territory when he knew the consequences,” Loch continued. “And if I need to, I can contact the Panther’s shifter council to see if they’ll intervene. But we’re not there yet. Montgomery can be reasoned with as long as he’s approached respectfully.” He fixed Jax with a hard look before turning away to head back to his patrol car.
It was hours before Loch had finished taking statements and searching the professor’s room.
Ginger went back to the sheriff’s office and finished up the filing, while the sheriff sat in his office and fielded phone calls from North Florida University where the professor taught, family members, the mayor, the town’s newspaper reporter, and others.
Loch confided in Ginger that the last time the professor had used his phone had been about half an hour after he left the boarding house…and it had been right outside the Panther Nation’s territory. According to cell phone tower signals, the person who answered the phone had been inside the Panther Nation.
Unfortunately, the person he’d called had used a disposable cell phone that was untraceable. Neither the professor’s cell phone, nor the person he’d called, were returning any signals now.
In the professor’s room, in a hidden compartment in his suitcase, they’d found a research paper about a feared shaman who’d ruled the panther nation several centuries ago, and who had practiced magic so dark that his own people had risen up against him and assassinated him.
“The Shaman, who was called River Runs Red, had turned to virgin sacrifice and black magic. He used that magic to create what were believed to be icons of great power and great evil,” Loch told Ginger. “There were some sketches included in the research paper, showing what the icons are believed to look like.”
“Those kind of icons would be very valuable, wouldn’t they? And terribly dangerous if they got in the wrong hands?” Ginger said.
The sheriff’s expression turned somber.
“What?” she asked.
“There have always been rumors that those icons can’t be destroyed, that they still exist deep within panther territory, and that’s why they’re so territorial, why they never let outsiders on their lands. They believe that if anyone were to get their hands on those icons, it would unleash unspeakable evil.”
Something about the way he said it sent a cold shiver rolling down her spine.
“But there’s no way the professor could get to them. He’d have to know that. It would be absolute suicide for him to even attempt it.” He shook his head.
“The professor is far from suicidal,” Ginger agreed. “And he knew how the panthers felt about him, and about any attempts to remove their ancestral icons from the territory. But…it sounds as if you thought he had an inside man.”
“We do. But how would an inside man get him past all of the other panthers? It still doesn’t make sense.”
He ran his hands wearily over his face. “Okay. The day’s over. Let’s go for a run. I need to clear my head and then we can talk.”
They drove outside of town, and the sheriff pulled into a small wooded cove by the side of the road. Loch got out of the car and Ginger followed suit, shutting the patrol car door.
He walked over to stand next to her, and she felt that familiar tingling sensation rolling over her, the pulse of desire that throbbed inside her with each heartbeat. “Talk to me,” Ginger said.
“Ever since the first time I laid eyes on you, I wanted to claim you as mine,” Loch told her. “That’s why I went all caveman on you at the Hoot Owl. I’ve been trying to fight the urge to grab you and rip your clothes off every second that I’m alone with you.”
Ginger stared at him in amazement. Several long seconds ticked by as she tried to process what he was saying.
“Why me?” she asked finally.
“Why? Because
It was hours before Loch had finished taking statements and searching the professor’s room.
Ginger went back to the sheriff’s office and finished up the filing, while the sheriff sat in his office and fielded phone calls from North Florida University where the professor taught, family members, the mayor, the town’s newspaper reporter, and others.
Loch confided in Ginger that the last time the professor had used his phone had been about half an hour after he left the boarding house…and it had been right outside the Panther Nation’s territory. According to cell phone tower signals, the person who answered the phone had been inside the Panther Nation.
Unfortunately, the person he’d called had used a disposable cell phone that was untraceable. Neither the professor’s cell phone, nor the person he’d called, were returning any signals now.
In the professor’s room, in a hidden compartment in his suitcase, they’d found a research paper about a feared shaman who’d ruled the panther nation several centuries ago, and who had practiced magic so dark that his own people had risen up against him and assassinated him.
“The Shaman, who was called River Runs Red, had turned to virgin sacrifice and black magic. He used that magic to create what were believed to be icons of great power and great evil,” Loch told Ginger. “There were some sketches included in the research paper, showing what the icons are believed to look like.”
“Those kind of icons would be very valuable, wouldn’t they? And terribly dangerous if they got in the wrong hands?” Ginger said.
The sheriff’s expression turned somber.
“What?” she asked.
“There have always been rumors that those icons can’t be destroyed, that they still exist deep within panther territory, and that’s why they’re so territorial, why they never let outsiders on their lands. They believe that if anyone were to get their hands on those icons, it would unleash unspeakable evil.”
Something about the way he said it sent a cold shiver rolling down her spine.
“But there’s no way the professor could get to them. He’d have to know that. It would be absolute suicide for him to even attempt it.” He shook his head.
“The professor is far from suicidal,” Ginger agreed. “And he knew how the panthers felt about him, and about any attempts to remove their ancestral icons from the territory. But…it sounds as if you thought he had an inside man.”
“We do. But how would an inside man get him past all of the other panthers? It still doesn’t make sense.”
He ran his hands wearily over his face. “Okay. The day’s over. Let’s go for a run. I need to clear my head and then we can talk.”
They drove outside of town, and the sheriff pulled into a small wooded cove by the side of the road. Loch got out of the car and Ginger followed suit, shutting the patrol car door.
He walked over to stand next to her, and she felt that familiar tingling sensation rolling over her, the pulse of desire that throbbed inside her with each heartbeat. “Talk to me,” Ginger said.
“Ever since the first time I laid eyes on you, I wanted to claim you as mine,” Loch told her. “That’s why I went all caveman on you at the Hoot Owl. I’ve been trying to fight the urge to grab you and rip your clothes off every second that I’m alone with you.”
Ginger stared at him in amazement. Several long seconds ticked by as she tried to process what he was saying.
“Why me?” she asked finally.
“Why? Because
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