Janet’s cell phone buzzed. She lay on her bed, eyes closed, listening to the music running through her head. It never went away, but not all of it was worthy of her concentration.
Beside her, Ginny lightly snored. Ginny and Janet had been having sleepovers since they were five, and although they still shared the same bed, there had never been anything erotic between them. Ginny liked boys, and Janet liked music, or at least she hadn’t yet met a boy she liked as much as, let alone more than, music. Still, people talked about the two girls, even if for the most part they didn’t judge. Luckily, neither girl cared.
Janet picked the phone up from her nightstand. It vibrated in her hand. “Hello?” she said softly.
“Janet, this is Mandalay. I need a favor.”
She sat up straight. “Hi.”
“Hi. Can you take me somewhere?”
Janet looked at Ginny, who continued to sleep. She crossed to the closet, stepped inside, and closed the door. “I beg your pardon?”
“I need a ride somewhere, and you have a license.”
“Oh! I mean … sure. Where do you want to go?”
“Out to see Miss Azure.”
“When?”
“Now.”
Janet glanced at the clock. It was just before midnight. “Okay. I mean … I guess.”
“Good. I’ll expect you in a few minutes.”
She hung up, and Janet stared at the phone. She quickly added the number as a contact. Then she quietly pulled on her pants and ran a brush through her hair.
She started to wake Ginny—it was often easier to include her than to spend the time explaining things later—but Mandalay hadn’t mentioned her. And Ginny showed no sign of waking.
Why the hell did Mandalay need a chauffeur? If anyone could ride the night winds, it was one of the Tufa leaders. And Azure’s cabin was neither hard to find nor dangerous to visit.
But it wasn’t the kind of summons Janet could turn down. And with her insatiable curiosity, she wouldn’t have even if she could.
* * *
“Well, that was a surprise,” Bliss Overbay said breathlessly.
“A pleasant one, I hope,” Jack Cates said. He looked down at the way her hair spread over the pillow, and bent to kiss her. It started as a simple touch of lips, but then her arms slid around his neck, as tightly as her legs around his waist, and in moments, they kissed as passionately as they had earlier. They were naked beneath a scratchy blanket on a cot at the fire station, and what had just transpired between them would have seemed unlikely, if not impossible, mere hours earlier.
When it broke, she said, “They say a kiss steals a minute off your life.”
“It seems like a fair trade.”
“You’re a good half hour closer to the grave, if I’m counting right.”
“What about you?”
She nipped at his chin. “Luckily, time doesn’t work the same for everybody.”
They both laughed, the kind of intimate, exhausted laugh that comes after realizing just how compatible you are. Jack tried to slide off her, but she tightened her legs and kept him in position. He didn’t struggle.
“Are you sure,” he said after another kiss, “that this is a good idea?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? You’re not married, I’m not married. We don’t work together—”
“But that’s how we met.”
“Okay, we work near each other. And we don’t have families that are feuding. So why not?” She ran her hand through his hair. “Why the hell not?”
He laughed. “I just can’t believe I’m this lucky.”
“Maybe I feel the same way,” she said, and kissed him again.
He truly couldn’t believe it. In her work clothes, Bliss had looked lean and angular, like so many mountain women. But naked, she’d proved to be exactly the kind of woman he’d always fantasized about. He kept expecting to wake up back home, but no, this had really happened.
He and Dolph had spent the day looking for more signs of the killer hog, to no avail. It was as if the beast had simply vanished or, worse, moved on to another area, and more unsuspecting people. Disheartened, he’d dropped his friend at his truck, then called Bliss to take her up on her offer to shower at the fire station.
She met him there after Kera Rogers’s memorial service, showed him the shower, and then surprised him mightily by slipping into the water with him. He started to protest, but she gave him no opportunity.
After their first kiss, she held up his right hand. “Do this,” she said, and made a particular gesture with her own fingers.
He repeated it, then said, “Why?”
“Always pay the insurance,” she replied, and pulled him into another kiss.
When the hot water ran out, they scurried together under the blanket on the cot, where they’d gotten to know each other even more.
Now he looked down at her in wonder. “Tell me now if this is a onetime thing.”
“Do you want it to be?”
“A question with a question. That’s your standard response, is it?”
She smiled. He’d never seen anything so beautiful. Her face was free of makeup, her skin flushed, her lips swollen ever so slightly. “No, I’m just teasing. It can be a onetime thing if that’s what you need. But I’d like it not to be.”
He kissed her neck. “I would, too.”
