Chapter Three:
Throw a Bone

Caroline woke up a couple of minutes before her 7 AM alarm in an exceptionally good mood. The only way to describe it was that she woke up on the right side of the bed. She dressed quickly for her morning run and her day only brightened when she found Charlie downstairs standing in the doorway waiting for something outside. It took her a few moments to realize that the surprise Sue had for Charlie last night after dinner wasn't sexual afterall.

"Oh my god, is that a dog?" Caroline exclaimed, running past Charlie to the eager mutt in front of her. The dog started lapping at her face immediately, rubbing itself up against her to maximize the petting experience. The dog looked vaguely like the prison dog from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Caroline mused happily. A scruffy lady was perfect for a guy like Charlie.

"Apparently I spend too much time on the couch," Charlie grumbled, grabbing a brand new pooper-scooper off the front porch and grabbing the dog's morning business.

"What's her name?" Caroline said between wet dog kisses.

"His name," the older man rolled his eyes, "is Charles."

"Isn't he the cutest," Sue said from the doorway as Caroline burst out laughing. "He's a little older but the shelter couldn't hold him anymore and I thought he just reminded me so much of my Charlie that I just couldn't leave him!"

"You most certainly could have left him," Charlie argued.

"No," Caroline shook her head, she wrapped her arms around the mutt's neck. "Look at him, Charlie!" The dog barked. "I know you love him!"

Charlie's radio went off and he went inside to grab it. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Aunt Sue, this is amazing!"

"I think the dog will be good for Charlie. He has been so stressed at the station lately and ever since Bella…" She trailed off before making eye contact with her niece. "I also think he would be good for you." Sue joined her in her petting much to Charles' pleasure, relishing the feeling of four attentive hands stroking his fur instead of two. Caroline would be lying if she said she didn't suspect the dog to have a part in Sue's imposed therapy for her. The dinner last night was only the start of her reintroduction to society. Sue was trying to surround Caroline with people - and now animals. "I think you should take him on your runs. I don't like the idea of you going alone. Especially after what happened last night."

Caroline frowned. "What happened last night?"

Charlie walked back out the front door and towards his cruiser. "A hiker was attacked late last night. She was near the rez - up by Little Creek - and people reported hearing howling throughout the night."

Caroline froze. Little Creek was near where her father was when he had his heart attack. "Howling? Like wolves?" She remembered listening to them last night. At the time it made her feel like she wasn't as alone as she thought, but now it made her blood run cold. "Why was she hiking at night? Alone?"

Charlie rested his hands on his hips, looking every part the concerned sheriff he was. "That's what we're hoping to find out today."

"This have any connection to the other attacks?" She tried to keep the suspicion out of her voice. First bears and now wolves?

"How did -"

"Bella was telling me about why Dr Cullen was back in town. Does that mean they're coming back?"

Charlie furrowed his brow. "Coming back?"

"For the animal attacks. Wolves, bears. Animal attacks aren't exactly rare but they aren't regular either." Charlie frowned and Caroline realized she said too much and quickly steered the conversation. "Is she okay?" Is she alive?

Charlie relaxed, but only slightly. "Yeah. Yeah, she's okay. She made it out with a couple of scratches and a concussion but she's going to live."

Sue shook her head, "I don't think it was those wolves. Probably another bear. In fact, it's probably the same bear." Sue said in a stern voice.

Charlie gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You never think it's the wolves. There is no evidence suggesting any of them were bears."

"Paw prints were too big to be a wolf," Sue frowned.

"We both know that's -" Charlie cut himself off, glancing at Caroline and making his way to the car. "Guess we won't know anyways, just got a call saying she doesn't remember anything."

Sue shook her head and turned back to Caroline. She smiled but the tension between the two of them was palpable. They knew something. It seemed like everyone knew something Caroline didn't. "I have some doggy bags inside you can take with you. Just stay out of the woods today." Sue was the master at changing subjects on a dime.

"In case I run into any wolves?" Caroline grinned, trying to play at a joke but Sue's face was grave and she couldn't help but shiver.

"It's not the wolves I'm worried about."

Caroline didn't bring her headphones with her that morning. She had already planned out a route to keep from looping around Forks too much but it seemed Charles wasn't interested in anything she had planned for them. He started leading her west and once they got to the freeway she understood.

