The Last Dig

By Constance Bretes

Bones, bodies, and a love rekindled.

Paleontologist Caroline Priest is shocked when she finds a dead body at her dig site. When she calls it in to the sheriff's department, her former boyfriend, Rand Callahan, comes out to investigate. The evidence quickly starts to point to Caroline being the killer, and Rand has no choice but to arrest her.

 

It's clear to Caroline that she's been set up, but by who and for what reason? While Caroline is out on bail, Rand rekindles his relationship with her as they try to solve the mystery before it's too late.

 

 

Content Warning: contains some sexual content

• Language: English
• Publisher: Constance Bretes
• Release date: Jun 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9798201443276

Constance Bretes

Constance Bretes is an author of contemporary romance an suspense. Her romance books are often set in different parts of the country, but her favorite site is Montana. She’s married to her best friend and resides in Alabama with him and two cats. Her hobbies include basket weaving, diamond painting, and reading. When she’s not working on one of her projects, she can be found writing, researching, and spending time with her husband.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Caroline rose from dig site two, wondering what Eddie was doing a few hundred yards away at dig site one. She felt a bit jealous, thinking perhaps someone had discovered a never-before-seen fossil. Hell Creek State Park so far had only coughed up a humerus and a few small bones—nothing spectacular, which surprised Caroline because Jordan, Montana, was a hotbed for its fossils, especially here at Fork Peck Lake.

The sight of her assistant, Eddie Parker, running toward her stole away her moment of reflection. She folded her arms and shook her head at the young man’s almost childish excitement. When he reached her, he pushed up his dark-rimmed glasses that had slid down his nose as he ran. Caroline! He stopped to catch his breath. You need to call the sheriff!

Caroline frowned in confusion. What on earth is going on over there?

A body! Eddie answered, turning to point at dig site one. Not dinosaur bones, but human bones, and they’re pretty damn fresh!

A body? What’s a body doing out here? Are you sure he’s dead? Maybe he’s just unconscious and need medical attention. I better have a look.

Come on! Eddie ran ahead of her. From the back, the poor young man looked more like thirteen than twenty-seven, and sometimes his behavior leaned more toward the younger age.

How the heck did a dead body show up here? Ryan mused. Ryan was working alongside Caroline at dig site one. At twenty-eight, he was the more mature one in the group as well as the team leader. He had only to finish this dig site and he would be finished with his dissertation and receive his PhD.

Those who’d gathered around the body parted ways when Caroline approached, letting her through. She tentatively peered at the gruesome sight, and then put a hand to her nose at the odor that greeted her. Oh my God, she muttered. What upset her more than viewing a fairly fresh death was that the face looked vaguely familiar.

Others gathered around the body. You’d better call this in, Caroline, Ryan said. Jeez, I wonder what happened to him. Could have been a hiker who had a heart attack or something like that.

I suppose. Caroline and Ryan walked off to the side to get away from the smell. You better tell everybody to make sure they don’t contaminate the area. Tell them all to get away from there. Caroline took her cellphone from a pocket on her cargo pants and dialed 911.

Sure, Ryan answered, then walked off to give the orders as Caroline gave the information to a 911 dispatcher in Jordan, answering questions as best as she could.

I have no idea how the person died or who it is, she explained. I’m a paleontologist, here with a dinosaur lab and working on a dig site.

The dispatcher assured her someone would be there soon. Caroline watched John and Eddie talk like a couple of excited children while some of the others just stared, shaking their heads. There were five of them all together, all PhD students. John Elms, Jody Tempf, and Cathy Jorgenson were all novices at this but learning fast. In the distance sat a mobile dinosaur lab, a bit of a dinosaur itself because it was the size of a semi-truck. It looked out of place here in the Badlands of Montana. They were surrounded by miles and miles of green weeds, boulders, and large rock formations. Getting it this far became quite an adventure for the driver because of the rutted, narrow roads that lead to this place.

She walked a little closer to the dead body again. Why me, and why here and now? Having to call the sheriff out there meant possibly having to face, and talk to, Rand Callahan. She knew he was the sheriff in this county, one of the reasons she almost didn’t take this job. She did not want to run into the man again after the way he’d unceremoniously dumped her at her doorstep fifteen years ago and trotted off to Montana State University never to call or write after that. She supposed he was married and had a brood of kids by now.

