“Well, I haven’t lost my lunch yet,” she mumbled. She looked up. “Do you know who he is?”

  It had been about forty-five minutes since she found the body, and the sheriff had called in back-up in the form of her two deputies and the county forensics team. Across the field, the experts were still examining the remains and the surrounding area. She and Atlas had found several more teeth scattered around the body before he started alerting on teeth he had already found and Sheriff Larson told her she could call it a day.

  She was currently waiting for her stomach to settle before she drove home. She felt like a failure, even though she knew she shouldn’t. She and Atlas had found what they were supposed to find, after all. No, she felt like a failure because a part of her wished she hadn’t found anything at all. She had known what she was signing up for when she agreed to train Atlas as a cadaver dog, but the reality was more difficult than she could have dreamed. Not for the first time, she wondered if she had made a horrible mistake.

  “We haven’t found any ID,” the sheriff said. Her weathered face held a kind expression. “Listen, this isn’t standard since you aren’t related to the deceased, but if you give the department a call in the morning, I’ll let you know if we’ve made any progress.”

  “Thank you,” Eve said. “I just… I feel so bad for him. I can’t stop thinking about what his last moments must have been like. What a horrible way to die.”

  “If it’s any consolation, I just heard from our forensics expert that he doesn’t believe trauma from the fire was the cause of death. There is evidence of cranial trauma—a blow to the head is likely what killed him, and it would have been quick.”

  “That’s something, at least,” she said. It was good that he hadn’t suffered, but he was still dead. “Are you going to update the person who called this in? I’m sure they’re invested in all of this too. I can’t even imagine stumbling across a burning body in the early hours of the morning like they did.”

  Sheriff Larson nodded. “I know the caller personally. Jordan Green. He’s … a well-known figure at the sheriff’s department. I’ll let him know his tip panned out. I hate to think how long it might have been before anyone found the victim if he hadn’t seen the fire and made the call. Thanks to him—and you of course, Eve—we’ve got a real chance of getting the evidence we’re going to need to solve this case quickly. Now, I know you didn’t ask for my advice, and I’m sure Jan has already given you some of her own, but it’s normal to be upset after something like this. You should go spend some time with your friends and remind yourself of all the good in the world.”

  Eve thanked her, and a few minutes later, felt well enough to say goodbye to Jan and load Atlas into her station wagon. He was having a grand old time; everyone was treating him like a hero, and it was clear he knew he had done his job well. After starting her car and turning the heat on, she checked her cell phone. There were a few missed text messages from Tiana checking in and keeping her updated about Levi’s drive home.

  Levi was delayed, which I was pretty sure he would be, her most recent message said. He probably won’t be home until around midnight, so I’m going to wait up for him. Want to join me? I’ve got chips, salsa, and just switched to a new streaming service for the month so we’ve got plenty of new shows to see.

  All Eve really wanted to do was go home, take a bath, and watch something mindless and dumb on the television by herself, but the sheriff’s advice stuck with her, so before she could second-guess herself, she typed out a reply.

  I’m heading home now. I’m going to drop Atlas off, feed the dogs, and get changed, but I’ll come over after that.

  Tiana was practically bursting with questions when Eve arrived at her apartment, but as soon as she said she just wanted to relax and not think about it, Tiana switched gears and did her best to cheer her up as they settled down on the couch to watch whatever new sitcom caught their attention.

  When Levi arrived just after midnight, Eve decided to make herself scarce and head home. Before she could get out the door, Tiana said, “The three of us, the Granite Mug, ten o’clock tomorrow? My treat. I want to know why you’re so upset, Eve, and I know bribing you with coffee is the best way to get you to talk.”

  Despite everything, Eve chuckled. “Sure, I’ll be there.”

  “Make it eleven,” Levi called from where he was unpacking his things in the bedroom. “I haven’t slept in a real bed in weeks, and there’s no way I’m dragging myself out of the apartment before ten thirty tomorrow.”

