just finishing her shift and about to head home.
“I’ve already given you your two rides this week, call somebody else.”
“Come to my office,” Cam instructed, “I found Billy’s body.”
“Don’t move,” she said, slamming her phone down and running for the door.
Less than five minutes later she pulled up in front of his building and skidded to a stop. Blanca ran to his door.
“You better not be pulling my leg,” she said, trying to catch her breath.
“I’m not. I can take you there right now.”
“Did you touch anything?”
“Just his stump.”
“Tell me about it on the way there.”
In her car, Cam stayed true to the word he’d given the council. He lied about how he’d seen Claude drop something from his pocket and how he picked it up. He further spun the tale to say he meant to give it back, but when he looked up Claude had disappeared. He told her how he made a copy, went back to his office, and set the map on the bar. Billy Prescott arrived inquiring about his services a few minutes later. Before he knew it Billy had picked it up.
Blanca put on her blinker a moment before Cam said, “Turn here.” He thought it odd, but didn’t say anything. Before the next turn he noticed the car beginning to slow and gave her instructions, eyeing her suspiciously. Blanca looked at him and quickly averted her eyes back to the road. When they arrived at the same spot where he’d parked his car he told her to stop.
Out of the car, Cam watched as Blanca pointed her body in the direction where the body was buried. She began to walk into the woods when Cam said, “Wait. It’s this way. Where’re you going?”
He took two steps into the woods in the opposite direction and watched her face. She looked confused.
“Wait a minute,” he said. “I’m turned around. It’s this way.” He wasn’t sure, but in his mind her face brightened a touch.
Cam turned into the woods and walked straight to the body. The stump of Billy’s arm was still protruding from the earth, although it looked as though it had been gnawed on or pecked at by some sort of animal.
“My God,” Blanca said, seeing the stump. “It has to be him.”
“His four-wheeler is in the creek over there,” Cam said, pointing. “You don’t seem to be bothered this time.”
“My mind was prepared. I need to call my crime team in here to do the forensics and extract the body. We need to take pictures before we touch anything.” She paused. “You’re looking at me funny. How much have you had to drink today?”
“Clearly not enough,” he said, pulling a flask from his pocket. Unscrewing the top he looked for her to protest. She didn’t and he took a long drink. “I have a theory to float.”
“We both know Claude did this.”
“I’m not so sure.” Cam took another drink already knowing he was too far gone to find answers in her eyes. “You seemed to know how to get here without me telling you. You took the first turn before I told you and you slowed for the second before I said anything.” She didn’t say a word. “When we got here, you were going to walk straight to the body if I hadn’t said anything. You’re not a very good poker player.”
“OK. Confession time,” she said, taking a step toward Cam. She reached out and stroked his arm. “I saw the map yesterday.”
“What?”
“After Billy left your office he came to see me and showed me the map. He told me he had hired you and wanted to know if he could trust you or not. I didn’t know somebody was going to be killed there.”
“Then why did you have to keep it a secret?”
“Because after we talked about you we had a fight. Unfortunately, my temper got the best of me and I threatened to kill him in front of two of my officers. The fight spilled out of my office. When I said it the officers were standing right there. So was Alice Prescott. She had seen Billy’s truck at the station and came in to confront him about something. I guess she felt
“I’ve already given you your two rides this week, call somebody else.”
“Come to my office,” Cam instructed, “I found Billy’s body.”
“Don’t move,” she said, slamming her phone down and running for the door.
Less than five minutes later she pulled up in front of his building and skidded to a stop. Blanca ran to his door.
“You better not be pulling my leg,” she said, trying to catch her breath.
“I’m not. I can take you there right now.”
“Did you touch anything?”
“Just his stump.”
“Tell me about it on the way there.”
In her car, Cam stayed true to the word he’d given the council. He lied about how he’d seen Claude drop something from his pocket and how he picked it up. He further spun the tale to say he meant to give it back, but when he looked up Claude had disappeared. He told her how he made a copy, went back to his office, and set the map on the bar. Billy Prescott arrived inquiring about his services a few minutes later. Before he knew it Billy had picked it up.
Blanca put on her blinker a moment before Cam said, “Turn here.” He thought it odd, but didn’t say anything. Before the next turn he noticed the car beginning to slow and gave her instructions, eyeing her suspiciously. Blanca looked at him and quickly averted her eyes back to the road. When they arrived at the same spot where he’d parked his car he told her to stop.
Out of the car, Cam watched as Blanca pointed her body in the direction where the body was buried. She began to walk into the woods when Cam said, “Wait. It’s this way. Where’re you going?”
He took two steps into the woods in the opposite direction and watched her face. She looked confused.
“Wait a minute,” he said. “I’m turned around. It’s this way.” He wasn’t sure, but in his mind her face brightened a touch.
Cam turned into the woods and walked straight to the body. The stump of Billy’s arm was still protruding from the earth, although it looked as though it had been gnawed on or pecked at by some sort of animal.
“My God,” Blanca said, seeing the stump. “It has to be him.”
“His four-wheeler is in the creek over there,” Cam said, pointing. “You don’t seem to be bothered this time.”
“My mind was prepared. I need to call my crime team in here to do the forensics and extract the body. We need to take pictures before we touch anything.” She paused. “You’re looking at me funny. How much have you had to drink today?”
“Clearly not enough,” he said, pulling a flask from his pocket. Unscrewing the top he looked for her to protest. She didn’t and he took a long drink. “I have a theory to float.”
“We both know Claude did this.”
“I’m not so sure.” Cam took another drink already knowing he was too far gone to find answers in her eyes. “You seemed to know how to get here without me telling you. You took the first turn before I told you and you slowed for the second before I said anything.” She didn’t say a word. “When we got here, you were going to walk straight to the body if I hadn’t said anything. You’re not a very good poker player.”
“OK. Confession time,” she said, taking a step toward Cam. She reached out and stroked his arm. “I saw the map yesterday.”
“What?”
“After Billy left your office he came to see me and showed me the map. He told me he had hired you and wanted to know if he could trust you or not. I didn’t know somebody was going to be killed there.”
“Then why did you have to keep it a secret?”
“Because after we talked about you we had a fight. Unfortunately, my temper got the best of me and I threatened to kill him in front of two of my officers. The fight spilled out of my office. When I said it the officers were standing right there. So was Alice Prescott. She had seen Billy’s truck at the station and came in to confront him about something. I guess she felt
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