hand—a cat’s pretty sharp. And they're predators, there's no doubt about that. I could see one coming across Joe Wilson passed out in the train station and thinking he’d found himself the feline version of a McDonalds Happy Meal just waiting for him.”
    “Sure.”
    “And overpowering a twelve-year-old wouldn’t be too hard for a big cat,” Will went on. “And from what Deputy Matt says, Nick Chandler was pretty wasted that night. A bobcat sounds like a plausible explanation in all those cases, doesn’t it?”
    “Yeah.” Mike actually sounded a little relieved.
    Dusty knew better. She was too used to Cougar’s set-ups. She held her breath.
    “But I still don't think it was a cat.”
    “Why?” Mike asked, walking just the path Cougar wanted him to.
    “Did you know Joe was found hidden under the porch in the train station? And he was covered up. With boards.” Will puffed on his pipe again and the smell wafted toward Dusty. “Can bobcats do that, Mike? Even smart ones?”
    Dusty didn’t hear any answer. Her own mind raced. She hadn’t heard that. Not from Buck Thompson, not in the news or in the papers. Why?
    “It was kids who found him under there—kids playing out at the train yard. If they hadn’t discovered him, I imagine we never would've missed old Joe. Probably would've even forgotten him. What do you think, Mike?”
    “The papers didn’t mention that.” Mike sounded angry and Dusty knew how he felt. It was just what she’d been thinking.
    Will chuckled. “Come on, now. Buck Thompson is up for re-election this year and Guy Walker is giving him a run for his money. Plus we’ve got that Pharmatech expansion going on in Millsberg. Supposed to be as good as the Second Coming—bring in all sorts of revenue for Larkspur, right? Bad publicity, Mike. No one wants that, do they?”
    Dusty felt cold, not on the outside but on the inside—like she’d chugged a gallon of ice water. Her stomach clenched and rolled again. Part of it was cramps, but most of it was just all the bells and whistles going off again. She clung to the edge of the shelf, staring at all the Kotex and Tampax and thinking about blood.
    “And what about Nicky Chandler?” Will asked.
    “What