Page 75 of Three-Inch Teeth

“No vehicles entered the gates of the club until Deputy Carroll came in this morning,” Judy told Joe.

“You’re sure?”

“I’m positive. I’m looking at the footage as we speak. It’s time-stamped.”

“Good. Please don’t delete it for the time being.”

His head was spinning. Then: “Is it possible that any of your maintenance people were out on the course early this morning?”

“I highly doubt it,” Judy said. “I’d have seen their cars on the videotape when they came in to work. And they usually don’t show up until eight or eight-thirty during the months when the club is closed.”

“Deputy Carroll said he saw a vehicle,” Joe said. “Do you have any cameras on the course itself?”

“Our members wouldn’t stand for it,” she responded. “Especially the ones who cheat.”

He asked, “Is there still that old river road access?”

“Yes. We close it in the winter after they’re done moving cows, but we don’t tell the members about it at all because it washes out in the spring and it’s not safe.”

“Are there any cameras on it?”

“No.”

Joe thanked her. The old river road was known only to locals who had intimate knowledge of the layout of the club. Did that suggest that the vehicle Carroll had seen that morning belonged to someone in the area?

He made a mental note to check the road for fresh tire tracks.

*

ON THE WAY into town to the hospital, Joe punched up Jennie Gordon on his cell phone. He had no idea where in the state she would be.

She answered by saying, “I just heard.” She sounded weary and depressed.

“I’m not sure it’s our bear,” Joe said. “It’s something else entirely.”

There was a long pause. Then: “What?”

“This attack is different from the others, not to mention that it’s over two hundred and seventy-five miles from the last one two days ago.”

“How is it different?” she asked.

“From the photos I saw, there was only one big bite on the victim and the wounds were on his breast, clavicle, and neck. The bear didn’t go for his head and face like the others.

“Also, I didn’t see any claw marks or ripped-up fabric. I got the weird impression that the bear attacked and missed, then took off before finishing the job.”

“That’s bizarre,” she said. “Do you think it got scared away before it was done?”

“It’s possible but unlikely,” Joe said. “A deputy sheriff found the victim immediately after the attack, but he didn’t see the bear. He said he saw taillights in the distance, but no bear.”

“Taillights?”

“I said the same thing. And no, we have no idea who was in the vehicle or how they got there. Or if it has anything at all to do with the attack.”

“Let me think for a second,” she said. Then: “Maybe the mystery vehicle drove up on the bear as it charged the victim and spooked it.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Joe said. “I suppose it’s possible. But whoever was in the car didn’t stop to render aid or make a call to law enforcement. They just hightailed it out of there.”

“Wouldn’t you do the same if you were trespassing on the Eagle Mountain Club?” she asked rhetorically. “Nevertheless, we need to find that driver, Joe. We need to find out what he saw.”

---