A Crying Shame (33 page)

Sheriff Saucier lifted his shoulders and spread his hands in a gesture of
So what?”—a body movement that only a Cajun can express so eloquently.

What's the foreman's name?”

Cooper. Doug Cooper. Is this supposed to be leading somewhere, Badon?”

Lived here long?”

All his life. All his forty-two years. He ...” The sheriff paused, reflecting for a moment. He sighed.
He was found abandoned when he was about ... six or seven months old. Found on a doorstep.”

Where?”

Other side of the swamp.”

Jon smiled.
Now isn't that interesting? Many of these around this area?”

Now that you mention it, yes. A few that I know of. But it doesn't prove a damned thing. Look, Badon, if Cooper ... the others ... are related to those beasts, Links, as you call them . . .” Saucier shook his head, expelling a breath of air.
Why wouldn't those people want to live close to them?”

Maybe they don't wish to be ‘one of them.' ”

Speculation. Conjecture.” Mike brushed it off.

If I were you, Mike,” Badon said.
I'd—”