He thought back to recent events. The day after Adam Procure’s death, he’d accompanied Bliss and the inscrutable Trooper Darwin up to the site of the second killing in Half Pea Valley, where Dolph stood watch over the remains. Darwin took his time examining the site, something Jack ordinarily would have respected. But he seemed to be putting on an act for Jack and Dolph’s benefit.
“Any questions about anything?” Jack had finally asked.
“Hm? No, I figure I got all I need. I’ll need statements from everyone who was here—you two, Bronwyn, and the other guy, the one who was hunting with you. But I don’t think there’s any hurry for that.”
“No hurry?” Jack said. “Two people have died.”
“And the paperwork won’t bring ’em back. You got the word out about how dangerous this critter is, right? And I’ll sure keep repeating it. That’s really all we can do until somebody finally kills it.”
“You with the Criminal Investigation Division, then?”
“Not so’s you could tell it.”
“But you’re out of District Five in Fall Creek?”
“You bet. Troop E.”
“Who’s your superior?” Jack asked suddenly.
“Corporal Tom Hancock,” Darwin replied without missing a beat. “Junior, not senior. Senior retired last year. You know him?”
“Yeah,” Jack said. “I might give him a call.”
“You do that. Tell him I said howdy.”
“You think he’ll approve of you handling a murder investigation all by yourself?”
Darwin laughed. “This ain’t murder. This is an accident. And I do those by myself all the time.”
“Really?”
“Here in Cloud County … really.”
And that had been that. The whole area was photographed. The one bit of human remains they’d found was bagged and tagged. These, along with the statements, would fill all the crucial spaces in the official files, and unless someone was driven to look into why all these pieces of evidence were collected by the same guy, it would never even be noticed. The right song, sung in the right way, would effectively hide them in plain sight.
The bodies of the dead pigs were left for coyotes, other scavengers, and their own kind to dispose of. On the long hike back to the Rogers farm, Darwin said nothing, and in fact appeared almost jauntily preoccupied. Dolph and Jack exchanged looks of disbelief. Bliss brought up the rear, silent and inscrutable.
When they reached their vehicles, Bliss said, “I’m going to see about the Rogerses. They’ll be having the funeral day after tomorrow.”
“Give them my best,” Darwin said before he climbed into his Ford Explorer with blue lights on top.
So Jack and Dolph had once again hunted without success. And this time, since Dolph brought his own ride, Jack had called Bliss to take her up on the shower offer. And now here they were.
He propped up on one elbow and looked down at her. Her black hair was spread around her, and he was fascinated by the snake tattoo on her arm. It curled around her biceps and up onto her shoulder, where acorns fell from its mouth down onto her breast. He traced the path lightly with his finger, and leaned down to kiss the lowest acorn. “What’s the significance of this?”
“It’s personal.”
“I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just … it would be difficult to explain. Maybe, if this develops into something, then I can tell you.”
“I don’t have a lot of free time for dating,” he said honestly.
“Neither do I.”
“It might end up being a whole relationship of things like this, where we just find out we’ve got a moment and grab it. Hard to plan around that kind of thing.”
“What makes you think I need to plan?”
He kissed her, and she ran her fingertips along his stubbly chin. He’d heard stories about men who trifled with Tufa girls to their peril, but at the moment, any such worries were far from his mind.
“We’re bound to cross paths professionally, too,” he said. “Would that be a problem for you?”
“No.”
He grinned again, and somehow all the anger and frustration, for this moment at least, dissolved away. “Well, then, Bliss Overbay … do you want to go steady?”
“I believe I do, Jack Cates. I believe I do.”
* * *
Janet glanced at Mandalay in the passenger seat. The younger girl wore a UT Vols hoodie and blue jeans. She had one foot propped up on the dashboard.
“So,” Janet asked, “what are we doing?”
“We’re driving down Max Welton Road.”
“Ha. No, seriously. Why didn’t you just—” She made a fluttering motion with her hand, then finished, “—out to Azure’s place?”
“Because I wanted to talk to you as well.”
“Me?”
“Janet, you may not believe it, but in a lot of ways, you’re more important to the Tufa than I am.”
Janet snorted. “You’re right, I don’t believe that.”
“You’re the one who’s going to leave here someday and take the Tufa into the world.”
“People don’t leave, Mandalay. Look at Rockhouse Hicks, or Bronwyn Hyatt. Sure, they left. But then the night winds blew ’em right back. And what about Rayford Parrish? He didn’t even get the chance to come back.”
“That was then. This is now. Things change.”
“Not for the Tufa.”
“Even for us,” Mandalay said with a heaviness that made them both ride silently for a while. Then she asked, “You have a boyfriend, Janet?”
“Not currently.”
“You’re not dating Amos Collins?”