  The arrangements made, Eve went home, where she got into her own bed with Willow curled up by her feet and Atlas sprawled across the floor, snoring. Sheriff Larson’s advice had been good; she felt better already. Spending time with Tiana laughing and chatting and forgetting about the dark side of humanity for a while had done something to ease her soul.

  She thought she would be ready to talk about it tomorrow. Maybe she should invite Aidan and Alice too. Alice had been there when she had to leave suddenly to take Atlas on the search, so she was sure to be curious, and she didn’t want Aidan to be the only one left out.

  But she could figure all of that out in the morning. She was exhausted, and as she closed her eyes, her only hope was that she would get restful sleep.

  In the morning, she texted Alice and Aidan to invite them to meet at the Granite Mug at eleven. After that, she spent a lazy morning hanging around her house with the dogs. They played fetch in the backyard, then she sat on the patio and brushed both of them thoroughly, throwing the fluffy bundles of fur away in the garbage so the wind didn’t blow them across the street to her neighbor’s property.

  Just before eleven, she headed into town. When she arrived at the Granite Mug, she spotted Tiana’s vehicle in the parking lot. She and Levi were already inside at a table, and Eve waved to them as she got in line. The barista, a girl named Chloe who worked there almost every morning, seemed to be behind on the orders. It took longer than usual for the line to move, and by the time she reached the counter, it was clear that Chloe was struggling.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said as Eve glanced at the blackboard to see what the daily special was. “We still have yesterday’s special up, and we ran out of the boysenberry syrup. You’ll have to order something from the regular menu.”

  Eve was enough of a regular that Chloe knew her usual order was whatever was on the blackboard, so the warning was a welcome one.

  “That’s fine,” she said. “I’ll just take a vanilla latte, and there’s no rush. I’m meeting some friends, and I’ll be drinking it here.”

  “Got it,” Chloe said.

  She typed the order in, but before she could give Eve her total, the door behind the counter that led to a cramped kitchen Eve had only ever seen glimpses of opened and a woman she had never seen before came out. She was middle-aged, with grey-streaked auburn hair drawn back into a tight bun. The name tag on her shirt read Madison.

  “Chloe, you forgot to take the sourdough out of the fridge to rise,” she said in a sharp tone. “I asked you to do it first thing this morning, and now it’s not going to have enough time to rise before I need to put it in the oven. You need to get your head in the game.”

  “Sorry, Mom,” Chloe said over her shoulder. “I won’t forget again.”

  Feeling bad for the younger woman, Eve left her a sizable tip when she finally paid, before hurrying over to join Tiana and Levi at their table.

  “The poor girl’s been running ragged ever since we got here,” Tiana said in a lowered voice. “It’s no wonder, of course. I hardly ever see her mother in here. It’s got to be stressful working with her hovering over your shoulder.”

  “That’s got to be tough,” Eve said. “Does she mostly work the afternoon shifts? I haven’t seen her before.”

  “Her mother owns the place,” Tiana clarified. “She used to be more hands-on, but she started letting Chloe run the shop mostly on her own a couple years ago. She only comes in a few times a month now.”

  “I’ve only lived here since the middle of summer,” Eve reminded her. “I guess I’ve still got a lot to learn about the town.”

  Aidan and Alice entered the little coffee shop and waved to the others before getting into line. Once they ordered, Aidan snagged a chair from an empty table so the five of them could sit together, then he and Alice sat down. They chatted for a few minutes until their drinks were ready, then Tiana got right to the point.

  “Well, that’s enough chitchat. Eve, what exactly happened yesterday? How did Atlas do? Tell me everything.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  “I’ll call the sheriff’s department to check in in a little bit, but for now, that’s it,” she said as she tied up her story. “I have no idea who the victim is, and as far as I know, there’s no suspect either. It was an upsetting day, which is why I just wanted to relax last night, Tiana.”

  “You don’t need to explain yourself,” her friend said. “That sounds horrible. I’m glad Atlas did so well, though. You must be proud of him.”

