Page 19 of Sear
“So, all the rumors I’ve heard about Bearpaw Ridge are true?” Lucas asked.
Chapter 6
This town had a certain reputation in the cougar shifter community, and not only because of the unusual density of shifters living here.
Lucas was relieved that he’d turned down Malia’s request for coffee despite his cat’s protests.
Not only because it had been the right thing to do while he was working, but also because it would be weird to date Evan Swanson’s young niece.
Bear shifters, especially male bear shifters, had a reputation for being ultra-protective of their mates and female relatives.
Someone like Evan, as easy-going as he usually was, could squash anyone like a bug if he got riled up. Even the big, scary sabertooth cats were no match for a male bear shifter in his prime.
Sure, Lucas’s beast shape was larger than a regular cougar. But his cat’s strongest ability was stealth. Cougars excelled at ambush hunting, especially at night.
Powerful as he was, Lucas knew he wouldn’t last thirty seconds in a head-to-head confrontation with an outraged grizzly in protector mode.
Plus, the last thing he wanted to do was come across as a pervy older man hitting on a much young woman. He knew that he’d feel the same way once his daughters got old enough to date.
“I’ll check in tomorrow afternoon or evening, and let you know how things went with Bickham and Silvers,” Lucas promised.
“Sounds good,” Tringstad said. “Be careful. If those two are the ones who shot Rob, they’re carrying some serious firepower. The doctors pulled a 338 Winchester Magnum slug out of him.”
“Did you match the bullet against any of their guns?” asked Lucas.
“Without a license plate or even the make and model of the truck to connect the shooting to those two yahoos, there’s no chance in hell that Judge Barker will issue a search warrant. Do youknowhow many white or silver pickups there are in this county?”
Lucas laughed. “And guess the color ofmylovely government-issued unmarked vehicle?”
Tringstad groaned. “Just so you know, Judge Barker has extremely strict standards around circumstantial evidence. If you write out an affidavit for a warrant, it had better present some rock-solid evidence. Or she’ll smack you down. Hard.”
“So noted,” Lucas said. “Okay, if we do any shooting tomorrow, I’ll do my best to get a bullet for a forensics match.”
Every gun left a unique “fingerprint” on a fired bullet. If a bullet from one of Bickham and Silvers’s guns matched the one the doctors had removed from Rob, then Lucas would have what he needed to write an affidavit for not only a search warrant but an arrest warrant.
The trick would be collecting the bullets without blowing his cover. He might have to note the scene details and return later, when he was alone, to recover the evidence.
He and Tringstad ended the call. Then, Lucas entered the additional facts he’d learned into his notes.
When he had finished, he sat back and mulled over his impressions from The Hair of the Dog. His brain was buzzing. And while the five-hour drive from Boise had been a long one, it was still relatively early and he wasn’t nearly tired enough yet to go to bed.
He began to regret not getting a burger at the club while he was there. On cue, his stomach rumbled.
He did a quick search of the local dining options, and decided to try the highly-reviewed Wildcat Springs BBQ in downtown Bearpaw Ridge.
After closing his laptop and tucking it away in its case, he left the cabin and headed into town.
As he drove, he couldn’t help thinking about Malia’s sweet mouth. Her stricken expression after he’d turned her down prodded at him. His cougar wasn’t helping. It kept presenting him with a stream of images of what she’d look like naked.
Or maybe he shouldn’t be blaming his cat. Maybe it was just his human side acting up after a long dry spell.
No, he told himself firmly.I have a job to do. And dating one of the local cops is absolutely out of the question. No matter how sexy she is.
* * *
The Wildcat Springs BBQ turned out to be extremely crowded on a Sunday night. Facing a forty-five-minute wait for a table, Lucas opted to get takeout instead.
By now, he was starving. Besides, after spending most of the afternoon cooped up inside The Hair of the Dog, he’d just about reached his daily quota of noisy indoor spaces with too many people.
