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"Not quite"

Hein my eyes because he closed his, dropped his head, and let out a pent breath "What?"

"I was trying to track the wolves last night and I found a house where the wolves bit a squatter And a ca that Beast had wandered through the site Her paw prints would be there I closed h

"And?" Grizzard was noatchingExcept for bald-faced and obvious lies, I had no idea how to explain big-cat prints Again, I was flying by the seat ofon luck The silence stretched, I flushed, and Grizzard looked suspicious Into s I had seen Sunday I had an out "You have two dead ca, but I can show you the location on a map It’s just off the French Broad, downstreas?" Relief poured off of hi like joy Gruffly, he said, "Why didn’t you take it to Madison County sheriff’s office? You’re wasting my time, Yellowrock"

Madison County Well, crap "Yeah, that’s oal in life, Grizzard To tick you off as often as possible" I let a hint of a sain I extended the crushed bag of Mickie D’s finest "I never met the Madison County sheriff I have no idea where his office is and no ti you the info and you can do what you ith it And to ht be on park land, so you can split some more jurisdictional hairs" My smile fell, as I remembered the campsite "It was bad, Sheriff"

Grizzard cursed and rubbed his hand over his face He smelled of old sweat and failed deodorant and, on his breath, rancid coffee and fast food "And that’s the best you can do for a bribe?" He indicated the bag, still outstretched, with a little finger toss, his voice carrying a, but maybe only a little

"Yeah I’ll try to , opened a McMuffin and ate it in three bites I heard his stomach rumble in relief "When’s the last time you ate a realpeople That takes the joy out of food" He opened another sandwich and took a bite, disproving his own theory about his appetite "Okay," he said through a bite of er to a tri-county er was an accident

Turning my back to him, which Beast didn’t like, I found the bend in the river, the junction of Spring Creek on the far side I pointed "Campsite’s here somewhere Away from the river"

Grizzard pulled up an aerial view on his laptop and it was detailed enough for ht be the rock I woke up on at dawn, not that I shared it with hinized a tree that was now larger than when the shots were taken "The house where the squatter was bitten ishere" I shrugged when Grizzard tried to pin onna do his job for him, and besides, mountain lions don’t do GPS

"Park land is close, but so are so frustrated He dropped into his chair and dialed an old-fashioned phone, calling the park service, where he spoiled the ranger’s breakfast, requesting he drive to the site and check it out When he hung up, he dru a cop The sitting around waiting would drive me nuts

Next he called the Madison County sheriff, who turned out to be a woman I heard her voice on the other end of the phone, direct as a drill sergeant and nearly as earthy Grizzard addressed her as Scoggins, and I had a ray hair, aJust , but it seemed to fit the voice She cussed as she took down info and sent a deputy out along Paint Rock Road to liaise with the ranger She cussed as she arranged radio frequencies so they couldoverheard by John Q Public While they talked and arranged and cussed so to doo ht hiood little helpful citizen, yeah, that’s me I smothered my impatience and waited

CHAPTER TWELVE

Who? Bit? You?

I heard the park ranger gag when he described the site over the four-way chat line It was on park land, but just barely The deputy wasn’tand full of horror