  “I am,” Eve said, her lips curving into a small smile as she drained the last of her now-lukewarm latte. “He did an amazing job.”

  As if to emphasize her words, her stomach growled. Her friends all looked at her, and she shrank down into her chair a little, embarrassed. She hadn’t eaten breakfast this morning, since she suspected they would end up getting lunch together, but now she was wishing she’d at the very least microwaved a frozen waffle.

  “Are you guys hungry?” Aidan asked. “I haven’t eaten yet, and I know Alice had breakfast, but that was hours ago. She’s a weirdo who gets up at seven, even on weekends.”

  Alice rolled her eyes at her brother, but said, “I could go for lunch too.”

  After a brief discussion, they decided to leave the coffee shop and go to Superior Slices, the local combination deli and sandwich shop, for lunch. The Granite Mug served sandwiches for lunch too, but it was already busy, and Chloe still seemed to be struggling. None of them wanted to put any more on her plate than she already had with her mother coming out to hound her every few minutes.

  The sandwich shop was only a few blocks away. After a moment’s indecision, Eve decided to walk the distance instead of drive, and the others joined her. It was another chilly, windy day, though thankfully it wasn’t as bad as yesterday had been, and the walk was brief enough that the chill didn’t have time to sink into her bones.

  Superior Slices was right across the street from the dental clinic, and as they passed by, Eve paused to look at the shattered front door. Someone had duct taped a piece of cardboard over it, and the effect gave the clinic a sad, abandoned look.

  “That’s so creepy about the teeth you found by the body,” Tiana said as she pulled the door to the sandwich shop open. “You really think they came from the clinic?”

  “I don’t see where else they could’ve come from. It would be too big of a coincidence otherwise, don’t you think?”

  They paused their discussion long enough to order at the counter. The owner, a soft-spoken man in his sixties named Patrick Edwards, seemed distracted as he scribbled down what they wanted, and Eve had to repeat her request for extra avocado on her turkey, bacon, and gruyere sandwich twice.

  When she got the sandwich a few minutes later, it had precisely zero avocado slices. She debated going up to ask for them on the side. She didn’t want to cause trouble, but when she saw the up charge on her receipt, she decided to do it anyway. She wasn’t upset that he had forgotten, but she did want to get what she had paid for.

  She excused herself from the table and carried her sandwich up to the counter. It smelled and looked delicious, despite the missing avocado slices, and she made sure she was extra polite when she got Patrick’s attention.

  “Yes?” he said as he came over to the counter.

  “I was just wondering if I could get some avocado slices on the side? It’s not a big deal, but I had ordered them—”

  “You ordered avocado on the sandwich, right,” he said, cutting her off in an unusually brusque manner. “My apologies. I’m all over the place today. I’ll give you extra to make up for the inconvenience.”

  “You don’t have to do that, just whatever would normally have gone on the sandwich,” she said. “I feel bad bothering you about it at all. I hope everything’s all right.”

  “It’s kind of you to ask,” he said as he set a fresh avocado on a wooden cutting board and cut it in half, leaving the side with the pit untouched as he scooped the flesh out from the other half. “I’ve spent all morning messing up orders, and you’re the first person who’s thought to wonder how I’m doing. The truth is, I’m worried about my son. He was supposed to come over for dinner last night, but he never showed up. He hasn’t been answering his phone this morning, either. I want to go over to his apartment and check on him, but I don’t have anyone to cover for me here. I’m sure he’s all right, but I’m a parent. I’m going to worry.”

  Eve’s stomach turned sour. She was on the verge of asking him what his son looked like when she bit her tongue. An image of the burned body flashed across her mind. She wouldn’t be able to identify him by his looks anyway, and there was no need to worry the older man, not yet.

  Shaken, she thanked him for the avocado and returned to the table. A part of her wondered if she was jumping to conclusions, but with an unidentified body and a missing man, the solution seemed like it was staring her in the face.

