Leopard 05 - Savage Nature

know there were any other shifters, Remy. I didn’ want to betray any of you, but when I found the second body, I knew I couldn’t just let the killin’ continue.”
    “So you tried to mail a letter but found it the next day pinned to the pirogue. None of us use that, only you, so you knew the warnin’ was for you, and all of us had access to your boat.” Remy’s voice was thoughtful more than critical.
    Drake stayed silent, shifting on the worn couch to bring Saria a little closer to him in an effort to comfort her. His team remained silent, deployed by the open windows, using leopard senses to ensure their privacy.
    Saria nodded. “I was very scared.”
    “For God’s sake, Saria,” Remy snapped suddenly, “I’m a fuckin’ homicide detective. You couldn’t have thought it was me.”
    “I didn’ want to think it was any of you. I was afraid, Remy.” Her voice trembled.
    Drake cleared his throat to rid himself of the snarl building. At least his leopard had subsided, giving him some breathing room. The sound was loud in the silence of the room, bringing immediate attention to him. All five of Saria’s brothers stared at him.
    “You knew about this?” Remy asked.
    Drake nodded. “Jake received her letter. It wasn’t signed, and it was worded very carefully. It implied someone was using Fenton’s Marsh to permit a large cat to kill humans by first stabbing the victim and then allowing the animal to administer a suffocating bite to finish the job. Naturally he was intrigued and he sent me to investigate. At the time, of course, I had no idea Saria had sent the letter. I asked for a guide into the swamp and she came highly recommended.”
    Remy nodded. “That makes sense. She is considered one of the best guides around. Even with our leopards, she’s difficult to find if she doesn’t want to be found.”
    Saria smiled and Remy glared at her. “That was no compliment.”
    Drake brought her hand to his mouth and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. As long as he wasn’t the one trying to find her, he thought Remy’s observation was a great compliment. She sent him a quick smile.
    “What did you find out there?” Remy asked.
    “No bodies, but the scent of large pools of blood in the ground told me a number of males have been killed out there.”
    Remy pressed two fingers to his eyes. He looked at his sister. “Where are they, Saria?” he demanded.
    Saria blinked. She pressed her lips together. “Where is what?”
    “The photographs. You took pictures of the dead bodies and the wounds on them. I know you did, so cut the crap and let me see them,” Remy snapped.
    Of course she had. Drake should have thought of that. It was exactly what Saria would have done. She would have recorded the entire scene and the surrounding area. She would have done exactly as her brother said. Face, wounds, everything. She was a photographer and a damned good one. She would have needed proof to show Jake Bannaconni. And she’d probably seen enough crime scenes to photograph them correctly.
    “Give them to him, Saria,” Drake said. “Remy’s the investigator.”
    She bit down on her lower lip. “Remy, at two of the scenes, there were bottles from our bar. The kind we use exclusively. And Drake found evidence of other dump sites. There were no bodies, but he found where someone had lost a lot of blood and the same bottles were there.”
    “You went lookin’ for more bodies?” Remy asked.
    Drake nodded. “I wanted to confirm what Saria had told us. The bodies were long gone. The alligators took care of that, but my leopard found several more kill spots.”
    There was a brief silence. The brothers exchanged long looks. Remy sighed. “Did you catch the scent of a leopard, somethin’ strong enough you might be able to recognize if you came across it again?”
    Drake shook his head. “Nothing. Not a rake mark. No pile of leaves. No scent marking and nothing near where the victims were killed. Just blood and death. No leopard.”
    “That’s a good thing, isn’t it, Remy?” Lojos, the youngest brother asked. “It isn’t a shifter.”
    “Could you be wrong about the bite, Saria?” Remy asked. “Maybe Fenton’s Marsh is a body dump, but there is no leopard involved.”
    Saria made a face at him. “You think I don’ know a leopard bite when I see one?” She jumped up and rushed from the room to get the proof.
    Remy flicked his gaze at his younger brother Lojos, who silently followed his sister.