Maybe he wouldn’t even recognize her. When they parted ways she had freckles, short curly hair, and a few more pounds around her waistline. She’d grown and changed, lost some weight, and let her very curly blonde hair grow long. Why she cared how she looked, she didn’t know, because after she and Rand parted ways she hadn’t taken much interest in any other man until she met her ex-husband. Instead, she’d devoted her attention to her education and love of paleontology. Now she had her dream job but not her dream man. He’d walked away from her a long time ago.

Okay, everybody, get on over to dig site two and keep working, she ordered. No sense standing here doing nothing. Time is money.

The others grumbled a bit but obeyed, leaving their unexpected discovery lying alone in the sun. Caroline couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for whoever it was. What a lonely, cruel way to die, in the wilderness with no help. Did he suffer, or was it a quick death?

She turned and drank in the sights of Montana wilderness once more, fighting her dread of possibly seeing Rand again. She’d deliberately avoided him since she’d been there. He likely had no idea she was part of this dig. She couldn’t help relishing the thought of his surprise when he finally saw her. Maybe he’d choke on his words, realizing he had a lot of explaining to do after stomping her heart into the ground.

Finally, she saw a couple of police cars approaching. Her heart pounded a little faster with both dread and anticipation. Dust rolled as they bounced and swayed over the unpaved road leading to the site, gravel flying when they slid to a stop. A tall, handsome man wearing fancy sunglasses stepped out of the lead car.

Damn, he’s even better looking than when I last saw him. She dearly wanted to hate the man, but a little piece of her heart still belonged to Rand Callahan, and she could still remember the feel of those strong arms around her and his kisses. Back then, she was a giddy schoolgirl in love with the high school star football player.

Rand hurried over to where she and her students stood at dig site one.

Where’s the body? he asked.

Over there. Eddie pointed to the body.

Rand walked over to the dead man and peered down at him. Tape off about one hundred feet all the way around the body, he instructed his deputy. Then he came back to where Caroline and her team were standing.

Who discovered the body? He had that no-fooling-around, all-business aura about him.

I did, Eddie answered.

Did you touch it?

No. Eddie stood next to the sheriff and looked up at him. Caroline thought he looked like he was intimidated by Rand’s height and size.

You won’t be able to continue your dig until after the CSI is done. I’ll have to rope off the whole area, Rand stated in his hard-as-nails tone.

Why? Caroline asked. She didn’t know what she like least, being told she couldn’t dig there, or Rand treating her like he didn’t know her. One dig is over here, at least two hundred feet from the body. Surely that dig site doesn’t have anything to do with the body, Caroline protested.

"Standard procedure. We need to rope off this whole area. We don’t know what we will find in the way of evidence, even in your dig site."

What do you mean evidence? I didn’t see anything that indicated foul play. I suspect he was hiking and died of natural causes. Caroline looked up at Rand’s tan face.

You’re treating this as a crime scene? Ryan came up and stood next to Caroline.

Yes, I’m treating this as a crime scene, and until I get all the facts and all the evidence gathered, everyone here is a suspect.

What? You’ve got to be kidding me. I called it in, for crying out loud! Caroline’s temper started to show.

Doesn’t matter. His flat reply grated on her nerves.

Well how long will this take? Caroline asked, trying to calm herself down. A few hours wouldn’t be too bad she guessed.

Hard to say. The CSI will be here in about a half hour and will be searching the whole area for evidence. It could be a couple of days, or it could be longer.

A couple of days? Caroline asked with her voice raised. We can’t wait that long. Summers are short here in Montana and we need to be able to take advantage of every good day we have. Surely you can let us continue our dig at the second site. We won’t be anywhere near where the body was found. Caroline felt her temper rising again.

Let’s just wait and see how the investigation goes, Caroline, Rand snapped, his voice on the edge of impatience.

So he does recognize me. Don’t patronize me. It’s important that we get the bones to the lab as soon as possible. When these bones get exposed to elements outside the dirt they are encased in, they start deteriorating.

I’m sorry, Caroline, but I have to do it this way, Rand said, taking off his sunglasses to stare back at her.