"Once a rez dog, always a rez dog, huh?" She asked. "Well, we can't walk all the way there, and I don't want to put you in Bella's car - no offense but she probably wouldn't appreciate me getting dog hair in her astronomically priced Mercedes-Benz." Charles simply ignored everything she was saying and started pulling her along the freeway. "I'm not kidding, we really can't walk all the way there." She pulled on his leash. Charles started gnawing at the leash, he wasn't taking no for an answer.

Caroline grabbed a treat out of her pocket and Charles was much more compliant the remainder of the walk.

The house was empty when she finally arrived but it felt less oppressive. She was in a better mood, a better head space really, and now she had a cute dog. She grabbed the mail and organized it on the counter. Some bills addressed to Charlie, a letter addressed to Sue from her grandmother, coupons, coupons, and an unmarked envelope.

Caroline frowned and filled it over. In a hasty scrawl was her name. She gulped. With shaking fingers, she ripped the envelope open. Inside was a photograph, the back labeled Richard Talltree and the front…

Caroline dropped the photograph, brought her hand to her mouth and sobbed. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably as Charles whined at her side.

The picture was of a mauled man - her father. He was unrecognizable. Salt and pepper hair matted with blood was flipped up as skin was ripped from bone. His lower jaw was ripped off and resting on his chest. Stained with blood, the baby blue tribal patterned long sleeve shirt was one she had seen her father wear on numerous occasions.

She didn't know how long she stood there staring blankly at the photograph. Her eyes were unfocused and her jaw was clenched so tightly her teeth were sore.

Richard Talltree did not die of a heart attack. Of this, Caroline was absolutely certain.

Caroline's father died in the same woods the hiker was attacked in. From the picture she saw, it could have easily been a wolf - or a pack of wolves. But they didn't eat him. Why would they just maul him and leave him?

She finds herself spending the next couple of hours on the desktop computer in Charlie's office researching the wolves of La Push. They've never been accredited with any animal attacks - at least not officially. Most of the animal attacks are blamed on bears - some with more evidence than others. Four years ago there was a spree of animal attacks. The victims were nearly drained of blood.

Caroline shivered. It was an interesting thought that they could be connected, but it just didn't fit. The most recent attacks were maulings and they weren't left without their blood.

The police and local hunters had trapped a couple of bears in the time since the first attack four years ago and the most recent, but there was a pattern of behavior in the most recent ones that Caroline couldn't seem to shake. Some of the attackers were never determined, adding themselves to Caroline's list of unanswered questions. Even if every attack was a lone bear, why would so many bears turn on people. It wasn't that bear attacks were unheard of, but so many in such a short period of time? It just seemed unlikely.

And where did the wolves play a role? If it was that simple, why would someone anonymously leave her a photograph of her father. Why would the police lie to her about his death in the first place? Why were Aunt Sue and Charlie and even Em hiding things from her?

By the time Charlie comes home at 5 PM, Caroline isn't any closer to developing a solid theory. Just a few unhinged conspiracies, she thought bitterly. "Any plans tonight?" Charlie dropped onto the couch and flipped on the television to ESPN. Charles followed him in the living room and plopped down onto the carpet next to his feet.

"No," Caroline sighed, realizing that now more than ever she didn't like all of the alone time she was receiving, and had been receiving for the last month. Someone who knew what happened to her father also knew where she lived. "I got a job."

"Oh?"

She nodded. "On the rez. At a bar. I start Friday."

"Really? Have you told your aunt?"

"No, but she probably already knows."

Charlie laughed at that. "Yeah, she probably does."

The conversation ended comfortably there and Caroline made her way upstairs. The rest of the week went by in a similar fashion. She tucked the photograph and envelope away in her room but she had nightmares of it every night. Emily called the house phone at least once a day, asking Caroline when she was coming to visit. And everyday Caroline told her "tomorrow". She was stalling, she knew.

She liked hanging out with them, in fact she really liked hanging out with all of them, but there was something about them that didn't sit right with her either. They were all close and she felt almost like she was imposing on their time. Like they had things they wanted to say, jokes they wanted to make, even secrets they wanted to share that Caroline couldn't hear. Her natural curiosity pushed for her to find out but she needed time. Or rather, she thought they needed time to warm up to her. She made a good first impression, now she just hoped distance would make their hearts grow fonder.

