Shadow Bones by Colleen Rhoads Page B

nodded.
    Jake came back looking disgruntled as Skye finished the legend. “She doesn’t remember anything else.”
    â€œI tried to tell you.” Becca stood and went to the coffee station. She handed her brother a cup. “Sit down. It’s going to be at least a couple of hours, the doctor said.”
    He accepted the cup. His gaze collided with Skye’s, and she wished she could ease the frustrated fear she saw in his face. She smiled, and his face cleared. He joined her on the sofa. “That’s a pretty pattern,” he said.
    Skye had been continuing her dreamcatcher knots without even noticing she was working. “Thanks.”
    The sheriff’s cell phone rang. He answered it and listened for a few moments then clicked it off. He looked at Skye. “You’d better get home, Skye. Your mamma called and someone broke into your shop. There’s been quite a bit of destruction.”

Chapter Eight
    T he front door of The Sleeping Turtle hung ajar. Bits of shattered glass crunched beneath Skye’s sneakers as she entered the shop. She felt as though someone had rifled through her journal or her private desk, and the violation made her feel physically sick. Jake’s fingers pressing reassuringly against her arm was the only thing that kept her moving forward through the vandalism.
    For wanton vandalism was what it surely was. There was a viciousness in the way her dreamcatchers had been ripped apart. Bundles of herbs looked as though they had been stomped on with deliberate and destructive glee. Glass lay smashed and papers from their files were tossed around like confetti.
    â€œWho would do this?” Skye whispered. “Does someone hate me that much?”
    â€œI know it looks bad, Skye,” Sheriff Mitchell said. “But it was likely just kids having a spree.”
    â€œYou can say that after the way she was attacked?”Jake’s voice rose, and he shot the sheriff a look of incredulity.
    The sheriff raised his eyebrows. “I doubt it’s related. We’ve seen this sort of thing before. School is almost out for the summer, and we often see kids vandalizing store windows and cars.”
    â€œThis goes beyond mere vandalism.”
    Skye could hear the anger rising in Jake’s voice. She managed a smile and pressed his hand. “It’s okay, maybe he’s right, Jake. Everything isn’t necessarily connected.”
    The skeptical look he gave her proclaimed his opinion on the matter, but he didn’t say anything. “Can I clean it up?” she asked the sheriff.
    â€œLet me check it out first. You can clean it up tomorrow.”
    Meaning he didn’t intend to look very hard. Skye suppressed a sigh. Maybe she and Jake could find some clues in the mess. Glancing at her watch, she nodded briskly. Jake needed to be back at the hospital when Wynne came out of surgery. Besides, if she stayed here, she was likely to throttle the sheriff and land in jail herself.
    Her mother came rushing in the door. Peter followed her. Skye turned with a glad cry. “Mother!” She felt like a little girl who wanted her mommy to kiss the boo-boos and make it all better.
    Her mother rushed to Skye and hugged her. “Oh, Skye, I’m so sorry. Look at this mess.” She sounded near tears.
    â€œI know.” Skye tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but it kept bounding back. “All our work. This will take months to replace.”
    â€œOh honey, I wish I could fix it,” Peter said. He put a meaty arm around each woman.
    Skye felt her burden ease with her stepfather’s appearance. He would move heaven and earth to get them the supplies necessary to replace what had been destroyed. She could always count on him, unlike her real father. A fierce longing for her father swept over her at the thought, which made no sense. Peter had always been here for her.
    She returned his hug with more enthusiasm than usual. He did so