“You’re kidding.” She leaned over to see what Michael had found.

  “Nope, totally serious. He says he can’t go to the ER because he doesn’t have any medical insurance.”

  “He might not have, once he was kicked out of the service. When was it posted?” She answered her own question. “Two days ago. On a site for people looking for answers to questions they have and signed: A Wolf. This was posted shortly after he was shot.”

  “But then someone posted that a doctor would have to take care of his injuries.”

  She showed Michael her laptop. “And someone sent him a link to a YouTube video telling him how to remove an arrow.”

  He glanced at her find and shook his head. “It figures you could find just about any kind of lesson on YouTube.”

  “Right. He changed his story when someone asked who shot him, and he said he was writing a book about his character who was shot in the wilderness by a hunter, and the arrow was embedded in his hip. But the wolf said it was just an accident.”

  Michael shook his head. “That’s our wolf. It’s gotta be.”

  “He asked if a guy was shot in the hip and was bleeding pretty bad and the arrow was still stuck in the guy, how could he remove it safely? Someone left him a link of an archery site that outlines how to deal with a hunting accident—applying pressure, not removing the arrowhead, and stabilizing it. You know, like with tape or something. Which wouldn’t have happened because he was running as a wolf. And then it says it helps if the caregivers, as in the other bow hunters with him, gave a duplicate arrow to the doctor so he knows what he’s dealing with. However, it does say the wounded guy has to seek medical attention.”

  Michael snorted. “With any luck, no one took care of it, but if he did expire, hopefully it won’t be traced back to us.”

  “Right. He has my arrow in him. And my fingerprints if police could get them off the arrow. Okay, so we know that he was alive at least two days ago. For the kind of injury he had, he’d have to see a doctor. And I’m sure he couldn’t have traveled too far away before the pain would hit. He would have to hide his black pickup so no one would find it too.”

  “Yeah.”

  Someone called Carmela, and she looked at her phone. “Got to take this. It’s the insurance adjuster, calling me back for an appointment about my wrecked car.”

  Seven

  Carmela’s insurance adjuster, Desmond Reynolds, a wolf and a longtime friend of hers, arrived on time to take her statement, have her fill out forms, and sign a release for her vehicle for disposal. She was glad the guys had removed everything from her car already. Wait, she had an audiobook in her CD player in the car. They might have missed that. “Michael, would you mind calling Peter and asking if they pulled the disk for Heart of the Wolf out of the player in the car?”

  “Yeah, sure thing.” Michael quickly called Peter while she began filling out the forms.

  She told Desmond what had happened and that it was a hit and run.

  “The police haven’t caught him yet then?” Desmond asked.

  “No, but it was a black pickup truck, and the guy’s name is Raymond Hayworth.” She wrote down his license plate number for the adjuster. “He was a sergeant in the army. A lot of us use the same insurance company. He might also.”

  “I can sure check on that. Okay, so, this was an accident?” Desmond asked.

  “He hit her car on purpose,” Michael said. “I saw the whole thing. He’d torn after her at the service station where she’d just gassed up. I went after them because I was afraid the guy was intent on doing something reckless.”

  The adjuster handed Michael a form to fill out. “If you could, just write your statement on that. I’ll see if I can get hold of Sergeant Hayworth. I’ve already seen the condition of the car, and the mechanic gave me his opinion,” Desmond said.

  “It’s totaled,” Michael said as if the adjuster better not come to any other conclusion.

  The adjuster gave him a small smile. “Yes. It’s totaled.”

  “What’s the bottom line?” Michael asked as if it was his car.

  She loved him for it, but he had no worries from Desmond. He would fully cover the cost of her car.

  “We’ll cover the actual cost of the car, since it’s only a couple of weeks old. Since you paid it off, we’ll make the check out to you, Carmela.” Desmond wrote it out right then and there, and she was surprised and glad.

  Then he shook their hands and left.

  “He’s been my adjuster from the beginning, and he’s been a friend for years. Like a brother. I sure wish we could have gotten Raymond’s address from him if he learned what it was, but I know he couldn’t give it to us,” Carmela said.

  “Yeah, not legally. But I can try to hack into the insurance company’s records and see if I can find his address.”

  “I’ll need to deposit the check in the bank,” she said.

  “Okay, we’ll go together.”

  “And then I need to buy a replacement car.” She was so excited to get a car again. “Did you want to go shopping for a car? If you don’t mind taking me. They don’t have any dealerships in Silver Town though.”

  “Yeah, I’d be glad to. I’ve been feeling a bit cooped up.” Michael got on his laptop.

  “What are you looking for?”

  “Raymond’s address and the best value for your money on a new car.”

  “Oh, super! I’m not really all that great about dickering for the best price.”

  “Yeah, it’s amazing how much money you can get taken off the price if you know something about what the value is to begin with. Are you going to get the same kind of vehicle or something different?”

  “A tank?” She sighed. “I loved my car. I want another one just like it.”

  “All right.” He found some places for them to check out, and she called Darien.

  “We’re going to look at some cars to find a replacement for mine,” Carmela told the pack leader.

