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to know?”
    Sam’s smile widened. “If you show me yours, I’ll show you mine.”
    Max idly flipped the cigar through his fingers as he narrowed his light gray eyes at Sam. Reaching some decision, he leaned back, unholstered his pistol, and carefully placed it on the table so it pointed at no one. “SIG Sauer Model P210, nine-round magazine in nine millimeter.” He kept his hand on it so even with a quick grab, Sam couldn’t pick it up.
    Sam reached behind her and pulled her pistol. Her gun had sleek lines and a molded grip. “Heckler and Koch P9S. Also nine in nine.”
    â€œNice piece,” Max said around his unlit cigar.
    â€œYou’ve got a nice rod there yourself.”
    â€œSome of us are still eating,” Kraynak grumbled, then muttered softly, shaking his head, “Gun-bunny foreplay.”
    Max and Sam blushed, and the guns vanished from the table.
    Ukiah frowned, feeling like he just missed something huge that everyone else could see, like he had suddenly gone blind to elephants wandering through the lounge.
    â€œI’m serious about the help,” Sam said. “I’ve been in Pendleton for four years. I know the locals and the area. If you need any help, give me a call. I’ll gladly trade information for local color.”
    She stole one of Max’s fries, popped it into her mouth with a grin, and strolled away.
    â€œWoof,” Kraynak said after the lounge door closed behind her.
    â€œWoof, woof,” Max said, picking up the business card and stowing it away.
    â€œYou think we can trust her?” Ukiah asked.
    â€œI would like to trust her,” Max admitted with a grin, and then sobered. “You didn’t find Kicking Deer?”
    â€œHe’s got a big, angry grandson that didn’t like me on sight. Apparently they’ve gotten a string of people showing up and claiming to be the Umatilla Wolf Boy.” Max’s eyebrows went up in alarm but relaxed as Ukiah continued with, “But they didn’t look like me.”
    â€œThat’s weird,” Kraynak said.
    Ukiah agreed with a twinge of guilt. While Kraynak was one of his and Max’s best friends, they’d never revealed Ukiah’s alien origins to the homicide detective. Max and Indigo both stressed that the fewer people who knew the truth, the better. Luckily, being raised by wolves seemed to excuse most of his oddities.
    Speaking of oddities. “Another weird thing, Jared Kicking Deer guessed I was here to find Alicia—although from what Sam said, it’s common knowledge that two private investigators from Pittsburgh are flying in to look for her.”
    â€œThere is that,” Max said, although his tone suggested that he didn’t believe it.
    Kraynak pushed abruptly away from the table. “We’ll check his priors tomorrow with the police, if Alicia doesn’t turn up.”
    â€œWhat did you two find out?” Ukiah asked.
    â€œWe talked to the incident commander, Tim Winholtz,” Max said. “He seems to know what he’s doing. They had thirty people out looking today, but they didn’t turn anything up.”
    In rugged country, a broken or twisted ankle could strand a hiker on or near a trail. Searchers without tracking abilities could find such a hiker “lost” this way. Experienced hikers left markers when they ventured away from the trail. Alicia was experienced and intelligent. It boded ill that so many searchers hadn’t found her.
    â€œAny helicopter support?” Ukiah asked.
    Max shook his head. “They weren’t able to bring in the helicopter until late. That front that we flew through this afternoon kept them buttoned down all morning.”
    â€œIt rained?” Ukiah asked. Rain would make tracking harder.
    â€œIt just blew over,” Max said. “Strong gusts and overcast. Not flying weather. Not in the mountains.”
    â€œWhat’s the weather for