Page 30 of Unnatural Death

“Your theory about that?”

“Some type of technology involving sensors.”

“And why so much was destroyed?”

“An attempt to ruin the evidence while giving us the finger,” she says. “That’s my guess.”

“I wonder if the Mansons had any idea who or what was coming after them.”

“They should have, considering the company they kept.” Tron holds up a holly branch heavy with blood-red berries, and we duck under. “It’s like I’ve heard you say. People tend to die the way they lived. And Huck and Brittany ran with the wrong crowd even if it was remotely.”

Sunlight filters through the trees as we pass through a small clearing littered with deadwood. A branch snapping somewhere in the shadows nearly sends me out of my skin. I have the feeling again. I sense a presence, my pulse kicking up, a chill touching the back of my neck and raising the hair on my arms.

“Is it just me sensing something weird?” I can’t help but remark. “I keep getting this creepy feeling we’re being watched.”

“It’s not just you. If nothing else there are animals living here undisturbed until now. The biggest thing I worry about is bears. I donotwant to have a bad encounter with one of those. Or a mountain lion, even though they say we don’t have them in Virginia anymore. I know people who beg to differ.” She glances back at me, eyeing the canister holstered on my hip. “I don’t mean to ruin your day, but as fast as lions and bears move, you’d better be a quick draw. Even if you are, there’s a good chance it won’t work.”

Pepper spray might deter a curious bear or wildcat but not necessarily a predatory one. Even if it runs off, that doesn’t mean it won’t be back, Tron lets me know as I follow her through kicked-up leaves made slippery by the rain. I’ve worked my share of deaths by large animals that include amputated extremities and crushed heads. She doesn’t need to paint the picture.

“Not much farther,” she says as I notice broken branches that are recent.

“Have you taken this path all the way to the Mansons’ farm?” I inquire.

“No. Other investigators are searching that area. Nothing much they’re finding except a red plastic cap caught in the leaves of a bush. Square-shaped, like the cap from an inhaler, is the first thing that comes to mind.”

“Where was it exactly?”

“About midway along the path. It could be important.”

“Depending on who lost it,” I reply. “Maybe the Mansons did at some point when they were back and forth running errands. I wonder if either of them had allergies or asthma.”

“No prescriptions for anything like that, but we can’t know what they bought over the counter. They were clever about tossing their garbage, hauling it to different Dumpsters in hopes that people like us weren’t given a chance to go through it. I also don’t think the plastic cap had been out there very long. Otherwise, the earlier downpour and strong winds would have knocked it to the ground, I suspect.”

“Have you noticed anything similar at the campsite?” I ask. “An inhaler or parts of one? Any meds for respiratory inflammation? Did either of the Mansons have COVID at some point, for example? Might they have developed health problems?”

“By all accounts they were very fit,” Tron says.

CHAPTER 12

THE FOOTPATH WINDS THROUGH underbrush and woods that block out much of the light, and we hear the distant knocking sound again. Like a heavy stick slowly striking a tree, and Tron records the eerie noise with her phone. We stand still for a moment, listening. Silence. Nothing stirring.

“I’m sorry, but that’s just weird as shit,” she says.

“We heard it earlier when we were unloading the helicopter.”

“I heard it too,” she says as we resume walking single file.

I’m noticing more broken branches on either side of the path. They appear to have been made by someone about my height or taller moving foliage out of the way, damaging some of it.

“When did you get here?” I ask.

“I was with Lucy when we started searching for the victims in the helicopter. As it was getting light, I was dropped off with the first group of investigators, and she went back for the others, including Marino.”

“Take me through what had happened from the start,” I reply. “I understand that you and Lucy were alerted at the same time when the cameras indicated an intruder at around threeA.M.”

“That’s correct,” Tron says. “It appeared the Mansons were in imminent danger, and we headed out to our cars, knowing it wasn’t likely we could get there in time.”

Lucy and Tron met at the Doomsday Bird’s hangar and they were taking off within an hour. When they located the campsite, they couldn’t be sure if there were multiple victims.

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