Bear of Interest Read online

  “Lucky you. Females complicate things,” said the bigger one. “Once you get the odor, everything, including your common sense, goes out of the window.”

  Yeah, he knew what that was like. He’d been impulsive a few times in his life. Once he’d even competed with Brady. Almost like these two. Both of them liked the same female bear shifter in their class at high school. Brady took a bet with him, he’d have her first, but Cole had sneaked behind his back and taken her innocence. Of course he hadn’t told Brady and let him find out she wasn’t a virgin when he’d taken her out on a date. Such a letdown for the mighty Brady Walsh. Cole shook his head. Yeah, he and Brady hadn’t been much better than these two idiots. Well, these two were much older and should know better.

  “No more fighting. I mean it,” said Cole, applying the last of the butterfly dressings.

  “Yeah, yeah. Thanks a lot Cole.”

  He watched them walk out, both trying to get out of the door at the same time and shoving one another. That truce would probably only last until they got back to their pack and picked up the scent of the alpha female again.

  Cole cleaned up the room and threw everything into the bin. He looked at his watch. Time for his rounds before he settled down for the night, and hopefully got some shut eye.

  He walked to Ted’s room. A young wolf shifter who had in fact shifted for the first time two days ago, gotten overly confident running on four legs instead of two, and had snapped the front one when he’d slipped down a hill.

  “Hey Ted, how you’re doing?” asked Cole.

  “I hate this stupid cast on my leg. Makes me seem like a child. I’ve been through my first shifting and I’m a man.”

  Cole smiled. All shifters felt the same way after that first tough shift. You wanted your elders to recognize you as all grown up but sometimes it wasn’t that easy.

  “It will be off before you know and I’m guessing that will grab the attention of all the females at the next star gazing gathering.”

  “And that’s supposed to cheer me up. I hate the opposite sex.”

  Cole knew that Ted would be taking back those words very soon. Now that he had his first shift he’d be able to smell females during their mating cycle and his body would want them even if his mind wasn’t quite there yet.

  “They’re not so bad,” said Cole.

  “Says who? They look at you and they giggle and whisper to their friends. I’m sure they plot things behind our backs.”

  Cole was suddenly transported back to his own youth. He suddenly envied Brady for having found true love. The finding it and keeping it was so fucking hard. Cole wished his mate would come along soon so he could get all the wooing and pursuing out of the way.

  “Anything I can get you?” asked Cole.

  “You wouldn’t have ice cream around this place, would you?”

  “You know I think I might be able to round some up. Let me finish checking on everyone and how about I join you?”

  “Neato.”

  Neato mouthed Cole, as he left the room and smiled.

  Next up on his rounds was Mia who was watching some reality show on TV.

  “You okay?”

  She nodded. “You think this treatment’s going to work?”

  “We’ll stay positive and if it doesn’t, there’s always IVF.”

  “At my age?”

  “Don’t give up hope, Mia.”

  He patted the back of her hand.

  “We’d be old parents,” she said.

  “But wise ones.”

  It was her turn to squeeze his hand.

  He pulled down the blood pressure cuff and put it around her bicep.

  “It’s a little high so I want you to just rest and get a good night’s sleep, okay?”

  “Yes doctor. By the way, are you seeing anyone?”

  Boy, was that a popular question or what?

  “Nope.”

  “I know a couple of the girls would be more than interested in getting to know you.”

  “I’m sort of settling in right now but maybe later.”

  ****

  Sam read through the forensic reports and looked at the photos that had been taken of the crime scene. They’d identified the women as Margo Henderson, age twenty-eight from Missoula. She’d been a student studying law there at the University of Montana which would be where Sam would be heading soon to interview both her parents and her roommate, who had in fact reported her missing two days ago.

  The medical examiner had been right. She’d been killed someplace else, her body transported and dumped in the woods. Question was, was she killed in Missoula and brought to the Kalispell area? Or had she had reason to be here, met up with the killer, and hence her body being in this region? Had she even known her killer? She hadn’t been raped or sexually assaulted but she’d had sex shortly before she’d died which didn’t necessarily mean she did know her killer. She could have been on a date and been abducted on the way home or something. Sam ran her hands through her hair and chewed on the inside of her mouth again. The killer smashing in half her face had some significance. He wanted to maybe hide her identity. That didn’t really make any sense because there were her fingerprints and dental records. It could also mean the killer didn’t like the way she looked at him. Could even be a female killer who was envious of her looks?

  Sam pulled out the photos and looked at the bear prints that were to the left of the body. She’d hazard a guess he’d been a good sized one judging by its width and length, although she wasn’t in any way an expert on bears or any wildlife for that matter. And unless this one was the killer of her victim, she had no interest in the bear whatsoever.

  Would a bear go check out a dead body? Even eat it? That was something she probably should look into. They’d found a few stray bear hairs on the body but the wind could have picked them up and carried them to the corpse and nothing else was out of the ordinary.

  She looked up when she saw another police officer walking by her office.