Rand, I don’t want the CSI to mess around in the dirt immediately surrounding the bones we have partially dug up. Caroline stared back at him and continued to argue the point.

Caroline, he retorted. We have to conduct a full investigation here, and if the CSI finds anything at all that would or could be related to the victim, we’ve got to take it in and analyze it. Rand looked over to the rest of the group. Now, has everyone seen the body? Does anyone recognize him?

No one seemed to recognize the body except Caroline. She was trying to think where she may have seen the victim before. Something told her she knew him from somewhere, she just couldn’t think of where that might be. Caroline stood aside quietly, lost in her thoughts. Glancing up, she saw that Rand was staring at her.

He looked away and told his deputy, Tape off about another hundred feet all the way around the body.

* * * *

The Montana CSI arrived in a large truck. The entry road was almost impassible so they walked from the main road, carrying all their equipment and went straight to work. One group of three worked around the body, and another group of three worked the surrounding areas, including the dig site. Each group gathered evidence and placed it into labeled bags to take to the lab for analysis. Soon after the CSI arrived, the coroner Matt Dyson, arrived to process the body. Rand stood next to Matt while he searched the body for clues.

What do you think killed him? Rand asked.

Single blast right to the chest. Guy didn’t have a chance. Seems it was close range, about as far as you’re standing to me.

Could it be a suicide?

Not from this angle, I don’t think. Plus, where is the gun? Matt queried.

Can you tell if he was murdered here, or was he murdered somewhere else and brought here?

Matt stood up and looked around the body. If the murder took place here, there would be blood splatter and the body would most likely have fallen backward unless he was on his knees. The victim is facedown, which indicates that he was killed somewhere else and dropped off here.

Can you tell what kind of a bullet was used?

Nope, not ’til I get him in and process his body.

Does he have any identification on him?

No. His pockets are inside out and empty. I’ll fingerprint him when I get him to the ice box.

Can you estimate the time of death? Rand asked as he turned and surveyed the area.

Based on the lividity of the body, I’d say somewhere between ten and twelve last night.

After a thorough search of the body, the coroner and the CSI lifted the man into a body bag, and then onto the stretcher to take to the morgue for further processing.

Rand looked over at his deputy. Get a tire impression from these tire tracks.

Yes, sir.

Rand walked up to where Caroline stood with her team. He could tell by her body language that she was still seething from the fact that they couldn’t continue their work. She stood rigid, and her hands were clenched together in fists. She had a grim look on her face.

Caroline, do you or any of your staff members carry guns?

Caroline looked at Rand with her eyebrows raised. Yes, I carry a sidearm for protection out here.

I need to confiscate it.

Why? Caroline demanded angrily.

The victim was shot in the chest, and I told you already that everyone is suspect until I can rule them out. Rand called out to one of the CSI, Hey Mike, you got a plastic bag to put this gun in?

Yeah, sure. Mike walked over and handed Rand a plastic bag.

Rand opened the bag and held it out to Caroline, waiting for her to put the gun in.

I don’t think this is necessary.

Yes, it is necessary, Caroline.

She pulled her gun out of her gun holster from inside her lightweight jacket and dropped it in the bag.

Anyone else have a gun? Rand asked the group.

Everyone shook their heads no.

Okay, listen up. Everyone here needs to come down to the sheriff’s office now to make a statement.

Caroline crossed her arms over her chest. Why do we have to go to the station to make a statement, and when will I get my gun back?

Because I’m investigating this victim’s death and I need recorded statements from all of you. You’ll get your gun back as soon as we run ballistic tests on it and check it for gunpowder and bullet match-ups, Rand retorted swiftly. Let’s go. Everyone down to the sheriff’s department.

Caroline and the team went back to the SUV and climbed in. What a crock, Caroline muttered under her breath.

Rand caught what she said and smiled thoughtfully. He heard that she had come back to Jordan about a month ago. He even got a glimpse of her one morning walking down the street to the post office. Several times he wanted to go and talk to her, but he didn’t know how to approach her.

She’s always been a bit temperamental, he thought to himself, and it looks like she hasn’t changed much since high school. He hated to admit it, but she was still as beautiful as ever. Five feet five inches tall, with blonde hair