Hidden Moon (Nightcreature 7)

"That's handy," Grace said.

"You're going to go around sticking people with silver just to see if they smoke?" I demanded.

"If need be. "

"Grace!" I smacked myself in the forehead. "Listen to yourself. "

She ignored me. "Thanks for everything, Doc. I'll be in touch. "

With a nod at Doc Bill, she left.

"Uh, thanks," I said, and followed.

Dead or not, I didn't want to be in the same room with Josh any longer than I had to.

I caught up with Grace halfway across the parking lot. "Hey. " I grabbed her arm. "Where you going?"

"To talk to our suspect. "

"But. . . " I frowned. "He isn't a suspect anymore. Josh was killed by a wolf, or near enough. "

"What if Cartwright is the wolf?"

I blinked. What if he was?

"I pulled him in because people who'd hurt you were disappearing. That still makes him my prime suspect. "

"You really think we have a werewolf running around the forest?"

"Yes. " She met my eyes. "I do. "

Grace stalked off, and I was left to hurry after her again. "Let's say, for argument's sake, we do," I said. "Why did the werewolf kill Josh instead of making him a werewolf, too, like he did with Ryan Freestone?"

"Once we figure out who he is, we'll ask him. "

I was tempted to smack myself in the head again, but I'd only make my impending headache worse.

Malachi glanced up at our entrance, and his welcoming expression turned concerned. "What happened?"

Grace opened her mouth, then shut it again, stumped. How did one ask a man if he turned furry and killed people? Typically, Grace figured it out. "What do you know about werewolves?"

Malachi's eyebrows drew together. "I'm sorry. What?"

"Grace - ," I began, but she silenced me with a slash of her hand.

"Werewolves. Men or women become evil creepy things and kill. Ever heard of it?"

"We have legends, like all cultures. Stories to tell around the campfire, used to scare children into staying out of the woods. "

Which reminded me. . .

"Why aren't there any children in your caravan?"

"Yeah," Grace said. "Why aren't there?"

"You think we'd drag them across the country and back again? Anyone who chooses to have a family finds a relative to watch over their children while they're away. " His dark eyes burned. "Did you think we ate them?"

Grace didn't dignify that question with an answer. "We've had a few wolf attacks in the area. "