By the time Friday rolled around, Caroline had finally committed to meeting up with everyone the following week. She didn't know if she would work all weekend but apparently Colin, Brady and Jake would be busy and it wouldn't be a good time for her to come anyways. Emily insisted she had to meet them but things were tense on the rez after the most recent attack. The young woman was the first white woman to be attacked on the rez, making the media extra prickly and in turn raising racial tensions to a degree.

The other attacks weren't covered to this degree, and they were all indigenous peoples or white men. The inherent racism wasn't lost on Caroline.

Emily told her that the boys felt like it was their fault the hiker had gotten hurt, even though her injuries were relatively harmless. It struck Caroline as odd. What did they think they were going to do against a bear - or a pack of wolves? Emily just said it was another long, boring story.

These "long stories" were starting to pile up and Caroline was growing restless without explanations. But the more time that passed, the more certain Caroline was that she likely would never hear them and that didn't sit well with her.

Caroline didn't start work until 8 that night and he didn't specify a time but she hadn't changed since her run and she was beginning to smell herself. When she stood in front of her mirror after her shower she knew nothing had changed really but she felt fuller. Her skin felt softer and her eyes shone brighter. She was healing. This new drive was bringing life back into her.

She settled on a pair of black jeggings and a white v-neck shirt to play it safe since she didn't have any information other than the location, the time she needed to be there, and that she had the job. She got there 15 minutes early to get settled and meet her co-worker only to find she already knew him.

"Hey Sam." She stifled a laugh. "Fancy seeing you here."

The huge older man smiled at her from behind the bar. "Don't get too excited, I'm covering for Paul. I usually work days but Stanley is going to be putting you on nights. He thinks a more feminine touch might help business."

"Paul doesn't flirt with the patrons?"

Sam opened the bar to let her in. "Paul doesn't acknowledge the patrons." They both laugh at that. "Now, let's get you started. The usual crowd doesn't come in until around nine so we've got time to show you the ropes."

Sam and Caroline were never particularly close, mostly due to her constant poking fun at him and his lack of ability to take jokes - not to mention Leah - but in a professional environment they thrived.

"If you don't know a drink," he said as he muddled the mint in the mojito he was preparing, "just make it up. By the time anyone notices you'll be helping the next customer."

"Not a very high class bar, is it?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Have you seen this place?" Sam deadpanned. "Most people order beer anyways. Jimmy Buffett over here," he motioned to a patron at the end of the bar, "only drinks Mojitos. Extra mint to cover for the fact that he doesn't brush his teeth." The door opened roughly and Sam motioned to the group of young men walking in. "You handle them. They'll probably tip better with you helping than with me."

"You got it boss," Caroline saluted him and if he saw it he ignored her. They all ordered domestic beers and didn't ask her too many questions, which she appreciated. She adopted a don't-speak-unless-spoken-to attitude. Good backstory or not, she wasn't that keen on sharing. She wondered briefly if she would have had that attitude before her father's passing. No, she decided. She would have been chatting up the whole bar.

As the night went on the shift picked up and she found this place was more popular than Emily had let on. The crowd tended to ask for their usuals, which left Caroline feeling like a fish out of water but by the time Sam announced last call, she was starting to figure it out.

Caroline was wiping down the tables when Sam broke the comfortable silence. "Emily said you're coming over this week to meet the rest of the - group." He stuttered over the last word.

Caroline quirked an eyebrow at him. "It seems I have two fans I just have to meet."

"I almost wish you wouldn't meet them," Sam confessed, which only made Caroline want to meet them sooner.

"Anything that will annoy you only brings me joy, Samantha." She winked and tried not to flinch at his oddly realistic sounding growl.

They ended the night smoothly with a customary threat from Sam over his new nickname from her but it only egged her on. "Good night, Sam! See you tomorrow!" She threw herself in Bella's car and started to back out before he could yell at her.

On the drive home she found she couldn't wipe the grin off of her face. That "group", as Sam had so eloquently put it, did have their secrets they weren't letting her in on, but she hoped they'd open up their tight knit group enough to throw her a bone.

While she craved their friendship, she also needed answers.

thanks for reading! don't worry, our boy jake is coming. but there is no time for romance with a mystery underfoot! or is there?