Hidden Bones by Barz Vivian

Author:Barz, Vivian
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-08-11T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

Eric had not been expecting such a turnout for the search party at Mitchatepi Trail. He was downright shocked, actually, by the sheer size of the crowd that had turned up. Stogg had really pulled through for them.

Or so he’d thought.

But, then, Mayor Julia Moulden approached Eric, Susan, and Jake shortly after their arrival and wasted no time stating that it had been she who had come through, not the sheriff. “I’m rather disappointed in Stogg’s handling of things. Had I heard about your friends’ disappearances earlier, I would have jumped in immediately to offer my assistance.”

She could’ve saved herself the breath, Eric thought, and just said: I take credit for the whole thing. It was all me, nobody else.

It was a sad, pathetically veiled attempt to throw the sheriff under the bus, should Jake ever decide to make good on his threats of going to the media. “I had to scramble to get the search organized. With it being so cold, every second counts.” In a quieter voice, and as if confiding in them, she added with a nauseating wink, “He may be good at upholding the law, but he’s certainly no organizer. From now on, I want you to forget Stogg and come directly to me.”

“Thank you; we really appreciate that,” Susan said, then quickly caught Eric’s eye. No, she wasn’t buying the mayor’s line of BS either. Or was she? Susan, being a police officer, would know all the right things to say to keep the peace with the powers that be. “And we appreciate you putting the search party together so quickly.”

The mayor’s demeanor was steady and appraising. She was like a robot-monster invading from another planet in the disguise of an attractive, capable woman, as if she’d been designed with deception in mind. Hello, Township of Clancy, take me to your leader. And now here she was, running their town. Soon, the rest of the pod people would arrive, if a few weren’t already there. Pod people might even be more normal than the locals.

Eric imagined that the mayor cared about the disappearance of Chuck and Madison about as much as she cared about the trash that miraculously disappeared from the front of her house on pickup days. “Yes, we really do appreciate it,” he repeated weakly, only so that he could contribute. He was dying to get the show on the road. It was freezing out.

“And where is your bassist?” the mayor turned to Jake and asked brightly. The insinuation being: We, a town full of utter strangers are here, but your own band member couldn’t be bothered to show? For shame!

“John’s mother has been really sick—she has dementia. His father called yesterday afternoon and suggested that he come home immediately. It doesn’t sound good.”

“That’s too bad. I’ll keep her in my prayers.”

Oh, I bet you will, Eric thought and had to focus hard to keep himself from snorting.

Lightly, as if it had only just occurred to her, the mayor asked, “Speaking of

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