Hunter s Moon - By Lori Handeland Page 0,48

worried about?"

"Let's see - werewolves, vampires, zombies, witches, and all sorts of other things I don't even know about. Then there are car accidents, mass murderers, blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, and various acts of God."

I blinked. "Gee, how do you sleep?"

"When he's not here, I don't."

Now that I looked closer, there were dark circles under her eyes; lines of stress bracketed her mouth.

She was really worried, and I couldn't say that I blamed her.

"Did you call any friendly state cops?"

"You think I'm a fool? Of course I called."

"And?"

"Nothing."

This was exactly what I'd been talking about when I said attachments were a bad thing. Jessie wasn't thinking of werewolves and serial killers; she was thinking of Will.

"If anything had happened, they'd know about it, Jessie."

"Then where is he?"

I had no idea. But if I gave voice to any of my thoughts, she'd only try to slug me again, so I glanced at the sheet of paper in my hand.

"Open Serial Killer Cases Where Cannibalism Is Suspected." What a lovely title. There were only two. Herman Reyes and some guy named Louis-Francois Charone.

"You said Hector was on here."

"Check out the place where they last saw Herman Reyes."

I did. Topeka - in the year my life ended. Hell.

I lifted my gaze. "Then Hector is Herman."

"You tell me."

Jessie held out a photo. Dizziness rushed over me in a nauseating wave.

Querida.

The word whispered through the room. I swayed.

"Hey!" Suddenly Jessie was there, catching me around the waist and holding me up. "I guess I don't have to ask if that's him."

I shook my head.

"Here." She yanked out one of the dining room chairs. "Sit."

I did. She shoved my head between my knees, none too gently. "Now breathe."

I hated taking orders, especially from her. But I hated fainting even more, so I breathed.

A glass of water appeared between my feet. I sat up and sipped. Jessie leaned against the table reading the rest of the faxed report. She lifted her eyes.

I waited for her to ask if I was OK, if I needed to lie down, take a pill, see a doctor.

"I guess he changed his name," she said.

She was going to pretend I hadn't nearly taken a nosedive onto her carpet. I was going to let her.

"I guess. But why? Hector died in 1977. No one would think the two were the same man."

"Why take a chance?"

"I suppose."

This explained why I hadn't been able to find him anywhere that I'd searched. He'd no doubt changed his name again.

Jessie continued to read. Her lips tightened.

"What?"

She looked at me, then back at the paper. "All of his victims have been the same type of woman."

I knew I wasn't going to like this, but I asked anyway. "What type?"

"Blond, petite."

"Hell."

Had Hector planned on killing me, too? Why hadn't he?

"Let me see that report."

"No."

"I could make you."

She snorted. "I doubt that."

Since I was still dizzy and my hands were shaking, she was probably right.

"He was a serial killer then and is a Weendigo now," she murmured, "satisfying his need for like flesh in both forms."

"But how did he become a Weendigo in the first place? Isn't that an Ojibwe warrior cursed by the great spirit?" I asked.

"The great mystery."

"Whatever. Hector was a lot of things, but Ojibwe wasn't one of them."

"I'm not sure how the whole cursed-by-a-mystery works. We'll have to ask Will."

The reminder that Cadotte wasn't back yet when he should have been caused a shadow of fear to tighten her face.

"Do you think Hector's here?" I blurted.

"We'll know soon enough."

"How?"

She lifted the photo. "I show this to my deputy. El-wood is a nosy old coot. He knows everyone in Crow Valley. If Hector is in town, Elwood's met him. We'll nail Herman/Hector's ass within a day."

I was glad she had confidence, because I didn't. I'd dealt with Hector. He was one scary dude.

And he was up to something. I just knew it.
Chapter 20
"Let's go out and blast some werewolves," I said. "We'll both feel better."

"I don't think so."

"Really. You will. I promise."

I knew / would.

It was probably a mistake. She was worried about Will and I was worried about Hector, but we'd be together and we'd have guns. What could happen?

"We should wait," Jessie said.

I roiled my eyes. "As long as we burn the wolves, like good little Juger-Suchers, everything will be OK."

She shook her head.

"I'm supposed to be training you. You're supposed to be patrolling the town. We're going to blow that off because pretty boy stopped for a few drinks and didn't