Beyond Mercy by morgan james

Author:morgan james [james, morgan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-12-03T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

We found the cave easily enough. John thought to bring a couple of high-powered flashlights, and we had a chance to scope out the small craggy space long enough to note a couple of interesting things before a mega-brilliant spotlight hit us in the face and then settled on the far wall of the cave.

A male voice boomed. “What the hell are you two doing in there? You know you are mucking up my crime scene.”

The voice belonged to the very tall and very irritable Sheriff Bobby Collins, who was stooped into the opening like Snow White must have done when she came upon the dwarfs’ house. It was going to take a major bend for the man to clear the entrance without cracking his head.

“Sorry, we didn’t realize it was a crime scene,” John called back.

“Is that you, Nightwalker?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then you should know better. Try to walk in the same steps you took getting in there and come on out here.”

It felt like a silly kids’ game, trying to step in my footprints, but I gave it my best shot. I don’t think John really tried. He made some comment about the floor being rocky and sort of tiptoed to the entrance.

Once we were out in the open, we saw two deputies behind Collins. Both looked as though they were stifling a laugh. Sheriff Collins gave us a disgusted look and asked, “Did you take anything from the scene?”

“No,” I replied.

“How about you, Nightwalker?”

“Nope, scouts honor, Sheriff, no souvenirs.”

“And what are you doing back in my county anyway? Shouldn’t you be in Florida with the rest of the tourists?”

“Technically, I live in Florida. So I’m not a tourist. I’m up here visiting my friend Sam Noland. Last I heard, us Native Americans have the right to leave the reservation any time we like.”

“Oh, put a lid on it. Don’t throw the ‘poor Injun’ card on the table to cloud the issue. You can do better than that. What are you really doing here? Is somebody paying you to investigate the dognapping?”

John’s face got serious. “No, sir. This isn’t my case. Ms. Vega and I are only curious and wonder if Brigit Pikes’ death might have something to do with the dogs going missing. We honestly didn’t know it was a crime scene.”

Collins’ bristled temper simmered down after John’s comment. “Well, I’m wondering the same thing. What makes you think the events are connected?”

I spoke up, “Well, for one thing it seems too much of a coincidence for Brigit to be hunting for the dogs and when she stands just above where they are, she mysteriously falls off the side of the mountain.”

“And what’s the other thing?”

I think I stammered here, “Uh, well, um, the rest is just thinking out loud. Mostly it’s that we think she’d found the cave and the dogs, and was up on the top hoping to get a look at the dognapper when he, or she, came in or out of the cave. We don’t think Brigit fell.

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