Undone by Karin Slaughter

mouth shut, unsure whether Amanda was truly concerned or asking him to tattle. The truth was that Faith
had
been irritable and distracted lately. He had worked with her long enough to know her moods. For the most part, she was pretty even-keeled. Once every month, always around the same time, she carried her purse with her for a few days. Her tone would get snippy and she’d tend to favor radio stations that played women singing along to acoustic guitars. Will knew to just apologize a lot for everything he said until she stopped carrying her bag. Not that he would share this with Amanda, but he had to admit that lately, every day with Faith seemed like a purse day.
    Amanda reached out her hand and he helped her step over a fallen log. “You know I hate working cases we can’t clear,” she said.
    “I know you like solving cases no one else can.”
    She chuckled ruefully. “When are you going to get tired of me stealing all your thunder, Will?”
    “I’m indefatigable.”
    “Putting that calendar to use, I see.”
    “It’s the most thoughtful gift you’ve ever given me.” Leave it to Amanda to give a functional illiterate a word-a-day calendar for Christmas.
    Up ahead, Will saw Fierro making his way toward them. This side of the road was more densely forested, and there were limbs and vines everywhere. Will could hear Fierro cursing as his pant leg got caught in a prickly bush. He slapped his neck, probably killing an insect. “Nice of you to join this fucking waste of time, Gomez.”
    Will made the introductions. “Detective Fierro, this is Dr. Amanda Wagner.”
    Fierro tilted up his chin at her in greeting. “I’ve seen you on TV.”
    “Thank you,” Amanda returned, as if he had meant it as a compliment. “We’re dealing with some pretty salacious details here, Detective Fierro. I hope your team knows to keep a lid on it.”
    “You think we’re a bunch of amateurs?”
    Obviously, she did. “How is the search going?”
    “We’re finding exactly what’s out here—nothing. Nada. Zero.” He glared at Will. “This how you state guys run things? Come in here and blow our whole fucking budget on a useless search in the middle of the goddamn night?”
    Will was tired and he was frustrated, and it came out in his tone. “We usually pillage your supplies and rape your women first.”
    “Ha-fucking-ha,” Fierro grumbled, slapping his neck again. He pulled away his hand and there was a smear of bloody insect on his palm. “You’re gonna be laughing your ass off when I take back my case.”
    Amanda said, “Detective Fierro, Chief Peterson asked us to intervene. You don’t have the authority to take back this case.”
    “Peterson, huh?” His lip curled. “Does that mean you’ve been greasing his pole again?”
    Will sucked in so much air that his lips made a whistling sound. For her part, Amanda looked unfazed, though her eyes narrowed, and she gave Fierro a single nod, as if to say his time would come. Will wouldn’t be surprised if, at some future date, Fierro woke up to find a decapitated horse’s head in his bed.
    “Hey!” someone screamed. “Over here!”
    All three stood where they were in various stages of shock, anger and unadulterated rage.
    “I found something!”
    The words got Will moving. He jogged toward the searcher, a woman who was furiously waving her hands in the air. She was Rockdale uniformed patrol, wearing a knit hat on her head and surrounded by tall switchgrass.
    “What is it?” he asked.
    She pointed toward a dense pack of low-hanging trees. He saw that the leaves underneath were disturbed, bare spots of earth showing in places. “Something caught my light,” she said, turning on her Maglite and shining it into the shadowy area under the trees. Will didn’t see anything. By the time Amanda had joined them, he was wondering if the patrolwoman was a little too tired, a little too anxious to find something.
    “What is it?” Amanda asked, just as the light reflected