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As he walked closer； Hazen snapped his phone shut。 〃Get back； all of you！〃 he shouted； waving the phone at the crowd。 〃Tad！ Take over with this tape andget these people back！ 〃
Tad moved forward quickly； grabbing the end of the tape。 As he did so； he got a much closer glance at the pile on the street。 It glistened redly； pearlescent； steaming in the predawn light。 He looked away quickly； swallowing hard。
〃All right； folks；〃 Tad began； but his voice didn't sound quite right and he stopped； swallowing once more。 〃All right； folks； back up。 More。 More。 Please。〃
The crowd huddled back； silent； their faces pale in the gloom。 He strung the plastic tape across the road and tied it to a tree； wrapping it several times； pleting the square that Hazen had begun。 He saw that Hazen was now talking to the Goth； Corrie Swanson。 Pendergast stood beside her； silent。 Behind was her mother； looking like hell as usual； her thin brown hair plastered to her skull； a stained and frayed pink bathrobe wrapped tightly around her。 She was chain…smoking Virginia Slims。
〃Youheard something？〃 Hazen was repeating。 His voice was skeptical； but he was taking notes nevertheless。
Corrie was pale； and she was trembling； but her mouth was set in a hard line and her eyes were bright。 〃I woke up。 It was just before two…〃
〃And how did you know what time it was？〃
〃I looked at my clock。〃
〃Go on。〃
〃Something woke me up； I wasn't sure what。 I went to the window； and that's when I heard the sound。〃
〃What sound？〃
〃Like snuffling。〃
〃Dog？〃
〃No。 More like 。 。 。 like someone with a bad cold。〃
Hazen jotted notes。 〃Go on。〃
〃I had this sense there was something moving out there； right beneath my window； but I couldn't really see it。 It was too dark。 I turned on the light。 And then I heard a different sound； like a groan。〃
〃Human？〃
Corrie blinked。 〃Hard to tell。〃
〃Then？〃
〃I shut my window and went back to sleep。〃
Hazen lowered his notebook and stared at her。 〃You didn't think to call me or your； ah； boss？〃 He nodded at Pendergast。
〃I…I figured it was just the sprinkler system； which goes on every night around two。 It makes weird noises。〃
Hazen put away his notebook。 He turned to Pendergast。 〃Some assistant you got there。〃 Then he turned to Tad。 〃All right； this is what we've got。 Somebody dumped a pile of guts on the road。 Looks like cow to me； there's too much there for a dog or sheep。 And that sack sitting next to it is full of ears of corn； freshly picked。 I want you to check around all the local stock farms； see if anyone's missing a cow； pig； any large livestock。〃 His eyes flitted back toward Corrie before returning to Tad。 He lowered his voice。 〃This whole thing is starting to look more and more like a cult of some kind。〃
Over Hazen's shoulder； Tad watched Pendergast step forward and kneel before the pile of offal。 He reached forward； actually prodded at something with his finger。 Tad averted his eyes。 Then he reached over and with one finger lifted the mouth of the canvas bag。
〃Sheriff Hazen？〃 Pendergast asked without rising。
Hazen was already back on the cell phone。 〃What？〃
〃I would suggest looking for a missing person instead。〃
There was a shocked silence as the implication sunk in。
Hazen lowered the cell phone。 〃How do you know these are 。 。 。〃 He couldn't quite bring himself to finish the sentence。
〃Cows don't normally eat what appears to be Maisie's meatloaf； washed down with a glass of beer。〃
Hazen took a step forward and shined his light into the glistening pile。 He swallowed hard。 〃But why would the killer 。 。 。〃 He paused again。 His face was dead white。 〃I mean； why take a body and leave the guts behind？〃
Pendergast rose； wiping his finger with a handkerchief of white silk。 〃Perhaps；〃 he said grimly； 〃to lighten his load。〃
Thirty…Two
It was eleven o'clock before Tad finally returned to the sheriff's office。 The sweat was pouring off his brow； and his uniform was soaked to the cuffs。 He was the last to return： the state troopers and Hazen； who had also been conducting searches； were there before him。 The inner office had been turned into a mand center； and a large group of Staties were standing around； talking on cell phones and radios。 The press； naturally； had gotten wind of it； and once again the street was lined with TV vans； reporters； and photographers。 But they were the only people in sight： all the residents had shut and locked themselves in their houses。 The Wagon Wheel was closed and shuttered。 Even the shift at Gro…Bain had been sent home for the day。 Except for the hungry gaggle of media； Medicine Creek had bee a ghost town。
〃Any luck？〃 Hazen said immediately as Tad came through the door。
〃No。〃
〃Damn！〃The sheriff pounded his fist on the desk。 〃Yours was the last quadrant。〃 He shook his head。 〃Three hundred and twenty…five people； and every damn one of them accounted for。 They're canvassing Deeper and the surrounding farms； but nobody's e up missing。〃
〃Are you sure the； um； guts were human？〃
Hazen looked sideways at Tad； his eyes red； rimmed by dark circles。 Tad had never seen the sheriff under so much pressure。 The man's muscular hands were balled into fists； the knuckles white。
〃I wondered that； too。 But the remains are now up at Garden City； and McHyde assures me they're human。 That's all they know so far。〃
Tad felt sick to his stomach。 The image of the meatloaf； poking out of that ragged tear in the ruined guts； the beer foam mixing with the blood…that was going to stay with him the rest of his life。 He never should have looked。 Never。
〃Maybe it was someone passing through；〃 he said weakly。 〃What local person would be out alone at that time of night； anyway？〃
〃I thought of that； too。 But where's the car？〃
〃Hidden； like Sheila Swegg's？〃
〃We've checked everywhere。 We've had a spotter plane up since eight。〃
〃No circle cut in a cornfield？〃
〃Nothing。 No hidden car； no circle； no dumped body； nothing。 No footprints this time； either。〃 Hazen wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and sat down with a heavy thump。
It was hard to concentrate； the state police were making so much noise with their radios and cell phones in the inner office。 And worse； the press was camped right outside； a battery of cameras aimed point…blank at them through the glass door。
〃Could it have been a traveling salesman？〃 Tad asked。
Hazen jerked his head toward the inner office。 〃The Staties are checking all the area motels。〃
〃What about the sack of corn？〃
〃We're working on it。 Christ； we don't know if it was left by the killer or if the victim was carrying it。 But why the hell would someone be carrying a sackful of corn in the middle of the night？ And each ear was tagged and numbered in some kind of weird code； to boot。〃 He glanced at the sea of cameras beyond the front door。 He started to rise； sat down； rose again。 〃Get me that can of whitewash and the brush from the storeroom； okay？〃
Tad knew exactly what Hazen was going to do。 When he returned； Hazen took the can from his hands； tore off the lid； dipped in the brush； and began to paint the glass。
〃Bastards；〃 he muttered as his arm swept back and forth； the paint