  “I’ll call Peter and have someone take you. If you find a vehicle you like, you and Michael can drive it home and whoever your guard is will follow you back,” Darien said.

  “Thanks, Darien.”

  Within the hour, Peter Jorgenson had come to pick them up to take them to go to some of the car dealerships. “We found your Heart of the Wolf disk. It’s in my glove compartment.”

  “Thanks, and sorry for you having to take us to look for cars, Peter,” Carmela said.

  “Are you kidding? I’ve been wanting to look for another vehicle for myself, but I’ve never taken the time to do it. You’re doing me a favor,” Peter said.

  “Good.”

  Michael was still trying to find Raymond’s address on his laptop in Peter’s car.

  “We need to drop by the bank so I can deposit this check,” she said to Peter before they left town.

  “Sure thing.”

  After she deposited the check at the bank, Peter drove them out of town to the first dealership on their list.

  When they reached the place, Peter headed for the body repair shop first. “Come with me.”

  “I thought he said he was looking for a new vehicle to buy,” Carmela said to Michael as they followed him.

  “He’s probably looking to see if Raymond’s truck is here being repaired by chance. It’s a new model truck too.”

  “I am,” Peter said, glancing back at them.

  “Which proves how irrational he was to have run it into my car,” she said, looking at where the new cars were parked that she wanted to check out.

  “I doubt he would have had much damage, not with the heavy-duty front bumper his truck was outfitted with. But someone like that, who had a vendetta in mind, wouldn’t stop at anything to take care of it, it appears.”

  Then they saw Peter leaving the auto body shop, and he shook his head at them, indicating Raymond’s black truck hadn’t been repaired there.

  Peter began looking at pickups, but he was still keeping an eye on them as Carmela looked at different models of the car she wanted. But the one she liked wasn’t in the red color she had her heart set on. She didn’t want to wait for it to be delivered if another dealership had it. Even though Michael had said she could use his Jeep, she needed to have her own car so he could be free to drive his own vehicle whenever he had to.

  They went to two more dealerships, and at the last one, Carmela found just the car she wanted, though she told Michael she wasn’t sure about this one in an attempt to work with Michael to get the guy to come down even more on the price. Between the two of them, they got the lowest price they could get. Which meant she actually had extra money left over after her insurance company had paid for her totaled car. She couldn’t believe how much Michael had saved her money, and she was thrilled and knew for that reason, and a ton of others, he was a keeper.

  Peter came to speak to them in the salesman’s office while the salesman was off getting a contract printed out. Peter was smiling at her, and she thought it was because she’d picked out her new car. Then she thought maybe he had found Raymond’s black pickup. “Don’t tell me Raymond’s truck is here.” She was hoping it was and that Peter could impound it and Raymond wouldn’t be able to go anywhere.

  “No. But he came in to buy a new bumper. The ‘old’ one is damaged with scrapes and dents and is wearing some of your car’s red paint. He also had the truck detailed. The man who serviced it said he’d removed blood from the front seat. Raymond had explained to the guy that he’d been in a hunting accident and one of his friends drove him to a hospital to get the arrow removed. The auto repair guy said he believed it. Either that or he didn’t want to get the police involved. I’m confiscating the bumper for proof of the accident. Best of all, I have his local address.”

  “Good. I could only find the last residence Raymond was living at while he must have been on active duty in San Antonio,” Michael said.

  “I can’t believe he managed to drive over here after being injured like he was. Okay, I’ll finish buying my car, and then we can get out of here,” Carmela said.

  The salesman returned with the contract, and she hurriedly wrote a check and got the keys for the new car.

  They left the showroom to talk more privately in the new car lot while someone removed the stickers off her new car and cleaned the windows.

  “The two of you can’t be involved in arresting him. I’ll call for backup and check his place out. Do you think you can head on home with your new car without getting into any trouble?” Peter asked.

  “We’re here with you now,” Carmela said. “Is his home close by? By the time you get some more men out here, he could be gone.”

  “You were armed with a bow the last time. Neither of you have a gun, right?” Peter asked.

  They shook their heads.

  “You can’t tear into him with wolf teeth if he’s living in a housing development. And neither of you are cops.”

  “Deputize us,” Carmela said.

  “Even if I did, you still don’t have any weapons on you. It would be reckless of me to allow you to help in this case.”

  Carmela let out her breath in exasperation. “I’m sure Michael knows a few combat moves.”

  Peter called his deputy sheriff. “Trevor, get five of our deputized men to this address pronto.” He gave him the address and then turned to Carmela and Michael. “I’m heading over there.”

  “Without backup,” Carmela said.

  Michael smiled at her, but Peter looked exasperated. “Okay, listen, I’m supposed to watch over you too. Come on. You can follow me over there, but don’t get involved.”

  Michael rubbed her back and leaned down and kissed her cheek. “We’ll do that.”

  She didn’t know about Michael, but she was ready to take care of the wolf on her own.

  A car salesman brought her car out for her, leaving the key in the ignition, and thanked her for purchasing it, then headed back into the salesroom.