  “Mike, you know anything about bears?” she called out to him.

  He stopped and stood in the doorway. “No, why?”

  “These prints, I was wondering what type of bear made them?”

  He walked inside and took one of the photos from her.

  “Pretty big one I’d say so you’re probably looking for a grizzly.”

  “And it wouldn’t eat a dead person?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “Vegetarians aren’t they?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I’m guessing someone in the department’s an expert.”

  “Maybe I should go check.”

  Mike walked away and Sam got up from her desk and went to the main floor where some of the uniformed officers hung out.

  “Does anyone know about bears?” she called out.

  “Yeah, I do, what do you want to know?”

  Sam saw Trent Burgress walking toward her.

  “You consider yourself a bear expert?” she asked him.

  “Absolutely.”

  “You want to come with me and take a look at some photos?”

  “Sure.”

  Trent followed behind Sam and then walked into her office and pulled up a chair.

  She opened up the folder and slid the snaps over to him.

  “What sort of bear would produce prints like this one?”

  “Definitely a grizzly.”

  Sam nodded. “The bear walked by a victim, would he have ignored it or checked it out? What would the bear have done?”

  “Depends.”

  “On what?”

  “How nosy he was. Some bears would wander over to check it out just for their own safety, while some wouldn’t bother. Is this connected with the victim that Cole MacDonald found?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “He’s a buddy of mine. I mean we’re part of the same…same soccer league.”

  “Really, I didn’t know you played.”

  Cole had definitely looked like the athlet
ic type. All muscles and brawn.

  “Not that well, but yeah.”

  “So you can vouch for him. I mean I don’t have to think of him as person of interest?”

  “Cole, no. Honest guy if ever there was one.”

  “So he’s not seeing anyone? I mean, I have to check out if he and the victim were dating or an item.”

  Phew, she’d saved herself quickly on that loaded question. Guess she was more curious about the good doctor then even she’d realized.

  “No, not seeing anyone. In fact, he’s not been back in town that long. He was working at a hospital on the east coast. So if you’re interested I could definitely put in a good word for you.”

  “Whatever makes you think I’m interested in dating him? I was only asking as it pertained to my case.”

  She saw Trent smiling at her.

  Why did guys always think they knew everything that went on in a woman’s mind?

  He winked at her as he got up and left her office.

  Probably because women could be read like books.

  ****

  Cole whistled as tried to find the book he wanted to read. He hated living in this motel room but he’d been too busy. No, correct that, he’d been too lazy to go find himself a long term place to live. He took out some of his CDs and placed them on the bed. The book in question was in here somewhere because he remembered putting it in the box marked ‘books and CDs’. He glanced around and realized he’d marked two like that. He was about to pick up the second box when his phone rang. He saw that it was Trent Burgress.

  “Hi Trent, what’s up?” asked Cole.

  “Thought I should fill you in on a few things so you’re in the loop.”

  “In the loop?”

  “Yeah, in case you haven’t forgotten I work with the Kalispell Police Division and so does Detective Sam Hardy.”

  Just the mere mention of her name got Cole’s heart beating faster, and yes, blood was now quickly rushing to his dick.

  “I had forgotten that you’re a police officer,” said Cole.

  “She wanted to know about some bear prints that were found at the crime scene of the body you reported finding.”

  “Shit, I never thought about my bear prints being there.”

  “I don’t think it’s a problem because this area’s bear country.”

  “So what did she want to know?” asked Cole, sitting down on the bed.

  “What sort of bear would make them, and I said a big grizzly.”

  Cole smiled. He was sort of proud to be one of the grizzlies, best of bears if you asked him.

  “And she was happy with that?”

  “Sure. She might ask some to come in for a formal identification line up,” said Trent.

  Now he knew his fellow bear shifter was making fun of him.

  “And I should tell you that she was asking if you’re seeing anyone.”

  Cole dropped the stacks of CDs he was holding. A few slipped to the floor.

  “She was?” he asked, hopeful he’d heard correctly.

  “She was wondering if you might have been dating the victim.”

  “So she thinks I’m a person of interest?” asked Cole. That sort of put a damper on his spirits. The woman was clearly all business.

  “No, I put her right about that. She claimed her question was related to the case but being married to a human, I know when they’re interested. I could hear her heartbeat pick up when your name was mentioned. I even got a whiff of her arousal when she asked about you.”

  Cole tapped his fingers on the book on his lap. Was he interested in dating a human? He did think Sam was hot.

  “Oh and if she asks how we know one another, I play on the soccer league with you.”

  “You playing soccer?”

  “I know, I know, but I had to think of something quick as to why I knew you and I remembered you and Brady being on the soccer team.”

  “So you think I should ask her out?”

  “I think you’d be a fool not to.”

