Chapter 62: ANIMAL MAGNETISM / PROLOGUE


    Feral Colorado…


    Tyler opened the door to the Blood Moon Studio. A very popr tattoo shop located in some back-


    water mountain town called Feral, twenty minutes outside Aspen. Tyler was a detective with the


    Colorado State Patrol. He did not have a partner. He worked alone. A new case hadnded on his desk


    recently. One that held his interest. Over thest six to seven months, there had been a staggering rise


    in animal attacks around the Feral, resulting in fatalities. The most suspicious one being the most


    recent one. What made it suspicious was that the car had been run off the road, then torn apart, and


    the victim dragged out into the street and torn limb from limb.


    His investigation had led him to Feral. Since all the deaths had urred within a few miles of Feral, he


    felt someone in the small town might know something. So today, he was pounding the pavement to


    interview the residents. He was starting with one Gordon Wilder, who owned the tattoo shop, and


    ording to his research, owned most of Feral’smercial properties.


    Tyler walked into the tattoo shop. The chime above the door alerted those in the backroom to his


    presence. A middle-aged biker-looking fellow came out of the back room, standing behind the counter.


    Tyler knew this man was Gordon Wilder, the big man in Feral. He looked him over. The man was all


    ripped jeans and leather. He looked like a badass that was no stranger tow enforcement.


    Tyler had looked into Gordon, and all he could find were a few transgressions as a youth, but he had


    not been arrested for any reason in over twenty years. Now Tyler knew that did not mean that Gordon


    Wilder wasn’t into some shady shit. It only meant he had gotten better at hiding it.


    Gordon stood at the counter, looking Tyler over and sizing him up. Tyler knew he did not look like a


    cop. As a detective, he was not forced to wear a uniform, but unlike most detectives who wore cheap


    suits, Tyler just wore his everyday jeans and his favourite leather jacket.


    “Can I help you?” Gordon asked.


    Tyler pulled the bottom of his open jacket aside, shing Gordon a badge clipped to his belt on his right


    hip. “I’m Detective Winthrop with the Colorado State Patrol. I’m investigating some strange urrences


    on the highway thisst year.” He said, identifying himself asw enforcement.


    He knew he did not look like a cop. He was a First Nation’s man. Hisplexation was deeply


    bronzed, and his thin ebony hair was long but tied back. He was a fit man with broad shoulders and


    long legs. But it was his age that threw most people. He was only thirty and had been a detective for


    the State Patrol for three years. He was awfully young to be a inclothes State Detective, but Tyler


    had risen through the ranks quickly because he was smart and his sess raid with his cases thus far


    was 100% closed, with a 100% conviction rate.


    “Do you have time to answer some questions?” Tyler asked. It was clearly a rhetorical question. He


    was going to make this man answer his questions whether he wanted to or not.


    “Sure. Can we make it quick? I have another clienting in, and most of my clientele are bikers, and


    cops make them nervous.”


    “No problem,” Tyler said. “I don’t know if you have heard, but there have been a few incidents on the


    highways around Feral mostly. People are getting run off the road. There has been some serious car


    wreckage.”


    “Mountain roads are dangerous. Careless drivers die.” Gordon said, trying to sound disinterested. His


    attempt to appear indifferent was suspicious. This man knew more than he was letting on.


    “That is true.” Tyler agreed. “Thing about these specific wrecks is that the crash is not what is killing


    these people.”


    “Oh?”


    “The men in these idents,” He said, making air quotes with his fingers to illustrate that he did not


    believe these idents were idents, “weren’t killed by the crashes. They were torn apart by


    animals. In fact, one car showed evidence of an animal. The driver’s door and the trunk had been


    ripped off with massive w marks in the metal. Something ripped open that car and dragged the


    victim from the vehicle to kill him in the street.”


    “Really?” Gordon acted surprised by the news. Yeah, he defiantly knew something.


    “You know an animal like that must be massive and dangerous. You haven’t seen any strange animals


    roaming around the area, have you?”


    “I’m sorry, I thought you said that you were with the State Patrol. Isn’t this an Animal Control problem?”


