Huntsman - Morgan Brice Page 0,39

having his order noted, must have shown in his face.

“We do our best to know what people like,” Woody said. “Makes them feel at home.”

“It’s working,” Liam replied with a tired smile. “And after the taste I had of the meatloaf last night, I’d love my own serving.”

Cheryl guided him to a booth for two, in the thick of the dinner crowd. “You expecting anyone?” she asked, clearly meaning Russ.

“Not tonight,” Liam replied ruefully.

“Well, then that means you don’t have to share your dessert,” Cheryl said with a broad wink. “‘Sides, you’ve got one of the best seats in the house to hear everything that goes on, as much as anything ever does here. You’ll know all the local news by the time you’re done eating and maybe some of the gossip too.”

Liam settled in, ready to put Cheryl’s prediction to the test. He tuned in to the voices around him, picking up snatches of conversation.

“… say it’s going to be an early winter. Someday it’ll just stay winter all the time.”

“… I’ll take snow over deer flies any day.”

“… when the rain stops. Can’t fly planes when it’s raining.”

“… two more missing hikers, can you believe that?”

Liam’s focus honed in on those voices at the table behind him.

“What I’d like to know is, how does a lynx get lost in the woods?”

“Or an ocelot. This is what happens when you’re too domesticated.”

“They probably just went feral for a while,” the first speaker said. “They’ll wander back out when they get tired of playing wild kitty.”

The conversation shifted, and nothing else Liam overheard caught his attention, although he did learn about family squabbles, motorboat engines, and more than he ever wanted to know about fishing competitions.

Many of the other patrons drifted off as Liam ate his dinner, deep in thought. Both the arsons and the missing hikers are unusual, according to what everyone’s saying. Could they be related?

Liam had always loved reading mysteries, and he had a weakness for watching detective series. Solving a mystery was like figuring out a puzzle, and in both his human and his fox form, Liam had always been good at puzzles.

Even worse, could both situations be connected to me? I show up and people start going missing and shit starts catching on fire. Seems like a big coincidence.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Liam grabbed his phone and dialed Jeffries at his office. He didn’t feel right trying the man’s home number, but it wasn’t that late—his former professor could easily still be finishing up at the Institute.

Jeffries answered on the second ring. “Liam? Is something wrong?”

Psychic, Liam reminded himself, surprised that Jeffries would immediately begin with the assumption there was a problem. “I know it’s late, but I have something important I need to talk to someone about and…well…”

“Come on by. The main front door to the building is still open until eight. Do you remember where to find my office?”

“Yes. I’ll be there in about ten minutes. Thank you.”

Liam ordered a piece of apple pie to go as a “thank you” present and headed over toward the Institute. A few cars passed on Route 28, but Saranac Road through “downtown” Fox Hollow was quiet. He turned to walk down the drive that led back to the schools, professional offices, and the Institute. Most of those buildings were dark now, and the parking lots were empty. Liam felt a shiver as he realized how isolated the area was after business hours.

This was a bad idea. Maybe I should have driven. If someone jumped me, there’s no one to see.

Liam picked up his pace, keeping a wary eye out for trouble. A prickle at the back of his neck told him he was being watched, but he saw no one—either human or animal—and nothing stirred in the darkened windows of the buildings.

At least the parking lots were well lit, and Liam wondered if the buildings had security cameras. He castigated himself for being so foolish and taking chances. Then again, he had walked everywhere on Ithaca’s campus by himself and never felt unsafe day or night.

But that wasn’t true for everyone, he reminded himself. He had seen plenty of posters warning students to avoid lonely areas or dark short cuts. And he’d heard stories about campus crime. He just hadn’t thought it would ever happen to him.

Just like I never thought anyone would send a Huntsman after me.

Liam couldn’t stop a sigh of relief when he reached the bright lights of the