River of Bones

arrived at nine. Her boss had never been late before last month. Now it was commonplace for Chelsey to wander in at ten or eleven, bleary-eyed and vacant looking. Raven picked up the phone, intent on calling Chelsey, when another noise sent goosebumps down her arms. A scratching sound, like someone dragging fingernails down the window.
She crept into the hallway with her gun on her hip. Stared down the corridor toward the front door where an overgrown branch scraped the siding. She leaned against the wall and clenched her eyes shut. Why was she making herself crazy? Mark Benson and Damian Ramos were behind bars.
In the kitchen, she heated the kettle for a calming tea and pawed through the refrigerator. The three slices of pepperoni pizza were four-days old, and Raven couldn’t stomach junk food this early. Behind the soda cans, she found a mixed berry Greek yogurt. She fell into the chair beside the table and spooned the yogurt into her mouth. Her head ached from lack of sleep. Last night, she tossed and turned while her mother snored down the hallway. Raven would never admit to Darren that she’d slept with a night light since the kidnapping. Though the light splashed illumination across the floor, it cast deformed shadows up the wall, morphing every object in the bedroom into a killer with a knife.
After she rinsed the yogurt cup and tossed it into the recycling bin, Raven padded down the hallway and pushed the bedroom door open. Blackout curtains covered the windows, casting the room in perpetual night. This was where Raven or Chelsey slept if work kept them up too late, or one of them needed rest after a long day. A flower print DelValle comforter draped over the bed. Despite the darkness, the bedroom felt homey to Raven. Her boss was a caring person who went the extra mile to ensure neither Raven nor Chelsey suffered because of the long hours. Last December, Raven had crashed in the bedroom after a winter storm iced the roads. Twelve hours later, she’d opened her eyes to Chelsey arriving for work. She hadn’t recalled sleeping so soundly in years. On rare occasions, Chelsey brought her tabby, Tigger, to roam the halls and curl up on the bed. The office once felt like a second home to Raven. Now it was a reminder of how far she and Chelsey had drifted apart.
She edged the door shut and returned to the office, hurrying when the phone rang. She answered on the fourth ring and was surprised by Scout Mourning’s voice on the other line. Scout had lost her ability to walk after a car accident. The girl and her mother, Naomi, lived on the lake road next door to Thomas Shepherd.
“Hey, Scout. I haven’t talked to you in a while.”
“Hi, Raven. I was wondering if you talked to Mr. Shepherd about tomorrow’s cookout. He’s supposed to host with LeVar at the guest house. But since the news broke about that dead person in the state park, I figured he would cancel the cookout.”
Last month, Thomas and Darren started a new tradition. They gathered their friends for a barbecue once per week, alternating between the state park and the sheriff’s spacious lakeside yard. It was funny how much Raven looked forward to burgers, steaks, and macaroni salad on a summer afternoon.
“It’s still on, as far as I know.”
“My mom is heading to the store this afternoon and wants to bake a pie. But it won’t be as tasty as the ones your mom makes.”
“Thanks, Scout. I’ll tell my mother how much you enjoy her baking. That will make her day. I haven’t spoken to Thomas today. But I’m eating dinner with Ranger Holt after work. He’ll know if the cookout is on.”
“Okay, great.”
A pause.
“Scout, is there something else you wanted to ask?”
“I’ve been talking to LeVar about the bones the sheriff found. Since LeVar is enrolling in a criminal justice course at the community college this fall, he wants me to show him how I catch criminals on the internet.”
Raven covered her mouth to keep from laughing. She couldn’t picture her eighteen-year-old brother, four months removed from running the streets with the Harmon Kings, playing Scooby Doo with the wheelchair-bound girl next door. Raven gave Scout her due. The teenager belonged to an amateur sleuthing website called Virtual Searchers, and her research helped catch Jeremy Hyde in April. The girl had a future in law enforcement, possibly as an FBI profiler.
“You know Sheriff Shepherd doesn’t approve of you researching murder cases without your mother’s permission.”
“I understand. That’s why I’m calling. I figure LeVar and I can share our research, and if you think it’s worthwhile, you can bring it to the sheriff’s department.”
Raven tapped her nails against the desk. They were pearl-blue this month, the color of fairytale moonlight.
“Tell you what. Talk to your mother and get permission first. Then we’ll discuss combining forces on this investigation of yours.”
“Okay.”
“Promise me you won’t do anything before you talk to your mother.”
“I promise.”
“All right, Scout. After I speak with Darren, we’ll let you know about the cookout.”
She wondered what she’d gotten herself into. Collaborating with Scout and LeVar? As humorous as it sounded, it would be a welcome change from the daily stress of investigative work and dealing with Chelsey.
Which reminded her.
Before she talked herself out of it, Raven picked up the phone and dialed Chelsey’s number. Raven convinced herself her boss wouldn’t answer. As she lowered the phone, Chelsey’s groggy voice came through the speaker.
“Chelsey, is everything all right? It’s after ten.”
Chelsey mumbled something indecipherable. It sounded like she was still asleep.
“Hey, Chelsey. Do you need me to come get you?”
“No…no…I’m just a little sick this morning. I hate to do this to you, but you’ll have to run the office today.”
Sick again. This was the third time this month her best friend blew off work.
“I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t, it’s nothing. Whatever it is, I’ll get over it.”
“Do you have a cold