Blackening Song by Aimée & David Thurlo

Author:Aimée & David Thurlo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: A Tom Doherty Associates Book

THIRTEEN

Ella arrived at the site a little past four-thirty. Seeing two squad cars ahead, she drove up and parked about fifty feet from them. She noted with relief that the sun was still high in the west. She didn’t relish the thought of trying to investigate a site like this after sundown.

As she approached the raw circle of earth that had been cleared of vegetation, she saw Peterson studying the carcass of one of the mutilated animals. Blood and low, black heaps of entrails stained the sand.

Spotting Ella, Peterson rose to his feet and went over to join her. “You want a look?”

“If it’s okay with you.”

“Sure. We’re covered. Jim Goodluck won’t carry tales back to the office.”

Ella stepped carefully around the gate and crouched next to the slaughtered sheep. “These tracks leading over here, they look like a wolf’s, but there’s something odd about them. The stride is all wrong.”

“Yeah, the wolf would have had to be walking on his hind legs,” he answered.

Ella studied them carefully. “That’s what I was thinking. Someone has done a great job faking this to look like—”

“Skinwalkers,” he interrupted softly. “The story’s going to get around now. No telling what harm it’s going to do.”

“People who’re afraid are capable of doing some damned bizarre things,” Ella agreed. “Whoever is behind this is clever, using crowd psychology. Isn’t there any way to keep this quiet?”

He gave her an incredulous look. “You haven’t been away that long. News and gossip fly faster than a laser beam on the Rez.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Any idea who might be behind this?”

“No, that’s the worst of it. We don’t have a clue except what you see here. The other incidents have been similar. People are already looking at their neighbors funny and speculating about those they don’t like. We’re in for a lot of trouble.”

“Someone must know something,” Ella commented, glancing at the residential community a mile away. “The tracks lead in that direction.”

“Right. And should we canvass the people there? That’s going to get us nowhere. No one is going to talk to us about something like this.”

“You have to try.”

“We intend to, but we have our own ways of working—you know that. We’ll talk to people later, unofficially. Ask questions. Mostly listen. That’s our way—the only way that’s going to work. It might take longer than your methods, but your methods won’t work at all.”

“Blalock does know about this, doesn’t he?” she asked, glancing around.

“He’s not coming. According to him, dead animals aren’t a priority. Killing sheep isn’t a federal offense. He said he’d read our report when we return to the station.”

Ella sighed. “He really should be out here. Too many things like this have happened lately for it to be mere coincidence.”

“I think Blalock is spending too much time sending us to do his job while he sits at a desk and calls the shots.”

Ella smiled. “Has he alienated everyone at the department in the couple of years he’s been here?”

Peterson nodded. “You know how hard your father-in-law is to read? Well, when Blalock’s around, that’s no problem.

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