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“How are you, Hazel?” Calloway asked.

I’d been getting that question a lot over the past few days. “I’m going to be okay.” I lifted my slung arm away from my body a little and wiggled my fingers. “I can work and drive again, so I’m in a better mood.”

“You probably shouldn’t drive.”

I nodded. I was going to drive, but I wasn’t going to argue with him. “I’m feeling better.”

“Good.” Calloway sighed. “George Clark is going to live.”

Tears welled in my eyes. I should have wished him dead, considering what he’d done to me, but I didn’t. Instead, I wished for more answers, and some way to make amends to him for what my father had done, though I knew that last part would be impossible, particularly since we still didn’t know what happened to Wilmot Dylan. I believed what George had told me, but I sure would have loved to hear my father’s side of the story.

Calloway continued, “He has lots of healing ahead, but he’ll be okay. He’ll stand trial and go to prison for life. He confirmed that the second set of bones belonged to Johnny. We can’t find any dental records, but we could do DNA if we wanted to. We are confident that we have appropriate identification.”

I swallowed and blinked away a swell of mixed-up emotions. “What else is he saying?”

Calloway wrapped his hands around his mug. “George moved away after Johnny was killed. For a long time, he barely got by, but when a professor at the university in Colorado found him passed out in some alley, George got some help. At least a roof over his head and food. The professor was the real Graham Kucero. When Kucero told George about his forensic specialties, George went to work for him and learned all he could. Kucero retired a few years back.”

I remembered what George had said to me. I’d been some sort of inspiration to him. “He was educated a little like me.”

“Well, an unconventional path, that’s for sure.”

“How long had he been planning this?”

“A long time, but he tracked down Silas in Tucson last year. He found him quickly in a shelter, apparently, followed him for a while and then went home. But he couldn’t stop thinking about … well, all of it. He came back to Arizona a couple months ago and got to work. He purchased and then brought the barbeque fork, the pendant, and a few scarves with him. He said he threw one away behind the post office one night after Pearly left.”

“Pearly sensed him.”

“I think so, yes.”

“I’m glad she didn’t turn around.”

“Me too. Anyway, when he got back to Arizona, he knew the first step was to kill Silas.” Calloway paused and sighed again. “George says that he always wanted some sort of vengeance for his son, but until he ran into Silas, he didn’t think it was possible. He says everything was set in motion then.” Calloway paused and took a sip of coffee. “He regrets killing Silas, but once he did, he knew there was no going back.”

“I guess not. Where did he deflesh the bones?”

“A hotel room in Tucson. Authorities up there are investigating, but … well, George cleaned up after himself pretty well.”

“Jesus.”

“Yeah, and he called me before I even knew to reach out to someone like him. When he did, I was just so glad to have help that I didn’t put together the fact that, realistically, he wouldn’t have heard about the bones yet.”

I could tell by his tone that Calloway was beating himself up for that.

“Not your fault,” I said.

“Well, I know that, but … I wish I’d been more on top of it. Anyway. There are no new leads on the guy who attacked you, and George claims not to know him. Keep aware.”

“I bet he moved on.”

“Maybe, but stay on your toes.”

We were silent for a long moment, both of us wrestling with our thoughts, I presumed. Suddenly, Calloway waved toward the counter. I turned to see Jenna with a woman who must be her wife, Allie. Jenna waved back hesitantly, like she wasn’t sure if she should come over. We didn’t do anything to either encourage or discourage her. She stayed where she was. She smiled and then turned to place an order.

“I think Jenna will be good for Black Vulture,” Calloway said.

“I hope so. What about Verro?”

“He’s a good guy, Hazel, despite some stuff he’s been through. He really is from Prescott.”