  “Is everything all right?” Alice asked as she rejoined them. “You look upset. Did he make you pay for the avocado twice?”

  “No, nothing like that,” Eve said. She glanced at her sandwich, which had once looked so delicious. The horrible feeling that had taken up residence in the pit of her stomach meant that she didn’t feel so hungry anymore. “Can you guys keep an eye on my food? I need to step outside and make a call.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Eve called the sheriff’s department and was patched through to Sheriff Larson when she asked. Well, it took a couple of tries since the ancient woman who worked at the desk couldn’t understand what she was asking at first, but it didn’t take her very long to reach the sheriff regardless. Full of trepidation, she asked if they had managed to identify the body yet.

  “Not yet. The forensics team is going to need to run his dental records. We don’t have any missing people reported locally, and there isn’t a faster way to identify a body that’s been burned that badly.”

  Eve took a deep breath. “About that… I think we do have a missing person, only he hasn’t been reported yet.”

  She told Sheriff Larson what Patrick said about his son, and promised she wouldn’t say a word to him herself. Trying to act normal, she went back inside and picked at her sandwich until she spotted Deputy Hubble pull up outside of Superior Slices. She stared at his squad vehicle with dread. She didn’t want to witness this. Telling herself she just wanted to give Patrick privacy while the deputy questioned him about his son, but well aware that it was mostly simple cowardice on her part, she managed to convince her friends to leave with her before Deputy Hubble came inside.

  They walked back to the coffee shop together, since they had all left their vehicles there. As they walked, she explained why she had wanted to leave so quickly. Aidan glanced over his shoulder at the sandwich shop, his face pale, and Tiana gave her a wide-eyed look.

  “Poor Patrick. I really hope the body you found wasn’t his son.”

  “So do I,” Eve murmured, but her gut told her they weren’t going to get their wishes today.

  Tiana and Levi invited her to come over to Tiana’s apartment, but she knew Levi had only just gotten home and didn’t want to get in their way. Aidan invited her over to Alice’s house to help him look at rental offerings online—and Alice chimed in suggesting that they could go for a ride with Sophia later—but even though she appreciated the gesture, she turned them both down. It went directly against Sheriff Larson’s advice, but she wanted to be alone right now. Realizing that the victim might have been related to someone she knew, no matter that Patrick was barely an acquaintance and probably didn’t even know her name, made everything that much worse.

  Her fears were confirmed when Sheriff Larson called a few minutes after she got home. The sheriff thanked her for the tip before saying, “We’ve managed to confirm that the victim was indeed Ryan Edwards. Twenty-four years old, missing less than a day, and he turned up dead and burned in a field. What is this town coming to?” She sighed. “Eve, I want you to take care of yourself, you hear? You’ve done more than enough to help with this case. Try to get some distance from it. I appreciate having you and your dogs in our town, and I don’t want to see you get burned out.”

  Eve knew the sheriff’s concerns were valid. As things stood, she didn’t think she had it in her to go out on another search with Atlas if she got a call from Jan right this second. She needed to figure out how to take care of herself if she was going to keep doing this.

  But distancing herself from the case was easier said than done. She tried; she spent a few hours that afternoon cleaning her house and car, she finished doing the week’s laundry, and paid her bills. But always at the back of her mind was the haunting concern that she was missing something important.

  There had to be a reason someone had gone to the trouble of stealing teeth, of all things, from the dental clinic only to spread them at the scene of a murder. She thought briefly of the retreat Aidan worked for—Tiana had called it a cult, but Eve thought if there was any truth to that statement, it was more the essential-oil-sales type of cult, not the ritual-sacrifice kind.

  Despite her best efforts, she spent the rest of the weekend trying to piece things together. She researched everything from the significance of teeth in various cultures to looking up reports of similar crimes in case there was some sort of serial killer copycat in Granite. Nothing seemed to fit, and when Dr. Amelia Clark called at eight Monday morning to let her know the clinic was going to be open as usual, she was glad for the distraction work would provide.