Page 3 of The Elementalist (Four Elements #1)

Pins and Needles

The Shadow Pines Sheriff’s Office was always surprisingly busy for a small town. Today was no exception.

I parked in one of the spaces lining the edges of the town square.

The city hall occupied the center of the west side, the police station on the north face, both nestled among an array of fancy boutiques, little bistros, and overpriced gift shops.

Women in sneakers power-walked during their lunch breaks, young mothers with strollers meandered along while texting, and a frazzled hot dog vendor struggled to keep up with a long line.

Maintenance workers swept up popcorn from last night’s latest Movie in the Square showing of The Wizard of Oz.

I hadn’t gone. It seemed more of a date-night thing.

I didn’t have a date with anything other than a bottle of cheap bourbon.

Yeah, that’s how low I’d sunk since my last girlfriend left me.

Smart girl.

After locking my gun in the glove box, I hopped out of my pickup and walked past a stream of deputies emerging from the entrance of the sheriff’s office, located under the clock tower, determination in their strides as if on high alert.

Another rash of killings tended to put the law on edge.

Years ago, I’d worked with Sheriff Justine Waters on a missing person case, and that person had stayed missing, sadly.

Private eyes and cops alike had that tragedy in common.

Sometimes, our cases didn’t get solved. Indeed, the cops had their cold cases, and I had mine.

Anyway, I flashed my ID at the check-in window and the desk sergeant buzzed me in.

I made my way through crowded halls that reminded me more of a precinct in New York than a small town in the mountains, and found Sheriff Waters sitting at her expansive desk, surrounded by far too much paperwork.

I rapped on the open door and stuck my head in. “Have a minute, Sheriff?”

Her hard green eyes widened in an expression approaching surprise. “Max… You have that look about you that suggests you’re working an actual case.”

“Stranger things have happened. Can we talk?”

“Have a seat.”

I entered and sat across from her. With her mouse-brown hair glowing radiantly in the slanting sunlight, she might have looked beautiful.

Problem was, we had dated not too long ago, and some of that shine had worn off.

We worked much better as friends, it turned out.

No, scratch that—we worked better as colleagues.

‘Friends’ was pushing it. The break up hadn’t been smooth, to say the least. Turned out, I tended to become a bit mean when I felt rejected.

“You’re here about the Dana Bradbury case,” she said. “Unless you want to apologize.”

“For what?”

“For being an ass.”

“I was lashing out.”

“I didn’t deserve to be called all those... names.”

Truth be told, I couldn’t remember what I’d called her, so upset had I been at being dumped. I might have mentioned something about being both uptight and loose with her morals.

“No, you didn’t.”

“Well?”

“Well, what?”

“My apology?”

“That was months ago...”

“Being called a slut with a stick up her ass doesn’t just go away.”

I sighed. Why did she care so much about an apology? I didn’t know, but I needed her help, and her being mad at me did no good. “Fine, I’m sorry for being an ass.”

“Say it like you mean it.”

“Have you always been this controlling?”

“I have. You were just too smitten to notice.”

I chuckled at that. “Fine. I’m sorry like I meant it.”

“You’re not supposed to say that last part. You’re supposed to... emote it.”

“Lordy. Can we get back to the case?”

“Sure, but can you quit looking at me like that.”

“Like what?” I ask.

“Like you’re still in love with me.”

I snorted, and so did she. We got along fine, even swimmingly. But dating... not so much. We were both sort of pig-headed. Okay, maybe more than ‘sort of.’ Trouble was, I’d really fallen for her, and I was too prideful to let it show. That’s why the breakup had stung.

“How did you know I was here about the killings?” I asked, shaking off the sadness that threatened to overwhelm me... yet again.

Justine shrugged. “The younger sister was in here yesterday, raising hell, not happy with our findings. Wasn’t hard to deduce she decided to look elsewhere for help. And last time I checked, you’re the only private dick working in town.”

“The only and best.” I noted the emphasis on dick... sigh.

“Sad but true. But I’m afraid Crystal’s only throwing away her money.

We confirmed a big cat was responsible for the attack.

Even had a forensic odontologist and a carnivore biologist confirm the wounds were consistent with claw and bite marks from a large feline.

Not to mention, we found fur and blood from the animal all over the scene.

Oh, lastly, the husband had the animal’s blood under his nails. ”

“He put up a fight.”

“Tried to.”

“Was the cat found?”

“No. We looked.”

“I’m sure you did. Five whole minutes? Since when is the Shadow Pines Sheriff Department big game trackers?”

She laughed. “Such an ass. We teamed up with the local park rangers. No sign of the cat, but they are still on the lookout.”

“Should the town be on lockdown? You know, with a big cat on the loose?”

“Refer to my prior comment,” she said. “The part about being an ass.”

“It’s a serious question. Once those suckers get a taste for man, all bets are off.”

“We’re doing our best to keep the town safe, Max.”

I took in some air. “Crystal heard her sister screaming, Sheriff. She didn’t hear anything else. No growling or roaring or even meowing. Dana said nothing about a cat, but she did say they were being stalked by something in the woods.”

“I know, Max. I spoke with Crystal at length. Dana never mentioned what was stalking her over the phone before she stopped talking... and started, you know...”

“Dying?”

“Yeah, that. Anyway, it could have been a big cat stalking her, and based on the evidence, it was, in fact, a big cat. If not, what else? A bear? If so, then why no evidence of a bear? A man? You really think there is a man out there killing people and making it look like a cat did it?”

“I’m just doing my job, Justine.”

“That’s Sheriff Justine to you, pal.”

I sighed. “Fine. Sheriff. Look, my client isn’t happy with the findings, and I’m here to see if anything got... um...”

“Missed? Overlooked? Is that what kind of department you think I run, Max?”

“That Private Dick Max to you, missy.”

“Oh god, that sounds all kind of wrong.”

I laughed. She... almost smiled. Good enough.

“No. I don’t think you cut corners or misread the findings, Sheriff. I’m here at the behest of my client, to serve her in whatever capacity I can. I’m being asked to look deeper into the case, and so I am. It’s how I make a buck.”

“Give her money back, Max. There is no case here.”

“One problem,” I said. “I already paid my rent with it.”

She snorted. “What did I ever see you in you?”

“My prowess in the bedroom?”

“Yeah, maybe. I do miss that. Don’t get any funny ideas. I don’t sleep around with assholes.”

“I’m not an asshole.”

“You hurt me. That makes you an asshole.”

“I’m sorry.”

She drummed her fingers on her oversized desk, looked at me sideways. “What else did you need?”

“The autopsy report?”

“You can read it in here, but it doesn’t leave my desk.”

“Thank you.”

“Wait here.”

“On pins and needles.”

She laughed once. “Such a dork. Be right back.”

I couldn’t help but smile as she left.