  ****

  Besides getting called to a crime scene, this was the part of the job Sam hated the most. She let her finger hoover over the doorbell. Margo Henderson’s parents were no doubt on the other side of the door, and she had to face them. The Missoula police had already informed them of their daughter’s death, and here was Sam on their doorstep, a complete stranger invading their inner sanctum and asking questions about someone they loved but who was no longer around. Sam, even though she’d been too young at the time to understand what the policeman was saying, had been through this herself at one point in her life.

  Sam pressed the button, thinking it was best to get this over and done with. Get in, ask her questions, and then let them mourn in peace.

  She heard a dog barking out in the back yard and then the latch opening and a woman in her mid-fifties stood there. The tell-tale signs of the puffy face and blood shot eyes told her that was either Margo’s mother or someone else who’d been close to her.

  Sam held up her badge.

  “I’m Detective Hardy and I’m here to see Mr. and Mrs. Henderson.”

  “That’s us, well me at least. My husband’s not feeling too well and is lying down. Please come in.”

  Sam stepped into the house and followed Mrs. Henderson through to the back room which was part kitchen, part family room.

  “Can I get you something to drink detective?”

  “No, I’m fine, thank you. Please accept my condolences for your loss.” Sam never liked to drink anything while she was on the job.

  Mrs. Henderson nodded. “Please have a seat.”

  Sam sat on the couch and pulled out her notebook and pad from her purse.

  “I know this is all a terrible experience but I need to ask you some questions so that we can find whoever did this to your daughter.”

  “I understand, so ask as many as you want as long as it helps find the monster.”

  “When did you last see Margo?”

  “Let me think. It had to be Saturday lunch time. Max and I, that’s my husband, were out back gardening and she dropped by to see if we needed anything at the farmer’s market because that’s where she was heading.”

  “The Missoula Farmers’ Market?”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “I told her if they had any of the jam we like to buy some, and I’d reimburse her.”

  “And did she come back?”

  “Yes, but we’d already left as we went out that night with friends. She has, she had, her own key, and when we got back there were two jars of huckleberry jam she’d placed on the table with a note saying they were a gift to us for helping her out with this semester’s tuition.”

  “And you didn’t see or hear from her again?” asked Sam.

  She wiped her nose and shook her head.

  “Was that unusual, or out of the ordinary?”

  “No, sometimes we’d go a whole week without seeing or phoning one another. She was twenty-eight, a grown woman, so we didn’t think she needed her parents calling her every five minutes.”

  Sam made some quick notes before asking another question. “And she was going to law school here at the University of Montana?”

  “Yes, second year student and doing very well.”

  “And she shared an apartment in town?”

  “Close to campus yes, with a nice young girl who’s also a fellow law student. First year, I think.”

  “Was Margo seeing anyone?”

  “If she was she didn’t mention to us. She did break up with a man late last year if that’s any help.”

  “Would you know if they parted company amicably?”

  Sam knew sometimes one person didn’t take the break up quite as well as the other and problems lingered.

  “I think so. From what I understood I think the relationship had just run its course.”

  Yeah, Sam knew all about those types.

  “And her frame of mind on Saturday or leading up to Saturday, did she seem worri
ed about anything, sad about anything?”

  “No, she seemed the same Margo as always, happy, carefree.”

  Mrs. Henderson looked down to her lap.

  Sam wanted to stop right now but knew she had to burden Margo’s mother with more questions. In the long run it would help her find her killer. Well, that’s what Sam hoped.

  “So you wouldn’t know if she was actually in the Flathead area?”

  Sam didn’t want to go into detail about her being murdered in one spot and then taken to another.

  Mrs. Henderson shook her head.

  “Do you know if she had any friends there?”

  “Not that I can think of.”

  “I want the bastard caught and then hung. I’d like to attend that event if I may.”

  Sam looked up from her notes to see a man standing in the doorway.

  “Max, don’t go upsetting yourself any more than you need to,” said Mrs. Henderson.

  “Mr. Henderson, I’m Detective Hardy,” said Sam. She stood and extended her hand.

  He took it. Firm handshake, and like his wife, he had a puffy face and bloodshot eyes.

  “You think you should go back to bed and rest some more?” his wife asked him.

  “I’m okay, Anne, don’t go fussing over me.”

  He sat next to his wife.

  “Can you think of anyone who Margo might have gone to Flathead Lake region to see?” his wife asked him.

  “No, but her roommate might know. I think the two of them used to go out and about a lot.”

  “I’m heading over to see her once I’ve finished here,” said Sam.

  “You have any suspects so far?” he asked.

  “Not at this time.”

  “What about the man who discovered her? Don’t they always say the person who finds the body is usually the person who’s the prime suspect?”

  Chapter Three

  Cole peered through the glass in the door at the Starlight Café. They hadn’t been kidding when they’d told him to get there early because it was salmon night. He walked inside and was pretty sure everyone in the place was a bear shifter. Well, apart from the humans they were married to.

  “Hi Cole,” said Hannah.

  “Hi there. Don’t suppose you have a table for one?”

  “We don’t allow lone dining on salmon night,” said Hannah. “Take your pick who you’d like to sit with.”