THE BACKYARD of the small tract house was a popular place to be, Noah discovered. He understood why. God knew he didn’t have any business there, and he couldn’t stay away. His initial surprise at seeing Alec Raynor among the spectators faded; he found he even approved. A hands-on administrator himself, he wouldn’t have wanted a police chief content to sit on his ass behind the desk any more than he’d appreciated former chief Bystrom’s habit of spending half his working days riding a chairlift at Mount Bachelor or thigh-deep in the Deschutes River casting a line, depending on the season.
It was telling, however, that Cait’s brother stood on the opposite side of the excavation from Raynor. No fellowship growing there. Which didn’t matter to Noah, only that they worked together when they had to. If not, one or both would be gone.
Instinct told him he wouldn’t have to interfere, though. Colin had put off announcing his candidacy for county sheriff, probably because of his sister’s troubles, but he’d be running. If he lost, Noah guessed he’d find a job somewhere else. He wasn’t a personality content to be subordinate to a man not much older than him and possibly less qualified for the job of police chief.
Both men glanced at him, neither looking thrilled to see him, then turned immediately back to the growing hole. To one side of it was the dirt that had been shoveled out; a few feet away, broken concrete had been heaped after it had been jackhammered into pieces.
Jane Vahalik and another plainclothes officer were present, too, as well as a couple of people Noah assumed were crime scene technicians. A young, distressed-looking woman hovering by the sliding door might be the home owner.
Noah nodded at Raynor but circled the yard until he reached Colin’s side.
“We’re going to feel foolish if there’s nothing here,” he said in a low voice, only belatedly realizing that by saying “we,” he was aligning himself with McAllister.
“We have to look.” Colin shook his head. “Who are we kidding? We’ll feel more than foolish. We’ll discover we still don’t have a clue.”
Noah grunted agreement. “Were Cait’s handprints still visible?”
Colin jerked his head toward the pile. “Take a look. We set that chunk aside.”
Noah saw now that one piece of concrete, approximately two feet by two feet, lay separate from the pile. Stepping closer, he stared down at it. There they were—two small handprints, neatly set in place, fingers splayed. Cait’s.
His heart lurched, and it was a long time until he could make himself look away.
“You going to take it with you?” he asked.
“Yeah.” Colin rotated his shoulders as if to relieve stiffness. “It’s part of her life.”
“Good.” Noah was more relieved than he wanted to be.
After their brief exchange, no one talked except the two guys taking turns in the hole. They had apparently started with shovels but were now working with what appeared to be gardening trowels. Impatient as he was, Noah understood. If there were bones, the medical examiner would want them as intact as possible.
The day was hot. Noah slapped at mosquitoes and flies. Traffic passed out on the street. A lawn mower growled a few houses away. The unmistakable rumble of a school bus came and went, followed by the shouts of kids. The home owner eventually went inside and returned with a pitcher of lemonade and plastic cups for everyone. Phones rang and were mostly ignored, although Raynor stepped away for one intense conversation, as did Vahalik twenty minutes or half an hour later.
Noah began to get restless and think about everything piling up in his absence, but he didn’t even consider leaving although he couldn’t have said why. Interestingly, Raynor never moved beyond downing a glass of lemonade and nodding his thanks to the young woman.
The guy in the hole said suddenly, “Here we go.”
Everyone present pointed as if they were a pack of hunting dogs that had just caught the scent.
There was a lot of discussion among the crime scene people, and the trowels were discarded in favor of brushes and some other tools Noah couldn’t make out. A small woman kneeling beside the hole seemed to be in charge. She finally swiveled to look at Lieutenant Vahalik and Colin.