The Gathering (Darkness Rising 1)

"It's ... the rest," Rafe said, his voice low, respectful. When I stepped forward, his fingers closed around my arm. "That's close enough, Maya. Chief Carling can take it from here."

"If the cat comes back and smells us this close, he'll move the body. I need to get a look. See if I--" I swallowed. "Recognize the victim. I know everyone around here."

His fingers slid down to my hand, squeezing it, then he walked beside me as I approached the cache. I could see dark hair at one end, so I veered that way. It looked like a woman, but pine needles blocked the face.

I bent and pulled a branch back and I saw the face then, dark eyes open, staring into nothing.

It was Mina Lee.

TWENTY-THREE

WE LEFT MINA LEE there and climbed down the cliff. I got cell phone reception less than twenty feet from the base. I called Chief Carling, then my dad.

My dad got there first, driving as close as he could get. Then he bundled Rafe, Kenjii, and me into the Jeep, where Mom waited, anxious and worried.

Kenjii was worried, too, whining and watching me, sticking so close she was practically on my lap in the backseat.

Chief Carling arrived next with Dr. Inglis. They went up to look at the body, then came back and got our statements. Chief Carling couldn't tell us much. Dr. Inglis didn't know how Mina Lee died. I'm guessing that's because she'd been partly eaten, but of course no one was saying that. No one was saying much of anything--to us or to each other.

Dad took us back to the house after that. More people were there--the mayor, the principal, and some other members of the town council. They converged on my dad as we got out of the Jeep. I slipped away. Rafe followed. We sneaked off to the forest's edge with Kenjii.

I was about to say something, when the roar of an engine cut me short. Daniel's truck whipped around the corner, spewing clods of dirt. He pulled in behind the others and was jumping out almost before the vehicle stopped.

I walked toward him. "Hey."

He looked from me to Rafe and I braced, but he only nodded at Rafe. A brusque nod but not unfriendly.

"Corey called," he said as he strode over. "He got the news from his mom. Are you okay?"

"Shaken and spooked, but otherwise fine."

"I heard from Nicole, too, after her dad was called. She offered to catch a ride with her dad ..."

He didn't finish, but I knew what he meant. Nicole had offered to come in his place and he'd told her no. Probably told her to stay home, too, figuring it'd be crowded and chaotic enough. Now he was asking if I'd rather he'd let her come.

"This is good," I said. Which was true.

"Corey said--" Daniel's gaze shifted to Rafe and he lowered his voice. "Can we talk for a second?"

"I'll be over there," Rafe said, waving, before I could answer.

Daniel gave

him another nod, a little less curt this time. He steered me off to the side.

"Is it really Mina Lee? That's what Corey thought his mom said, but she had to take off, so he couldn't ask."

"It is."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded. "The cougar ... They usually leave the head alone."

"Oh," he said, like he'd just realized exactly what I'd seen. He stepped forward, arms going around me. I lingered there a moment, then backed away. I could see Rafe staring into the forest, giving us privacy to talk, but he looked like he expected to see a cougar at any moment.

"I guess that's why she wasn't answering her phone," I said. "It may explain why her car was at the Braun place and she wasn't. I don't know if I should tell Chief Carling about that, to give her a better idea about time of death ..."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about."