  Then she sat in the driver’s seat and gripped the steering wheel before she started the engine. She instantly had a flashback about her car being hit from behind with a loud, grinding bang and then her car sailing through the air. She hated that she felt tense and anxious about driving the new car.

  “Do you want me to drive?” Michael asked, sounding sympathetic, standing beside the driver’s door while Peter was watching her too.

  “Sure. Thanks. Did you find a truck you want?” she asked Peter.

  “Not yet. I have to keep thinking on it.”

  “I know what you mean. It took me weeks to decide on my car the first time around.” She got out of the car and climbed into the passenger seat and loved smelling the newness all over again. She couldn’t believe she felt so horribly stressed over driving her new car though.

  “It’s okay,” Michael said as he programmed her Bluetooth for her phone before they drove to Raymond’s house. “That happened to me once. I was in a six-car pile up and broke my leg. I kept feeling like everyone was going to plow into me at a second’s notice the first time I drove my new car. Before the accident, I was driving on a clear day when some maniac barreled past me. He raced up to an eighteen-wheeler, and the truck had to slam on his brakes in front of him. The guy jerked his vehicle in front of the van ahead of me, but he hit the corner of the van’s front fender, spun out of control, and hit the eighteen-wheeler. After that, it was chaos. I slammed on my brakes and headed for the shoulder to avoid hitting the smashed-up vehicles in front of me. The guy behind me had the same notion and crashed into me, knocking me into the van. My car was totaled. After several weeks of driving the new car, I was finally able to let go of the anxiety. It’s been years ago now, but just the same, if I hear tires squealing and someone’s slamming on their brakes, I still brace for impact.”

  “Wow, Michael. Maybe I should have gotten a tank.”

  He smiled. “You’ll be fine. But anytime you want me to drive you anywhere, you just let me know.”

  She appreciated that he wanted to make her feel better about it. She’d never been in a bad accident like that before, so she hadn’t realized she might feel that way. Still, she was thrilled to have her new car and apprehensive about seeing Raymond again.

  “Peter’s right, you know,” Michael said to her. “It was one thing to fight Raymond and his friends off in the woods, but another to do so in a situation like this.”

  “Yeah, but Peter couldn’t go by himself either. He needs backup.”

  “I agree wholeheartedly with you.”

  “Sorry for offering your services when I should have let you make that choice.”

  Peter and another man loaded Raymond’s damaged bumper into the bed of Peter’s pickup truck, then Michael followed Peter out of the parking lot. “I would have reminded Peter I could handle the man with my bare hands, but you were doing a great job of it. You know, we’re going to have to mate. I’ve never met a woman who thinks so much of my combat skills.”

  She chuckled. “Well, you were amazing as a wolf, and I can only imagine what you’d be like without your wolf coat.”

  “Pretty amazing.”

  She chuckled. “Why does it sound like you mean other than your fighting ability?”

  He laughed.

  They finally reached a place near where Raymond’s house was located but far enough down the street that no one could see Peter’s truck as he parked curbside. Michael parked some distance behind him to allow him room to maneuver quickly if he needed to.

  Carmela pulled out her phone while they were waiting and checked on the address to see if Raymond was the only one who lived there. There was no sign of a vehicle, and she suspected Raymond had hidden his pickup in the garage, unless he was driving around.

  “The house isn’t his,” she warned Michael, then she called Peter. “Raymond is living there, but the house belongs to a Denver Peterson.”

  “All right, thanks. I wonder if this Denver character took care of his injury. I showed a picture of Raymond’s driver’s license to the men who dealt with him, and they said it was him.”

  “Did he limp? I would think he’d at least be limping,” Carmela said.

  “I asked, but they said not that they had noticed. I figured it would be noticeable if he was injured badly enough and this soon after the fight,” Peter said.

  “What if it was someone who looked like him? A twin brother? A cousin?”

  Peter let out his breath. “I’ll call Raymond’s dad back. My deputies should be here in about forty minutes,” Peter said and signed off.

  “That would make sense,” Michael said, “if he had a relative aiding and abetting him. I wondered how he’d manage to buy or rent a place if he was out of work.”

  “Unless he’s working and had money saved up from his time in the military.”

  Peter called them back a few minutes later on the Bluetooth. “His dad says he has a cousin by that name, but he didn’t think of him because Denver had never been in any kind of trouble. And guess what? He’s a surgical nurse practitioner.”

  “That would have been helpful to know. I guess my question about the dad turning his son over to us was answered. He was protecting him, probably knowing damn well where Raymond was staying,” Michael said.

  “Raymond could have lied to Denver,” Peter said. “He could have told him just what Denver—if that’s who dropped off Raymond’s truck at the repair shop had said—that he’d been shot by a hunter. That could very easily have happened while he was running as a wolf, but they couldn’t tell anyone that part.”

  “Okay, so that explains the blood in the truck and the arrow in the hip. What about the front bumper where it was scratched and wearing remnants of red paint from an obvious vehicle collision?” Carmela asked.