The Wild Dead (The Bannerless Saga 2)

“She wasn’t one of us,” he said weakly. “Pretended, but she never was. Why did she go? Why did she stay away? She shouldn’t have come back.”

“Are you talking about Ella?” Enid said. What he said had to mean something; Enid should be able to figure this out. “Did she pretend to be Coast Road? Was there something else going on with her?”

“No, no!” he said, and put his hands over his face again. He acted like someone making a confession. “It’s Neeve, I’m talking about Neeve!”

Maybe not a confession, but a betrayal.

Enid glanced at Teeg, confused, seeking the piece of information that was missing. It was like a rock in her shoe, tiny but aggravating. It could ruin a whole trip. Her partner shook his head, just as lost as she was.

“What’s this got to do with Neeve?” she said to prod Kellan, desperately trying to keep calm. She wanted to shake him, but then he’d never talk again. Had Neeve, that quiet, unassuming woman, killed Ella? Enid would never have thought so, but something had set Kellan off.

“Thought Neeve would want to go back.”

“Go back where?”

He pointed up the river, up to the hills. To wherever Ella had come from.

The logic of this belonged to Kellan alone.

“Teeg, we’ve got to get him out of this muck,” Enid said.

“Yeah, yeah,” Teeg said. Kellan had cried himself out, and he let them, one at each arm, pull him to his feet. They didn’t quite have to carry him, but he hung between them, listless, his feet part walking, part dragging. “What’s got him so upset?”

Enid kept trying. “Kellan, what’s wrong? Can you tell me?” No, he couldn’t, and remained quiet.

Last House was a couple of miles away, so Enid steered Kellan toward Bonavista, to the front steps of the main cottage, where Juni had remained, watching them, worry pinching her face.

“What’s wrong, what’s happened?” she asked, but Enid didn’t have an answer.

“Sit him on the steps there, thank you. Juni, can you go get a cup of water? A big one. And a spare cloth. Thanks.” She didn’t give Juni a chance to say no. If the household didn’t want to take care of everyone, then they shouldn’t have parked themselves right here on the front of the road. Juni rushed up the steps to comply.

Enid wasn’t a medic—she couldn’t diagnose Kellan—but she guessed he was having some kind of anxiety episode, an uncontrollable panic. Speaking softly, she offered to hold his hand, and he clung to it hard, like he was drowning.

“Can’t really blame you,” she murmured. “Murdered bodies ought to make everyone panic, yeah?”

Kellan let out a sigh that almost had a smile in it. The man was exhausted.

Juni returned with water and a damp cloth; by then Kellan had recovered enough to take a long drink and wash up his own face. His breathing had steadied, though his body was still clenched, like he expected an attack.

The Bonavista woman hovered—loomed, really—regarding Kellan with sharp focus. Waiting for him to blow up, maybe. Kellan wouldn’t say anything as long as Juni lurked.

Enid pointed up the hill. “Do me a favor, Juni—can you run and get Mart from Last House?”

Juni hesitated. Likely she didn’t want to go all that way to her least favorite place in the settlement to deliver a message. Or maybe she didn’t want to miss what was happening here.

Enid continued. “Or maybe you could get Tom to do it? Is he back from Everlast yet?”

“Yes, he’s out back—”

“Then send him up to Last House. Kellan needs a friend, and Mart might be able to help. Can you do that? Thanks,” Enid said curtly, to dismiss Juni, willing her to leave. Juni trotted to the back of the house to find Tom.

And that was why investigators wore the uniform. So much easier when people just did what you told them to, when there wasn’t really time to argue. Still, Enid likely had only a few moments to question Kellan before Juni came back.

Teeg planted his staff. “I’ll keep a lookout for her,” he said.

“Thanks.”

Kellan drained the cup of water and continued clutching it with both hands, staring out at the marsh.