Page 90 of You'll Be Sorry

“So no, I’m not certain at all. But what the hell, let’s do it anyway.”

Austin scratched his beard, nodded once. Practically a soliloquy from the notoriously recalcitrant man. But he hadn’t stopped tugging at his facial hair since he’d arrived on scene. He was as nervous as she was, no doubt about it.

The call Mandy had received from Theo and Raquel Collins just the other day—hey, we’ve found something—didn’t come close to this level of agitation. It would’ve been too simple for the new homeowners to have magically solved a riddle that had bedeviled countless professionals for thirty years.

But this, not just a scattering of what appeared to be human bones, but the surrounding environment, some kind of cave where no local knew of such a feature. The entrance of which appeared obscured by rocks and branches in a way that was too systematic to be natural.

Someone had once known this cave. And made the effort to seal it up, though time and animal activity had clearly taken their toll.

“Can’t fool search dogs,” Austin muttered now, as if reading her mind. “People’ve tried dousing bodies in alcohol, burying ’em in fish, lighting ’em on fire. A dog’s nose knows.”

Mandy got it. If what they were about to discover was what both she and Austin believed they were about to discover, the search teams should’ve found it thirty years ago; they weren’t that far from the Dixon residence, after all.

“But if the scent trail became inaccessible,” she filled in.

“Forcing the dogs to try to find a workaround.”

“Making it seem like they hadn’t found what they’d found, because well, they hadn’t.”

Austin, nodding, tugging, nodding. Definitely a step removed from his usual cool, collected self. His hand was even trembling, though she was hardly doing much better.

“No one from state can make it till tomorrow—well, technically now this morning. And you know what happens come evening?”

The fucking nor’easter, which had all the local businesses doing the happy dance with its promise of kicking off the ski season, but was definitely starting to mess with Mandy’s life.

“I don’t want to wait that long,” Mandy finished quietly.

Austin stopped working his beard and peered at her directly. “It’s time,” he said quietly, one local to another.

“It’s time,” she agreed.

They got to it.

Thanks to the previous efforts at the well, securing this scene went quickly. The rapid deploy lights were in position. Mandy herself oversaw initial photography and documentation, starting with the scattering of known remains outside the grotto, then working her wayup. Fortunately, the snow flurries had subsided, greatly improving visibility.

Her other discovery after sending Raquel and the dog home—there was a direct path to the cave entrance. She was guessing the same someone who’d sealed up the opening had also taken steps to disguise the established route with various sticks and stones. But with a little bit of work, Mandy had been able to identify a trail. Basically, wherever you thought you should logically tread next, hey, kick that rock/branch/boulder out of the way, and yes, you could.

This cave had been known by someone. Used by someone. Then purposefully hidden away by that someone.

She could think of only one major incident that would be worthy of such efforts. Which had her both highly unsettled and preternaturally calm. Step by step, that’s what a good cop did. She swore she could feel her father standing at her shoulder.Focus. Now, snap this photo. And while you’re at it, document this item over there, plus this possible bone fragment over here. Thatta girl. Steady as she goes.

No need for rappelling this time around. Just Austin’s crew of volunteer firefighters, working their way to the entrance, then carefully dismantling the debris blocking the way.

Until a mere hour later, Mandy and Austin stood before a narrow fissure, almost impossible to see head-on, but which became slightly more apparent when viewed from the side. The opening appeared deceptively skinny given its towering height. It didn’t advertise its presence as much as beckon you in.I’m here, don’t you want to know all my secrets?

Mandy desperately did, even as she feared the answers after all these years.

“You go first,” Austin muttered, his tone definitely tense. He’d still been a troubled twentysomething when the Dixons had disappeared, but there was no way this moment wasn’t as significant for him as for her.

The entire family. Shut up in a cave bordering their property? How? Why? Of all the possibilities…

The flashlight in Mandy’s hand started to shake noticeably. She forced herself to take another calming breath.

“We touch nothing,” Mandy directed.

First nod.

“Preliminary intel. See what’s to see. Document accordingly.”