If Charlie realized that he was the prey in question, he gave no indication. “I’m afraid not, sir,” he answered. “I’ve only hunted criminals.”
Hudson nodded. “Respectable line o’ work,” he said. “Yer like to get a bit restless out here in the hills, though. Gad’s is mostly just quiet farm folk.”
“I’m looking forward to a quiet post for a while,” Charlie said. It might have been my imagination, but there seemed to be just a moment of uneasy silence as the two locked eyes. In my mind, the big trapper could look straight into Charlie and see the beast beneath the surface—but the moment passed.
“Where are my manners?” Hudson clapped his hands together. “Let me introduce my old buddy, Hugo Brisbee, and—oh sorry, what was yer name again?”
“Owen. Owen Horner.” The young man flashed us a winning smile, complete with dimples and gleaming white teeth. “A pleasure.”
Owen Horner. The name bounced around in my head for several moments before finding its place. Owen Horner was more than a farmhand. At home in England, I used to devour my father’s scientific journals, and Owen Horner had made his way into several publications over the past few years as a rising star in the geological field. I tried to remember what great accomplishment had gained him such notoriety, but the details had slipped off into the corners of my mind.
“Right.” Hudson gestured back to us. “And this here’s R. F. Jackaby and Miss Abigail Rook. They’ve come to help the coppers track down that big old bone they were talking about in the paper.”
“Oh—you read that? Hmm. Heck of an article,” said Hugo Brisbee, nodding. “That reporter came all the way out from New Fiddleham just to interview us. It was only supposed to be about the dig, of course—but then . . .” He rubbed his hands and swallowed hard. “She said it’ll be running up in Crowley and Brahannasburg, too—maybe even national if she can get all the big papers to pick it up. Maddie would like that. She always wanted to get out of the valley. I’ve been getting all sorts of kind letters from names I haven’t heard in years. It’s real nice to see some folks in person, though, too. Mr. Horner’s presence has been a gift this past week. He’s been keeping me company, taking care of everything while I was in town making arrangements—and of course he’s been working the site all by himself. He was just about to show me the latest find, as a matter of fact.”
My heart skipped. “I don’t suppose you would mind if Mr. Horner showed us his progress as well?” I ventured.
Brisbee shrugged. “As good a place to start as any—why don’t you all come have a look?”
My mind was humming with anticipation, but Hudson held up a hand. “Mighty kind—and I’ll be sure to take ya up on that offer soon enough, but I’d best be gettin’ Rosie back to my place first. We been out in the world for a long stretch, and I reckon she’s about done being cooped up in that wagon. Got a few other odds and ends I should see to while I still got daylight, too.”
“It has been a long time,” said Brisbee, “or else maybe I don’t know you as well as I thought. Would’ve guessed you’d be the first one in line to get a look at our creature.”
Hank chuckled. “Oh, I’ll be back—you’d better believe it. Them bones have waited a long time, and they can wait a little longer. Show me somethin’ that’s still walkin’ the earth, and you’ll find me a little faster on the draw.”
“Fair enough. Nice to see you again, Hank. Don’t be a stranger!”
“Same, Brisbee. Good meetin’ you fellas, too.” He gave a nod to Charlie and Owen Horner, and then turned back to Jackaby and me. “You two gonna need a ride back into town later?”