tough guy show for the old vet, but once Collins and I are concealed by the forest, I lean my head against the rough bark of a pine and groan.
“You going to puke?” she asks.
“Just hoping the pain killers kick in soon.”
“Probably should eat something.
I load my voice with sarcasm and say, “You think?”
A granola bar hits the side of my head and falls at my feet. It’s one of those super healthy kinds. Flax seeds. Agave and honey. Almonds. Cherries. I would have preferred the chewy chocolate-chip variety, but food is food and this is healthier. Bending over to pick it up hurts like hell, but I unwrap it and wolf it down in four bites. Without moving from my position by the tree, I unzip my pants.
“Oh God,” Collins says. I can hear her feet crunching away through the leaf litter. “You know I could fine you for indecent exposure.”
“I drank at least eight beers last night and a pint of coffee twenty minutes ago. What did you think was going to happen?” I sigh with relief as my bladder drains. My headache fades too, and I feel myself return to some semblance of normalcy, though I’m going to need something to drink soon or that headache is going to come back with a vengeance.
After putting myself together, I turn and find Collins just twenty feet away, atop a small rise, her back to me. I stand and stare for a moment. Stay professional, I tell myself. Don’t do anything stupid. I turn my eyes to the ground and clear my throat so she knows I’m coming.
“Feel better?” she asks.
“Dandy,” I say.
“Something interesting on the ground?”
I don’t look up. Stay professional. “Thinking,” I reply. “Let’s go over what we know so far.”
“You’re taking this seriously?” she asks. “Kind of figured you were putting on a show for Mr. Johnson.”
“As much as I would like to go back to bed, I believe him. Sure, he’s a little paranoid. All old people are. And he’s probably more than a little bored. But there’s a nugget of truth in there somewhere, and he’s a nice guy, so it’s worth checking out. My good deed for the day.”
She smiles at me as I climb up the hill behind her and manage to keep my eyes from wandering. “You don’t get to do this much, do you? Look for clues. An actual investigation.”
“About as much as you do, I’d guess.”
“Touché” she says. “So. Investigator. What do we know?”
“Johnson heard something walking around on two legs. Probably a person. But he also hears the sound fairly regularly and around the same times of day. Which hints at a routine. But his hunting days were already over when he and his wife had the place built, so he’s never actually explored the woods, or hunted them. I’m willing to bet he hasn’t even driven farther down the road, for fear of getting stuck.” I turn to Collins. “And you’ve never been past their house, either?”
“Never had a reason,” she admits.
I reach for my smartphone , thinking I might be able to find a satellite view of the area, but it’s missing. It’s still in the truck. “Have a phone with Internet access?”
She pulls an iPhone from her pocket, waggles it like it’s a piece of junk and puts it back. “Have the phone, but not the coverage.”
I would never admit it, but the fact that we’ve got a little bit of a mystery here excites me. “Well, let’s have a look around.”
We meander through the woods for ten minutes. The forest is fairly young, like it was clear cut fifty years ago. As a result, the area is congested with brush, ferns and several smaller trees that make walking in a straight line impossible. Despite the challenging terrain, we blaze our trail in silence. And as we do, I feel something change between us. Nothing romantic or some kind of sexual tension. Just the opposite. We relax. All of the morning’s awkwardness and tension just melts away. Then I realize what it is. I’m comfortable. And despite my relaxed persona, I find true
“You going to puke?” she asks.
“Just hoping the pain killers kick in soon.”
“Probably should eat something.
I load my voice with sarcasm and say, “You think?”
A granola bar hits the side of my head and falls at my feet. It’s one of those super healthy kinds. Flax seeds. Agave and honey. Almonds. Cherries. I would have preferred the chewy chocolate-chip variety, but food is food and this is healthier. Bending over to pick it up hurts like hell, but I unwrap it and wolf it down in four bites. Without moving from my position by the tree, I unzip my pants.
“Oh God,” Collins says. I can hear her feet crunching away through the leaf litter. “You know I could fine you for indecent exposure.”
“I drank at least eight beers last night and a pint of coffee twenty minutes ago. What did you think was going to happen?” I sigh with relief as my bladder drains. My headache fades too, and I feel myself return to some semblance of normalcy, though I’m going to need something to drink soon or that headache is going to come back with a vengeance.
After putting myself together, I turn and find Collins just twenty feet away, atop a small rise, her back to me. I stand and stare for a moment. Stay professional, I tell myself. Don’t do anything stupid. I turn my eyes to the ground and clear my throat so she knows I’m coming.
“Feel better?” she asks.
“Dandy,” I say.
“Something interesting on the ground?”
I don’t look up. Stay professional. “Thinking,” I reply. “Let’s go over what we know so far.”
“You’re taking this seriously?” she asks. “Kind of figured you were putting on a show for Mr. Johnson.”
“As much as I would like to go back to bed, I believe him. Sure, he’s a little paranoid. All old people are. And he’s probably more than a little bored. But there’s a nugget of truth in there somewhere, and he’s a nice guy, so it’s worth checking out. My good deed for the day.”
She smiles at me as I climb up the hill behind her and manage to keep my eyes from wandering. “You don’t get to do this much, do you? Look for clues. An actual investigation.”
“About as much as you do, I’d guess.”
“Touché” she says. “So. Investigator. What do we know?”
“Johnson heard something walking around on two legs. Probably a person. But he also hears the sound fairly regularly and around the same times of day. Which hints at a routine. But his hunting days were already over when he and his wife had the place built, so he’s never actually explored the woods, or hunted them. I’m willing to bet he hasn’t even driven farther down the road, for fear of getting stuck.” I turn to Collins. “And you’ve never been past their house, either?”
“Never had a reason,” she admits.
I reach for my smartphone , thinking I might be able to find a satellite view of the area, but it’s missing. It’s still in the truck. “Have a phone with Internet access?”
She pulls an iPhone from her pocket, waggles it like it’s a piece of junk and puts it back. “Have the phone, but not the coverage.”
I would never admit it, but the fact that we’ve got a little bit of a mystery here excites me. “Well, let’s have a look around.”
We meander through the woods for ten minutes. The forest is fairly young, like it was clear cut fifty years ago. As a result, the area is congested with brush, ferns and several smaller trees that make walking in a straight line impossible. Despite the challenging terrain, we blaze our trail in silence. And as we do, I feel something change between us. Nothing romantic or some kind of sexual tension. Just the opposite. We relax. All of the morning’s awkwardness and tension just melts away. Then I realize what it is. I’m comfortable. And despite my relaxed persona, I find true
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