Janet snort-laughed. “Good Lord, no. Who says I am?”
“Just heard it around school.”
“He has a crush on me, but I promise you, it ain’t mutual. I mean, he once failed a spelling test because he spelled ‘farm’ E-I-E-I-O.”
Mandalay laughed. “I see what you mean.” Then, more seriously, she said, “I have a boyfriend.”
“I know, I met him.”
“You could tell?”
“Well, I mean … like you, I heard about it around school. People tend to notice things about you, you being so important and all.”
“You ever had a boyfriend?”
“Sure. But they didn’t appreciate that I spent so much time playing music. You’d think a Tufa would understand that, but nope. They just wanted to make out and stuff.”
“And you didn’t like that?”
“Oh, sure, I liked it. I mean, who doesn’t? But if I have to choose between dick and guitar, then—” She caught herself. She’d relaxed so much, she’d forgotten whom she was talking to. She quickly made the hand sign for respect. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to speak out of line.”
Mandalay smiled at her discomfort. “Relax. I brought it up, remember?”
They rode in silence some more. At last Janet said, “You still haven’t explained why we’re going where we’re going.”
“Miss Azure is in touch with some things I’m not. I want to ask her about them.”
“Does this have anything to do with Kera and Adam?”
“It does.”
“What about them?”
But Mandalay said nothing else. She remained silent until they pulled up the rutted gravel drive and parked behind Azure’s ancient Jeep. The little cottage’s lights were on, and smoke rose from the chimney.
As they got out of the car, Azure opened the door and stood silhouetted by the light from inside. “Must be important to come visiting this late.”
“It is,” Mandalay said with a hand gesture of respect.
Azure responded in kind. “Then come on in. It gets cold out here this time of year. Who’s with you?”
“Janet Harper, ma’am,” Janet said, and made a similar gesture. Azure simply nodded, though, and did not return it.
The little cabin was warm and cozy. Azure went to the stove and poured them tea that was already brewed. As she handed them cups, she said, “I assume this has to do with those poor unfortunates who died.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Mandalay said. Although in the Tufa world, Mandalay had authority over Azure, she was also sensible enough to know she’d get more flies with honey than with vinegar. So she remained deferential.
“Terrible thing, just terrible.”
“I’m wondering about the animal that did it.”
“What about it?”
“Well, first of all … were they really killed by an animal?”
“Yes,” Azure said with no hesitation.
Mandalay waited until Azure had returned the teapot to the stove so she could look the other woman in the eye. Grimly she asked, “And is there anything about this animal that I should know, and don’t?”
Azure considered the question. “You want to know if it’s real, or a haint?”
“Or a manifestation of something else.”
“Like what?”
“If I knew, I wouldn’t need your help.”
Azure visibly puffed up at this. Nothing like having your leader needing your counsel, Janet thought as she watched. Azure said, “If you’ve got time, then, let’s ask the leaves.”
“I’ve got time,” Mandalay assured her.
Azure again looked at Janet. “And what purpose do you serve?”
“She’s here because I asked her,” Mandalay said before Janet could reply.
“And why would you do that?”
Mandalay spoke with the voice of her authority, no louder than before but with an intensity that vibrated the air. “Because I wanted her here.”
Azure stepped back and lowered her eyes. She made a contrite hand gesture to the girl. “My apologies. Finish your tea and let’s take a look.”
They sat silently, the only sound the muted sipping of tea. Janet was the first one finished.
“Give me your cup,” Azure said.
“Me?” Janet said in surprise. “Why?”
“Because you’re the first one done. Come on.”
Janet handed over her cup, but looked at Mandalay for some support or context. The younger girl just shrugged.
Azure put on her glasses and studied the tea leaves. After a long silence, during which the only noise was the distant hoot of an owl and the crackling of fire in the cast-iron stove, she said, “Your monster resides in Half Pea Hollow.”
“That makes sense,” Mandalay said. “It’s just over the ridge from Dunwoody Mountain.”
“They say pigs can see the wind,” Azure went on. “Did you know that?”
“I’d heard it,” Mandalay said.
“I wonder what they see when the night winds blow,” Azure mused.
“Is it real?” Mandalay asked.
“You mean a real animal?”
“Yes.”
She looked back into the tea leaves. “Mostly.”
“How can something be ‘mostly’ real?” Janet asked, then slapped her hand over her mouth. “Sorry.”
“No worries,” Mandalay reassured her. “That was my next question, too.”
“When things are born, they come into this world all of a piece, all connected and joined up,” Azure said. “But sometimes, things kind of … leak over. Or drain. Or are called. So they join this world piece by piece, moment by moment.”
