Page 24 of Unnatural Death

“That would suggest it’s real,” Marino answers. “Unless the killer planted it days, weeks, months, even years ago? Or maybe the Mansons did it as a joke. Which makes no sense.”

“You do realize how you’re sounding,” Lucy warns him.

“Finding a footprint where I did doesn’t surprise me. It’s believed Bigfoots live underground in abandoned mines and deep caves.” He returns the knife, the roll of tape to his coverall pockets. “When Luray Caverns were being excavated, workers came across these huge creatures living deep inside. Some of the men fled in holy terror and never came back. It happened more than once, and there are similar accounts all over the world.”

“And I suspect a lot of people who report these experiences are telling the truth as they perceive it but are mistaken.” I’m pulling out two wire rescue baskets from the back cabin.

“Or maybe they’re not,” Marino says. “We don’t know what might be out there deep in the forests, just like we don’t know what might be at the bottom of the ocean. I thought you’re the ones always lecturing about keeping an open mind.”

“We’re giving you a dose of what you’re going to get from everyone else.” Lucy helps him lift cases of water out of the baggage compartment, setting them on the ground. “I don’t want you going off on a tangent. Especially when you’ve been known to swear that you believe Bigfoot is real. You’ve posted stuff about it on Facebook.”

“I’ve been hearing about Bigfoot all my life,” Marino replies. “When I was growing up in New Jersey, people would tell stories about sightings and encounters. Like Bobby O’Reilly, the guy I used to train with at the boxing gym. He came face- to-face with a Sasquatch, a smaller one, probably a juvenile with long black hair everywhere. It jumped out of a tree and ran off on two legs while Bobby was hunting in the woods on his property. He saw it clear as day. He said the eyes were humanlike and something told him not to shoot it.”

“Maybe don’t tell that story to a lot of people,” Lucy says as we unload the rest of the equipment, lifting out Pelican cases that hold PPE and additional forensic supplies.

I also included an insulated bag of snacks and drinks, and a few other conveniences such as a camping toilet and a twelve-pack of Charmin. Then Lucy is locking the cabin doors when a strange knocking noise starts deep inside the forest. It sounds like a hard stick hitting a tree slowly, rhythmically from far away. Then it stops.

“Shhhh!” Marino shushes us as we look around.

I see dense woods dappled with light and shadow that become impenetrable. Then the noise starts again as my pulse picks up.

“Holy shit! It’s answering us!” Marino’s eyes are wide as he stares in the direction of the sound. “It’s like it heard us talking about it!”

We’ve stopped what we’re doing, waiting to hear the noise again. But nothing.

“Have you heard this before since you’ve been here?” Lucy asks him, and she has a strange look on her face.

“Nope.” His eyes are moving everywhere, and he’s about as spooked as I’ve seen him. “But I’ve heard wood-knocking in the past when I’ve been treasure hunting and something’s warning me to keep my distance.”

“Like a big woodpecker doing its thing,” Lucy says to him.

“What we just heard wasn’t a woodpecker.” He casts about, his face startled.

“Or a beaver having fun. Or maybe somebody messing with us.”

“I can’t imagine there’s anybody out here who might mess with us,” I reply. “But I don’t know what that was. It’s not one of the investigators at the scene, because it’s not coming from that direction. I don’t know who else might be out here.”

“I’m going to guess it was coming from at least half a mile away,” Marino says tensely, excitedly.

“If something’s out there in the woods watching us, we’re going to know soon enough.” Lucy picks up a hard-sided case, placing it on a skid.

Clasps snap loudly, and she lifts out a drone that has gimbalized cameras and four carbon fiber propellers. Unfolding the arms, she places the quadcopter on the ground.

“He answers toPepper, no remote control needed,” she explains. “I have an app on my phone for that. His voice recognition capabilities aren’t bad but have a way to go. He’s also been in and out of Santa’s workshop as we’ve tried to remedy problems that I won’t bore you with.”

Holding her phone close to her lips, Lucy tells Pepper towake up. The drone’s lights turn on and begin flashing red and green.

“Pepper, start.”

The propellers begin spinning fast, with a whiny hum.

“Pepper, hunt…”

The drone lifts up … up … up … a hundred feet, two hundred and more. Clearing the trees, it levels off, sailing away.

CHAPTER 10

HE HAS HIS DESIGNATED orbits in the area for while we’re working. Anything big out there and I’m going to know,” Lucy says. “I’ll see it on the display.” She holds up her phone to show us what Pepper is flying over. “And I can see it in the lenses of my glasses.”

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