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“His son.”

Another long beat passed. “Yeah.”

I nodded. “He wasn’t going to go after Minnie or Thalia or the others?”

“No, he says he wasn’t. Everyone is home. They weren’t running. They were doing things in Tucson. Danielle moved in with a friend. She and her horses are happy and safe.”

Calloway, seemingly relieved to get through telling me about George’s plan to kill me, forced a smile. “How’s the boyfriend?”

I sent him a withering look and then finished my coffee before I stood. I wanted him to know I wasn’t really mad, so I moved and put my hand on his shoulder. “Thanks, Sheriff. For everything.”

“Thank you, Hazel.”

I put my hat on and made my way out of there, waving at Dixie, Doug, Jenna, and even Virgie (who frowned disapprovingly at me) as I left.

I took the short trip home, glancing at the time along the way.

CHAPTER

36

I POINTED. “IT’S ONE femur, twelve tibias, ten fibulas, lots of foot and toe bones. I thought it strange that there were no hand bones in the box, but there were plenty of arm bones.”

Sonny whistled. “It feels highly inappropriate to give that description a hand, like applause.”

I smiled. “Well, they belonged to souls who lived over a hundred years ago now, and they weren’t murdered.”

“Okay?”

“This is the box of bones from Missouri that I was telling you about. I’ve looked at them and sent off an email to Mr. Workman regarding my conclusions.”

“Oh. Interesting.” He looked into the box. “May I touch them?”

“Yes.”

He reached in for the femur. “Can you share your conclusions?”

I nodded.

Sonny had been amazing, there for me at every turn. I was healing quickly, but he had met me at the hospital, keeping it together but still visibly distraught that I’d been so hurt. I’d been quite the sight, but he’d seen me at my worst and had still stuck around to help me in any way I needed.

At first I wanted to tell him that I would be fine, that I didn’t want his help, but I did need a ride back to Black Vulture. Calloway offered, but seemed to disappear when Sonny arrived. I slept the whole way home. Then Sonny made sure I was comfortable in my own bed. He’d proceeded to stock the fridge and clean the whole place, including dusting the mounts in the museum. He slept in the smaller bedroom and made sure I took the prescribed pain pills and antibiotics on time.

He’d gone back to work this morning but had returned to my place by noon. I’d spent the morning working in my lab, and he’d wondered about the Missouri bones before everything else had happened. Since we had a few minutes, I shared the details.

I’d figured out their mysteries quickly.

“I called the city offices of Columbia, Missouri, first to ask what sort of building had been where a library is now located. They were able to quickly tell me that it had been a church.”

Sonny’s eyebrows lifted. “Religious sacrifice?”

I smiled again. “No, but that would make a great story.” As he held the femur, I turned it and pointed at an ink spot. “Can you see that?”

“Barely.”

“Right. I’m pretty sure it says ‘1864.’ ”

“Okay. I can see that.”