    “Well, here is the thing. I think someone is in possession of dangerous vicious dogs. I think they are


    running motorists off the road and using these dogs to kill the victims.” It was a very good theory. “Do


    you know anyone who has dogs around here?”


    Gordon took a deep breath and pretended to think about his answer. “No,” he finally said, “None that I


    know off.”


    “You know thest victim was an FBI Agent. I think he died because he knew too much. He was


    investigating a case and clearly uncovered something that got him killed. Someone around here is a


    cop a killer.”


    “I wish I could help you, but I don’t know anything. Feral is a fairly uneventful ce.” Both men stood


    there, their confident gaze holding the other, staring each other down. Tyler was hoping to intimidate


    Gordon into saying something to incriminate himself, but Gordon did not break. He was one cool


    customer.


    “What is going on, Baby?” A young pregnant blond asked,ing from the back room.


    “It is nothing,” Gordon said firmly. “Go back into the back room. I’ll be back in a minute.”


    “No, wait,” Tyler said, putting up his hand to stop her from leaving. “I want to ask her a few questions.


    First off, who are you?”


    “My Fiancée,” Gordon answered. Tyler was surprised. This woman had to be half Gordon’s age. Good


    for him. Tyler was impressed.


    “If you don’t mind, I want to hear her answers, not yours.” Tyler scolded Gordon.


    Gordon said nothing as he shot a warning nce at his fiancée. It was a look she understood, and


    Tyler got the feeling she was not going to tell him anything, but he was going to ask anyway.


    “Who are you?” Tyler asked again.


    “I’m Mackenzie Starr.”


    “Do you live around here?”


    “Yes.”


    “Do you know anything about the recent automobile crashes on the highway around here?” She shook


    her head, no. “Do you know anyone who might own somerge dogs?”


    “I can’t say I do.”


    “See, Detective, we don’t know anything,” Gordon stressed. “Now, if you don’t mind, we were in the


    middle of lunch, and I’m expecting a client.”


    “Alright.” He said, reaching into his jacket pocket and took out his wallet. He removed a business card


    and handed it to Gordon. “If either of you remembers anything, we haven’t already discussed. Please


    call me.”


    Gordon epted the card. “Will do.”


    The door opened, and the chimes sounded as another woman came into the shop. Tyler took one look


    at her and his breath caught in his chest. Dear Lord, she was stunning. The woman was of average


    height with an amazing figure that could make a man speechless. Her long blond hair was thick and


    hung in long waves cascading down her back and over her shoulders. Her face was round with soft


    features and ivory skin. She looked like an earth-bound angel with striking amber eyes.


    “Hello.” Tyler managed, trying not to appear as if he was gawking at her.


    “Hello.” She smiled back with a glint of interest in her eyes, or maybe he just saw what he wanted to


    because he was interested.


    Gordon cleared his throat. “Detective Winthrop, allow me to introduce my daughter Aster Wilder. Aster,


    honey, this is Detective Winthrop with the Colorado State Patrol.”


    Gordon’s gaze held Aster’s for a moment, and then she smiled once more and shook Tyler’s hand. Her


    skin was so soft. “Nice to meet you, Detective.”


    “It is very nice to meet you, Miss. Wilder.” He smiled back as he shook her hand.


    “He is investigating some traffic fatalities around here,” Gordon informed his daughter. Tyler noticed the


    look that passed between father and daughter, and Tyler knew Aster knew something also.


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    “Do you know anything about them?” Tyler asked.


    “I don’t watch the news. I find it depressing.” She said.


    “Do you know anyone who might own somerge dogs in the area?”


    Aster pretended to think over his question. “No, sorry, I don’t. But I’m often working, so I don’t socialize


    much.”


    “What do you do for a living?” He asked.


    “I own a bakery.” She said.


    “In Feral?”


    “In Aspen.”


    “If that is everything, Detective, I’m sure my daughter came to see me. If you don’t mind leaving us to


    our business.”


    “No, of course not.” He took out another business card and offered it to Aster. “If you think of anything


    that might be helpful, please call me.”


    Aster epted the card and smiled as Tyler walked out the door. He knew they knew something. He


    was going to have to investigate this little town a little more. Something was going on here, and he was


    going to figure out just what.