Page 16 of On the Road

“Right.” Galbraith’s gaze flicked to Zee then Victor and back to me. He didn’t appear to be convinced.

“Your attacker came up on Cameron from the north,” Victor said, straightening. “Approaching tracks make it clear they came from within the cover of the woods . . . not from the bar. This means anyone inside the bar during the early hours of this morning is unlikely to be your suspect.”

“Well, that’s most of us,” Duke said gruffly.

“Most is not all,” Victor countered.

Our group fell quiet again, with the werewolves sharing glances that may have meant they were impressed or about to murder us and leave us in the woods for the worms.

“Our vampire’s very good at this,” Zee said, not without some pride. Then he plucked a packet of cookies from behind him—from where, I’ve no idea—and offered Galbraith one. “Oreo?”

The big werewolf growled. “Is murder a joke to you, demon?”

“Au contraire, I challenge anyone to be sad while eating an Oreo.”

Standing over a murder scene was not the best time to tell the werewolves how great Oreos were. “Zee, I don’t think now is the time⁠—”

Galbraith shrugged his massive leather-jacket-clad shoulders, took a tiny cookie in his thick fingers, and crunched out a half-moon shape. “Ishgood.”

“See.” Zee’s smile could brighten even a murder scene. He spotted Duke leaning against a tree scowling. “Big guy wanna cookie?”

“No,” Duke grouched.

Zee waved the cookie enticingly, but instead of looking intrigued, Duke exuded murder-the-demon-next vibes.

“Alrighty, then.” I grabbed Zee’s shoulder. “So, what’s next?”

“We talk to Kate, the woman who found him,” Victor said. “Find out who wasn’t in the bar this morning, and examine the body.”

CHAPTER 6

The cook, Kate, didn’t have much to say, only what Galbraith had already explained. She’d stepped out for a few minutes to vape, seen a figure in the gloom and headed over to investigate. By the time she’d arrived, the killer had fled, and Cameron was very deceased.

Asking around the bar, however, to find out who wasn’t accounted for, did turn up a name.

“Zander Pullman?” Galbraith echoed my question, after meeting up with me again in the motel parking lot. Zee and Victor had gone on ahead to our motel room.

“I doubt it’s him,” the pack alpha said. Drizzle clung to his unkempt hair, and when he ran a hand over it, the thick locks stayed slicked, making his face leaner and harsher.

“He wasn’t in the bar, and he lives close by according to your packmates,” I said. Packmates who’d gotten shifty any time Zander’s name had been mentioned.

“If close is a three-mile hike, then sure.” Galbraith eyed the gloomy woods behind the motel.

“Still, we thought we’d take a look, and it’s better to do it now, just in case he thinks about leaving the area.”

“Think you’re barking up the wrong tree, but if you wanna go, d’yah need an escort? It’s a long hike. Easy to get lost in this weather.”

“We’ll be alright.” I figured we might get more truth from Zander without his alpha looming like a judgmental parent. Especially if he was someone who the others in the bar didn’t seem to like.

Galbraith looked me over, and I recognized that doubting expression. “Be careful,” he warned. “Zander is an odd one.”

That sounded ominous. “How so?”

“You’ll see. While you’re gone, I’ll make sure Cameron’s body is kept safe for your examination when you return.”

“Thank you. And uh . . . we’ll do everything we can to help you with this. I know I vowed it already, but I mean it. We don’t walk away from people who need help.”

His skeptical expression eased. “You know, I wasn’t sure about you when you offered to help, but keep this up and I could be persuaded you’re as useful as you claim.”