“So it’s not a haint,” Mandalay said.
“No, it’s not the spirit or trace of something once dead. It’s a whole different thing.”
“Who would’ve called it?” Janet asked softly.
Azure shrugged. “Someone with a need for it.”
Mandalay and Janet exchanged a look. “Somebody who needed a giant killer pig?” Janet said.
“The way some men need a gun, or some women their cell phones,” Azure said.
“That’s a little offensive,” Mandalay said with a tiny smile.
“Or,” Azure said as she leaned back from the cup, “it was called up by its brethren.”
It took a moment for that to register. “What, the other pigs?” Janet said.
“Pigs aren’t stupid,” Azure said. “They’re smart enough to get by just eating and rolling in the mud. Not many people can manage that.”
“Yeah, but still,” Janet said. “Calling up their own…” She trailed off, unsure of the word to use.
“God?” Mandalay finished for her.
“They say everything creates God in its own image,” Azure said. “If you want to know more about that, though, you’ll have to drive over and ask Bronwyn’s husband, the minister.”
“No, that’s all I need to know,” Mandalay said. She made a quick but elaborate gesture. “Thank you.”
“There’s one other possibility,” Azure said. “That maybe it just happened. Maybe it’s just one of those things.”
Mandalay thought this over, then nodded. “I’ll think on it. You ready, Janet?”
Janet stood, almost knocking the chair over. “You bet. Thanks, Miss Azure.”
In the car on the way back to town, Janet asked, “So, seriously, Mandalay: Why was I there?”
“This may sound strange to you, Janet,” the girl said, “but I value your cynicism.”
“I’m a cynic?”
“You are. You question everything, especially motives. You always assume the basest reasons for people doing things. I’m not saying you’re always right, but a lot of times I’m too sympathetic for my own good, and I tend to give folks the benefit of the doubt. So it’s nice to have the other side of the argument sitting right next to me.”
“Thanks,” Janet said dubiously. “So what happens now?”
“We leave things to the professionals. Let that wildlife guy and his people deal with it.”
“Do you really think the other pigs conjured it up?”
“Maybe. Or maybe someone else did, to use it for their own ends.”
“Who would want to do that?”
“You’re the cynic, you tell me.”
“No one’s really benefited from it.” She paused, and her eyes opened wide with realization. “No, wait: no one’s really acted like they’ve benefited from it.”
In the dark, Mandalay smiled.
“Duncan Gowen,” she said with a gasp of insight. “If his girlfriend and Adam Procure were sneaking around…”
“Which they were,” Mandalay said.
Janet shook her head. “I’m not sure he’s that good an actor.”
“Maybe he didn’t do it on purpose.”
Janet snorted. “And I’m definitely not sure he’s that good a Tufa.”
“He probably has as much Tufa blood as you. He just doesn’t express it.” After a long silence, she said, “This is all just conjecture, anyway. We need something concrete to tell us what’s going on.”
“Like what?”
Mandalay looked out at the night. “Like a bone song,” she muttered, but didn’t explain. And after all the evening’s weirdness, for once Janet Harper didn’t ask any more questions.
* * *
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Ginny asked. “What’s wrong now?”
Janet stood at the window in her T-shirt and underwear, staring out at the cold darkness. Ginny sat up and repeated her question. She’d just gotten back to sleep after Janet returned home and told her what happened, and was a little annoyed at being awakened again.
“Why would Mandalay Harris invite me to drive her to see old Miss Azure, Ginny?”
“She told you why,” Ginny said, and yawned. “You’re important.”
“She told me something. But I’m not sure I believe it.”
“Oh, come on, Janet. You’ve heard that shit your whole life.” In a singsong mockery of an adult voice, she said, “Law, that Harper girl, she’s done gone and got the magic, don’t she? I ain’t never heard nothing like it.’”
Janet couldn’t help but smile. “It wasn’t like that, though. I mean, I didn’t do anything, I just carried her back and forth.”
“Why don’t you ask her, then?”
“Because it’s three A.M.”
“Oh, so you’ll wake me up, but not her?”
Janet sat back down on the bed. “I didn’t mean to wake you up, dumb-ass. You sleep so lightly, a moth can flap once and wake you up.”
“You don’t mind that when we’re camping and a bear comes around.”
Janet playfully yanked her hair, and they both laughed with practiced quiet. Then they stretched out beside each other again.
“I wonder why,” Janet asked, “no one’s been able to kill that pig yet?”
“Maybe it’s not of this earth,” Ginny said through a yawn.
Janet nodded her agreement on the pillow. “That’s exactly what Miss Azure told us.” But Ginny was already asleep again.