Page 4 of The Lost Bones

Jenkins’ shoulders sagged in relief, and he rushed away.

Nick’s eyes trailed to the trunk of the car. Sophie’s hand was poking out from the little space, hanging lifelessly. Her pale skin a stark contrast against the black of the car.

“What happened?” His eyebrows dipped low.

Mackenzie didn’t respond. Her attention was glued to the crowd of people now encircling her car.

Nick gently pulled her away from the scene. “Mack?”

“Yeah.” Her mouth was dry. “I… I came back from a run and noticed the tailgate wasn’t shut. I tried closing it, but… then I saw…” Her knees gave way and she sank to the ground.

“Water!Now!” Nick shouted at one of the uniforms. He sat next to her with his elbows on his knees. “Are you sure that’s Sophie? Sophie Fields?”

She nodded. Despite the slight discoloration of the skin, the body was fresh, with no major signs of decomposition. And it was a face Mackenzie knew very well. After all, she had spent last summer looking into her disappearance in an unofficial capacity.

“How long was your run?” Nick asked.

“Forty minutes max.”

“Was the tailgate open when you left in the morning?”

“I didn’t pay attention,” she confessed.

“So the body could have been put there during the night. Did you notice anyone suspicious?”

“No.”

“Anyone follow you?”

“No.” She bit her tongue. That feeling of being watched returning with full force. She looked around in a frenzy. There were people everywhere. Too many faces. “I don’t know…”

“You don’t know?” He raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t see anyone.”

“What’s going on?” he demanded.

Mackenzie couldn’t articulate it. There had been moments these past few weeks, even months, when she felt like she was being watched, when that peculiar instinct for self-preservation would start blaring like a siren. But her thoughts were too jumbled. “Nothing.”

Nick’s stare was hard. They both knew she was holding something back. He was the only one who was able to see through her steely demeanor. But he also knew not to push now. “We should check house cameras. See if your driveway is in view.”

Becky ducked under the crime-scene tape and headed toward them, removing her goggles and skullcap. “Is that brown rug yours, Mack? The one on which the victim is lying?”

“No.”

“Anthony will be towing the entire car for inspection. So you’ll need a ride.”

“Can you tell us anything, Becky?” Nick asked.

“Cause of death isn’t obvious yet, though I noticed some marks around her neck. No bullet or knife wounds, so we can rule that out.”

“She was cold,” Mackenzie murmured. “When I touched her face…”

Nick’s eyebrows shot up. “You touched her? That’s against protocol.”

“I know! I don’t know what came over me. Just her cheek.”

“Yes, she was stored in a freezer. It will make it a bit harder to discern time of death. I’ll know more once I’ve cut her open,” Becky said, watching Mackenzie warily.