The Bone Field by Debra Bokur (top e book reader txt) 📕

Tomas looked at Kali, one eyebrow raised, then turned back to the assembly of people.

“All right, that’s enough,” he said. “An official statement is forthcoming. Meanwhile, I need you to disperse. Your presence here may very well contaminate the area where we’re working.”

“We’re on this side of the police tape,” Chad pointed out. “Well within our rights as observers. And as a journalist—”

Kali laughed. “For crying out loud, Chad, how many times does someone need to explain to you that having a blog or a podcast or whatever the hell—”

“Blogcast,” said Chad, his voice smug.

“—does not make you a journalist,” she finished. “Let’s see some credentials. I’ll let you slide if you show me a diploma with a journalism degree, or a press pass from an accredited news association—not something you generated online and printed out in a fancy font.”

“I have an Emmy nomination for my role as an investigative journalist.”

“From a television show!” Kali nearly shouted. She took a deep breath, trying to control her mounting annoyance. “And I don’t believe you actually won the award, did you?”

“Oversight and politics,” he said, completely unruffled.

Tomas intervened. “Okay, that’s enough. All of you, stay on that side of the tape. That includes you, Mr. Caesar. No pictures. No recording. As I’ve already said, an official police statement will be issued later today. Understood?”

“Freedom of information, Officer!” yelled the man standing next to Chad. “You can’t stop the people from learning the truth! It’s your job to protect us!”

There was more agreement from the others, this time louder. The women in the blue skirts laid their signs on the ground and joined hands with one another, raising them above their heads. One of them bowed her head and began to pray aloud.

“You will be safest when you follow police directions, which, this morning, are to stay on that side of the barrier and follow all police orders,” said Tomas, his firm voice rising above the din. “Otherwise, you will be removed from the area. In handcuffs, if necessary.” He spoke into his radio. A uniformed officer on loan from Maui waved to them from the area where vehicles had been parked in a line, facing the field next to the command center. Tomas and Kali stepped away from the crowd and watched as the officer got into a truck and backed out of the line, driving slowly toward them along the dirt service road.

“We’ve called in extra volunteers to help today,” said Tomas, his voice quiet, “but we’re about tapped out. This is slow going.”

“Relatively shallow graves, though, which helps a little. Hopefully we can get out of here soon. So far, the body in the refrigerator was buried the most deeply. Maybe that was to help make sure a heavy rain didn’t wash off the soil and expose it. I wonder if the pineapple man was more important to the killer than these other people.”

“Or maybe,” said Tomas, considering, “the killer just ran out of refrigerators.”

When the approaching truck came to a halt, Tomas moved away, speaking briefly to the officer who was driving, then rejoined Kali, who was busily scanning the faces in the small crowd around Chad. The tall, hatted man in the rear had distanced himself even more from the others. There was something familiar about him. Kali slipped beneath the tape, walking around the other people. The tall man was aware of her approach, and turned to walk away.

“One moment, sir,” she called.

The man hesitated, but took a few more steps away, walking parallel to the service road.

“Sir!” she called again, her voice firm. “Wait where you are, please.”

The man stopped, standing still as Kali caught up to him. She could tell, now that she was close enough, that he was elderly.

“Are you with the others?” she asked, indicating Chad’s fan group.

The man smiled in response. “Well, yes and no. We all arrived at about the same time, you see. I more or less tagged along as they seemed to know where they were going. I assure you I am not here to cause any trouble.”

His voice was familiar. Kali studied his face. “Could you please remove your hat, sir?”

Again he smiled slightly, then took off his hat, standing quietly with it in one hand, pressed lightly against his thigh.

“You’re the gentleman from the hotel. You were a guest there a few nights ago when I was staying there.”

He shook his head.

“Not a guest. I’d enjoyed dinner there, and was merely pausing briefly on the lanai.”

“To greet the moon.”

He bowed, the motion brief. “Yes. To greet the moon.”

She was confused. “Do you live near the hotel?”

He nodded. “Quite near. I’ve lived on this gracious island since I was a much younger man.”

“Were you with the pineapple company?”

His eyes clouded over. “I was not, though a member of my family was.”

“And who was that?”

“Ah. My son-in-law.”

Kali waited, but the man said nothing more.

“And why are you so interested in what’s going on out here?”

The man smiled, but the gesture seemed half-hearted. “Even at my age, curiosity is alive and well. I heard that there was an unfortunate discovery here in the field, and naturally wondered what that might be. When I spoke to you that night at the hotel, I didn’t realize you were a police officer.” He looked back in the direction of the crowd. “Nor did I know that these people would be troublesome. I should have come on my own.”

She watched him closely.

“Did you hear about all of this through Chad Caesar?”

He looked at her blankly. “Chad who?”

“The blond actor who led everyone here?”

His brow furrowed. “I’m afraid I don’t know him, or even that he’s an actor. But yes, he did take charge of the group, steering the others to this location.”

She nodded. He didn’t seem to be the type of gushing follower that Chad naturally attracted. “I’m a detective, by the way. Kali Mhoe. And you are?”

There was no change of expression on his face.

“My