Rain on the Mountain (c) 2004 Elaine Corvidae

Published 2009 by Smashwords

This novella originally appeared in the anthology Ghost Cats, New Concepts Publishing.

Cover art by Elaine Corvidae

Hun

(One)

Thunder rumbled in the distance, breaking up the monotony of the hot, humid air. Another summer day in the south, I thought as I picked my way across the cornfield where my missing persons case had just turned into a homicide.

The crime lab technicians were casting nervous glances toward the west, where the afternoon thunderstorms were building great, black anvils of cloud in the sky. I hoped that the rain held off at least long enough for them to get finished—although the storms seldom lasted long, they were usually ferocious, and precious evidence could disappear forever into the red clay.

My partner, Charles Gardener, was already there, standing off to one side amidst the broken stalks of corn. He cast me a glum look as I came up, then went back to watching the body as it was zipped into its black bag. The smell of decay still hung in the air; the flies would have been at work from the moment the corpse was left here, in this remote corner of Pickerel County, North Carolina. I was just as glad that I had arrived late.

“Took your time, Starnes” Charlie said morosely. Sweat plastered his blond hair to his head; it was thinning on top, and his scalp was already starting to turn red from the sun. He wore a suit and tie, and I remembered that he had been in court that morning.