Page 99 of Three-Inch Teeth

“Was Nate there?” he asked her.

“No.”

“Did you see the bear?”

“No. It was gone by the time I got there.”

“You did everything right,” he said.

Then she let out a loud sob. Now that she was in their home, what she’d seen and gone through seemed to be overwhelming her, he thought.

*

JOE LOOKED UP. Marybeth had settled down with Kestrel in her lap in a lounge chair in their front room. They were going page by page through a recent copy of Wyoming Wildlife magazine and Kestrel was pointing at photos of bears and prairie dogs as Marybeth complimented the child on knowing what species was what.

Joe was grateful that Kestrel seemed to be oblivious to what had happened to her mother, but it broke his heart that she’d have to find out. What would they tell her and how would they do it? How much, he thought, had Kestrel’s life just changed in perpetuity?

Marybeth looked up from the magazine and met his eyes. Tears were pouring down her cheeks, but somehow she was able to hold herself together and remain cheery while Kestrel pointed out animals.

“Listen to me carefully,” Joe said to Sheridan. “Did you see any vehicles near Nate’s place?”

“No,” she said. Then: “I’m sorry. My mind is blown. Yes, I did see another car. There was a pickup coming out on the road and I pulled over to let it by.”

Joe felt his insides clutch. “Can you describe it?”

He felt her nod her head yes on his shoulder. “It was a pickup, like I said, with a shell over the back. I think it was white with Wyoming plates, but I can’t tell you the make or model. It was just a normal pickup like you see everywhere here. I couldn’t see the driver or the passenger, but I think there were two of them.”

“Was it local?” he asked.

She indicated it was. “It had County Six plates. I didn’t get the rest of the numbers, though. I remember thinking: Carbon County.”

Joe let go of Sheridan and stepped back. “Help me make sure all the doors are locked. Then we’ll shut off all the lights.”

“Dad,” Sheridan said, “you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”

“Dallas Cates was released,” he said. “It wasn’t a bear that attacked Liv. It was Dallas Cates.”

Sheridan’s eyes shot open and she covered her mouth with her hand.

“We’ll tell you everything we know,” he said. “But right now we’ve got to lock up and make this house completely dark.”

Marybeth stood up with Kestrel and nuzzled the girl. She’d obviously heard the exchange. She said to her, “Let’s get a blanket and a flashlight and we’ll make a tent in the bedroom and look at the animals. We’ll go camping.”

Kestrel squealed with delight and Joe’s heart broke even further.

*

FIVE MINUTES LATER, under the muted light of a headlamp he’d fitted over the crown of his hat, Joe left their dark bedroom with Marybeth and Kestrel in their “tent” and Sheridan sitting on the bed with a loaded lever-action .30-30 rifle on her lap. He’d placed his service Maglite flashlight on the bedspread next to her within her reach.

“Text me if you see or hear anything,” Joe said. “But don’t open the door or look out the window.”

“Where will you be?” she whispered back.

“Outside. That way I can see them if they approach the house. I’ll text you when they get here.”

In the soft yellow light of his headlamp, Sheridan’s face looked like a blank mask. He knew how terrified she likely was, and he understood.

“Got that, Marybeth?” he whispered.

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