Alone (Bone Secrets, #4)(54)

“Wait a minute, Ms. Peres?” One of the firemen stepped up to their circle.

“Yes?” Victoria said.

The fireman glanced at the group. “I need to ask you about something we found inside. We’re wondering if it belongs to you.”

“What’s that?”

“Maybe you could step aside with me for a minute?”

Victoria looked at her neighbors and Seth. “There’s no one here to hide anything from. What did you find?”

“We think the window was broken with a large rock we found inside. Then they threw in an accelerant in some sort of lit glass bottle.”

“Right. They told me this already,” Victoria said impatiently.

“Did you have any bones in that front room?” the fireman asked.

“Bones? No. You found bones? Like someone was in there?” Victoria’s brain shot into high alert.

Trinity gasped.

“No, not a body. Just a skull. Looks real, but I’m no expert.”

“I am,” said Victoria firmly. “Let me see it.”

The fireman raised an eyebrow at her. “This skull was on the floor close to where the fire started. If it didn’t belong to you, it was probably thrown in with the accelerant. Now it’s evidence.”

“Dr. Peres is the forensic anthropologist for the medical examiner’s office,” Seth interjected before Victoria could speak. “The skull will probably end up in her hands for confirmation anyway. Let her save you some time and tell you if they’re human or fake.”

The fireman studied Victoria for a long moment. “Okay. One look. No touching.” He turned and raised a hand to another fireman by the truck, gesturing for him to bring something over. The second man walked over with a large paper bag and handed it to the first. He opened it for Victoria to peer inside. Her heart speeding up, she peeked in the bag. Too dark. She smelled a familiar scent. Burned bone. Seth held up his cell phone and shone its light in the bag.

A woman’s skull glowed. Its lack of brow ridges and small size stated its sex. Its fused seams and teeth stated its maturity.

I knew it.

A small part of her knew it would turn out to be one of her skulls.

Whoever had burned her house had stolen her bones. But why?

“It’s human. Female,” she reported. “And please contact Detective Callahan at OSP, because I suspect it’s related to a case he’s working on.”

“What?” The fireman and Katy spoke at the same time. Jeremy took a step closer to look in the bag, shaking his head. Victoria noticed Seth was silent and knew he’d had the same suspicions as she.

“Just one skull? That was all?” Seth asked.

The fireman nodded, an odd look on his face. “You expected more?”

Seth shrugged.

“It was stolen from your lab?” Katy asked Victoria. She looked stricken. “Why was it thrown in your house along with starting a fire?”

Victoria had no answer. The fireman left with his bag and startling information. Victoria’s mind spun. Why? Why return the skull like that? Assuming it’s one of the skulls that was taken. She wouldn’t know for certain until she compared it to the photos and X-rays. But why would they steal it and then return it?

“Does someone know where you live?” Seth said under his breath for her ears only.

“I don’t know.” Her brain hurt. “I need to talk to Callahan.”

“We’re heading in,” Katy said. “We both need bed.”

“Go ahead,” said Victoria. “I’ll be right there.”

The two women walked away. Trinity’s feet dragged in her boots.

Victoria turned back to Seth and Jeremy. “I need to go. Seth, I’ll see you tomorrow. Jeremy, get back to bed.”

“Yes, Tori.” Jeremy winked at her with his use of Seth’s nickname. “Good to meet you, Dr. Rutledge.” He headed in the direction of his house.

Victoria didn’t have the energy to reprimand him. Does it really matter? She sighed, placing all thoughts of the skull out of her head. There was nothing she could do about it tonight. She looked at her ruined home and tried not to cry. There was nothing she could do about that tonight either.

She’d check in with the police tomorrow. And find someone to clean up her house. The mental checklist to restore her home came to a screeching halt. Tomorrow. Take care of it tomorrow. She was too exhausted to think about it.

She looked up at Seth, seeking a distraction from the voices in her head. It was nice to have to look up at a man. Most men were about the same height as her or a little shorter. Something about a taller man made her feel a bit feminine. Few things did.

He rested the umbrella against his shoulder, angling it to keep the both of them dry, and met her gaze, studying her face.

For a long moment, Victoria didn’t hear the mumblings of the firemen and onlookers. The rain splashing on the street was the only sound. Seth’s eyes were dark in the poor light, and she wished she could see their beautiful blue shade. How many times had they stood like this on campus long ago? It felt completely familiar and comforting.

She didn’t want to let him go home.

Seth reached out a hand and brushed back her hair. “The rain sparkles in your hair.”

“It makes it frizz,” Victoria added unhelpfully. What a stupid statement.