“Would the Wolfgard like some help?”
The Wolves looked at Earth, who sat astride a sand-colored steed.
<We need to hide this from Meg,> Simon said, backing away from the bones and scraps. <She’ll be upset if she sees it.>
“Quicksand and I can do that.”
The ground beneath the human remains turned into that deadly kind of sand. When the last bit of bone disappeared, the ground became solid, sandy earth.
<Thank you,> Simon said.
Quicksand pawed the ground, momentarily turning a patch of sandy earth back into quicksand.
Earth laughed. “Our Meg is handing out sugar lumps as an extra-special treat. Quicksand wants to get her share.” The Elemental turned her steed, and they galloped toward the Market Square—and the Liaison’s Office.
<I found these,> Nathan said a minute later. He dropped a large paper bag and small blanket near the pile of torn clothes.
They put the jeans, shirt, underwear, and one shoe into the bag, along with a belt and the keys and wallet. That Jack might have carried other things in his pockets, but after a quick search of the area, they didn’t find anything except the other shoe. They put the bag in the blanket and loosely tied the blanket ends to make it easier for the Wolves to hold. Then Simon and Nathan headed back to the Market Square while Blair returned to the Utilities Complex.
They came across several Crowgard, who flew off the moment they were spotted. Since there were a couple of dull coins in the road, Simon figured the Crowgard had made off with any shinies that might have fallen from that Jack’s pockets.
When they passed the ponies carrying full mail baskets, Simon realized how little time had passed. That was good. Meg had been busy. Unfortunately, it also meant that Montgomery and Kowalski were still in the Market Square. The men watched as he and Nathan trotted past with the bag swinging in the blanket between them.
They hustled up the efficiency apartments’ back stairs. Figuring he didn’t have much time before Montgomery came looking for him, Simon shifted his front paws enough to have semi-human digits, then pulled the wallet out of the bag. He removed the money—lots of money—and dropped the wallet back in the bag.
If the police did the fingerprint thing on the wallet, they wouldn’t find anything useful that would identify him.
Not that it would matter if they could identify him.
He set the money aside, shifted all the way to human, and quickly dressed. Stuffing the money into his back pocket, he looked at Nathan. “I’ll deal with Lieutenant Montgomery.” He leaned down and sniffed Nathan’s mouth. “You should eat some grass or something before you go back to the Liaison’s Office. You have human-meat breath.”
Which meant he probably did too. Good thing human noses weren’t sensitive enough to make the distinction. Meg wouldn’t be able to tell either, but with Meg, it didn’t seem polite to breathe on her after munching on one of her species.
Simon grabbed the bag and opened the door. Nathan hurried down the stairs and past Montgomery. Simon came down more slowly and held out the bag.
“That’s what we found.”
Montgomery took the bag and opened it. “Nothing else?”
“There’s nothing left, Lieutenant.” Which didn’t quite answer the question, but it was the truth.
Montgomery nodded. “Katherine Debany is driving Theral to the MacDonalds’ family doctor. Welby Owlgard said he didn’t know human bodies well enough to tell if Theral had a concussion and thought it best for her to see a human healer.”
“That makes sense.”
There were things to be said, questions to be asked. But neither of them wanted to say or ask.
“I’d best get this evidence to the station and fill out a DLU form,” Montgomery said.
Simon nodded. He walked with Montgomery to the access way, then turned left toward the employee parking lot while Montgomery turned right toward Main Street.
He found Kowalski helping Theral into Katherine Debany’s car. His amber eyes met Kowalski’s dark, angry ones. Once Theral was settled, Katherine started her car. But when Kowalski rounded the car and moved toward him, Simon held up a hand, signaling Katherine to wait.
“If he’d gotten Theral out of the Courtyard, we wouldn’t have found her alive,” Kowalski said in a low voice. “It would have been hard on the MacDonald family to lose her at any time, but especially so soon after Lawrence being killed.”
Simon watched the police officer until he was out of sight. Then he pulled the money from his back pocket, removed four fifties, and handed them to Katherine Debany. “For the doctor and whatever medicine Theral needs.”
Katherine Debany studied his face and looked as if she wanted to ask where he’d gotten the money. Then she thanked him and took the bills.
Once she and Theral were gone, he went to the Liaison’s Office to find out what Meg knew.
? ? ?
Meg heard the chorus of neighs at the sorting room’s outside door. She looked at Merri Lee as she walked over to open it. “The ponies are here for the mail.”
“Does that mean it’s safe to go outside?” Merri Lee asked.
Meg thought about that, then shook her head. The ponies were a form of terra indigene, so their being outside didn’t mean it was safe for humans. She opened the door a few inches. A black nose immediately pushed into the opening.
Thunder, who was always the first pony in line.
She opened the door all the way and tried to lean out to look down the access way, but all she saw were the last wisps of fog and the ponies.
As she turned toward the table to fetch the stacks of mail for Thunder’s baskets, she realized what else should be on the table. Waving at Merri Lee to join her, she whispered, “I didn’t prepare any treats. See what you can find in the back room.”
While Merri Lee rummaged in the under-the-counter fridge and cupboards, Meg filled the baskets with mail going to the different complexes in the Courtyard. She was picking up the stack for the Wolfgard Complex when Merri Lee returned, holding something behind her back.
“All I could find was the box of sugar lumps,” Merri Lee whispered.
“Well, I’ll just make sure everyone knows this is an extra-special treat this week.” “Everyone” would include Jester Coyotegard, just in case the ponies didn’t want to believe her next week when she offered the regular treat of apples or carrots.
When Thunder was first in line again, Meg handed out the sugar lumps, to all the ponies’ delight. Not all. Three of the ponies were missing. The rest of them trotted off to deliver the mail, looking quite pleased with themselves.
As soon as Meg locked the sorting room’s door, she and Merri Lee hurried to the back room and looked out the window.
“Theral is in the Market Square,” Merri Lee said. “Maybe she can see what’s . . .”