“So you believe us?” Caeco asked.
“Perhaps. But what are you doing to catch the killer?”
“Trying to get the werewolf back. She’ll tell us who the killer is,” Caeco said. At the sight of his frown, she kept going. “She either saw him, heard him, or smelled him; likely all three. We get her out of hiding, feed her, and get her to Change back, and she can point out the killer.”
“How certain are you of this theory?” the chief asked.
“We set out food for her in six areas around the Cape,” Caeco said. “We also left an Omega micro-drone unit at each site to act as camera traps, except they’ll follow her if she shows.”
“What do you bait a werewolf with? Steak?”
“She’s from Iceland,” Jetta said. “Her mother says she loves fish. We left cod and haddock.”
“And grabbed lobster rolls for lunch,” Mack said. “Can’t wait.”
“How long till this works?” Kent asked, ignoring Mack’s comments.
“A new wolf has hunting instinct but no skill,” Mack said, going serious. “If she’s lucky, she got a turkey or two and maybe got a bit of deer meat off a coyote kill. But she’s likely to be really hungry. Fish scent travels pretty far. We could have a hit any time.”
“If this is Kristin, why did she stalk her best friend?” he asked.
“We don’t think she was stalking Marika; we think she was escorting her,” Caeco said. “Marika told us she was nervous about those boys. She didn’t want to admit it, but their stares bothered her. Kristin likely smelled her friend’s fear and it triggered her instincts. Weres are incredibly protective of friends and family.”
“Yeah, just ask Jetta here how that goes,” Mack said with a laugh that earned him a glare from his sister.
“Excuse the interruption, but there is a hit on bait three,” Omega said through the chief’s speakerphone.
“We’ll go collect her mother and Marika, Omega. Don’t lose her,” Caeco said, jumping up.
“That is extremely unlikely,” the computer responded.
Twenty-three minutes later, they were all walking along another popular trail in the town’s Greenbelt system, approaching the massive pond that occupied almost the middle of the township. In addition to the three young investigators and Chief Kent, there were five SWAT geared officers, Marika Kelly, and the missing girl’s mother, Hekla.
“Okay, Chief, we’ll need you and your officers to hang back,” Caeco said as Jetta moved up front. The youngest Sutton was wearing black leggings and an oversized gray hoodie with the word ARCANE across the back in black and red letters. Her hands were empty.
“No way. We have civilians with us,” Kent said.
“Actually, we need them up front with Jetta and me, but Mack will hang back with you all,” Caeco said.
“Female wolf,” Mack said to the chief. “She’s already been terrified by the Change. Most human male scents will be off-putting. Jetta’s wearing her boyfriend’s sweatshirt, so she’ll smell another werewolf, Jetta, Caeco, her friend, and her mother.”
“You’re assuming it’s Kristin… What if you’re wrong?” Kent asked, hands on his hips, frowning mightily.
Mack exchanged a quick glance with Caeco, who nodded. “Actually, we’re dead certain it’s her. That fur I gathered was a match for Kristin’s hair, courtesy of Hekla.”
“When and how could you match them?” Detective Treviano asked.
“In the car on the way to get Marika,” Mack said.
“There are other ways to test things, Detective,” Caeco said. “Mack used a method he learned at College Arcane.”
“I looked into that school,” Kent said. “You’re talking about magic. But you’re not witches?”
“No, but I roomed with the best witch there is,” Mack said. “He taught me spells that anyone can do. This was one of those. Now we need to be quiet and let the ladies talk. We’re getting close; she’ll hear their voices.”
“Hekla, call to your daughter but don’t yell. Just speak normally,” Caeco told the tall, anxious blonde woman who was holding hands with her daughter’s friend. “You too, Marika.”
“Kristin?” Hekla called, glancing nervously at Caeco and Jetta. “Kristin?” Marika said a little louder.
“Everyone freeze. She’s moving,” Caeco said, head tilted to listen.
The chief opened his mouth to protest but Mack, who was standing with the officers, shook his head rapidly and held up a tablet computer. A map of the area showed a blue dot for their position and a red dot moving slowly their way from up ahead.
Kent raised his brows and Mack mouthed, “Omega drone.”
“Keep talking to her,” Jetta said. “Tell her it’s okay and that everything will be okay.”
Hekla did just that, but she didn’t use English, instead speaking to her daughter in her native Icelandic. Mack and the police continued to watch his tablet display but Caeco was turning her head, tracking something only she could sense.
Suddenly she held up one hand for attention, her eyes locked on a spot off to their right. “Keep going. She’s right there.”
Hekla’s expression of anxiety changed to one of determined hope and she continued to speak in Icelandic, her tone becoming soft and comforting.
A quiet whine sounded from the trees where Caeco was looking, and Hekla spoke more firmly.
Slowly, silently, a beautiful light-colored wolf appeared from the forest. She was as big as a Mastiff, heavier built than a natural gray timber wolf, with a big skull and thick shoulders and forelegs.
The humans froze collectively as more of the big wolf appeared from the vegetation. “It’s okay, Kristin,” Jetta said. “Come on out. We’re going to help you change back… so you can go home with your mom here and hang with your buddy.”
Jetta stayed in front and Caeco kept even with the suddenly eager mother and friend, even catching Hekla’s arm when she stepped forward too quickly. The werewolf was focused on Jetta, head tilted to one side.
“We know all about what’s happened to you, Kristin,” Jetta said. “We work and live with people just like you. Can you smell my shirt? That’s Matt, my boyfriend.
