The Night Visitor (51 page)

Moon, disinclined to witness the gory proceedings, stood well away from the commotion. He seemed so detatched that a casual observer might have assumed the policeman was daydreaming. But the Ute was staring intently at a profile on the far ridge: a single spruce standing among a great company
of its fellows. Near the crest of this particular tree was a slight interruption of natural symmetry. This distortion alone was not sufficient to attract his attention. There were many ordinary causes for a disruption of branches. It was what Moon saw above the tree that most concerned him. A half dozen large birds circling patiently. They were neither hawks nor eagles.

He thought about it. Climbing a thick spruce would be quite a troublesome task. And this was Scott Parris' jurisdiction, his investigation. Moon eased his way over to his friend's side. “Scott?”

Parris turned. “Yeah, Charlie?”

“I think you'd best call in a Medivac 'copter.”

The
matukach
squinted, following the Ute's gaze to the far congregation of spruce. “You spotted something?”

“Maybe.”
Or somebody.
The buzzards circled high over Second Finger Ridge, so it might not be too late.

Corporal Rodriguez spoke through the microphone built into his orange Kevlar helmet. “Sarge, it's a body. You copy me?”

The helicopter pilot had seen more than his share of corpses; his response was a professional monotone. “Roger that, Corporal. We'll descend to seven meters over the target. Prepare the sling.”

The ungainly craft hovered low, flaying the spruce branches with a noisy whirlwind. Rodriguez buckled himself into an array of heavy canvas straps. On signal from the pilot, he lowered himself toward the body, alternately cursing in English and praying in Spanish as he swung to and fro, a living weight on a perilous pendulum.

The pilot was pleased to hear the VHF radio report over the roar of the engine. “Sarge, it looks like… he's alive!”

“GET READY FOR DOSs' BEST YET …
Sometimes lyrical and always entertaining…
The Night Visitor
features plenty of Doss' trademark suspense, but adds a sense of fun that makes this book a pleasure.”
Denver Rocky Mountain News

“WHOLLY SATISFYING …
The Night Visitor
is filled with vivid descriptions of the area, and includes elements of mystery, archaeology, shamanism, and humor blended into an entertaining page-turner.”
Albuquerque Journal

“DOSS DAZZLES
with his trademark blend of Native-American folklore, science, satire, and suspense… quirky, satisfying… Wry Officer Moon and irascible Daisy continue to charm as the series' lead characters. The dialogue crackles, and the Southern Colorado atmosphere astonishes, especially at night.”
Publishers Weekly

“ANOTHER AMUSING, INTELLIGENT, AND SPIRIT-FILLED MYSTERY FROM JAMES DOSS.
It's a ghost story for grown-u
ps… Doss brings the new reader into his Shaman series and makes him feel at home.”
Los Alamos Monitor

“TONY HILLERMAN BLAZED A TRAIL WITH HIS NAVAJO MYSTERIES… JAMES D. DOSS IS GETTING CLOSE.”
San Jose Mercury News

T
HE
S
HAMAN'S
G
AME
T
HE
S
HAMAN
S
INGS
T
HE
S
HAMAN
L
AUGHS
T
HE
S
HAMAN'S
B
ONES
T
HE
N
IGHT
V
ISITOR
G
RANDMOTHER
S
PIDER
W
HITE
S
HELL
W
OMAN

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

AVON BOOKS
An Imprint of
HarperCollins
Publishers
10 East 53rd Street
New York, New York 10022-5299

Copyright © 1999 by James D. Doss
Cover art by Tsukushi
Excerpt from
Grandmother Spider
copyright © by James D. Doss
Published by arrangement with St. Martin's Press, Inc.
ISBN: 0-380-80393-3
www.avonmystery.com

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EPub Edition © AUGUST 2010 ISBN: 9780062034748

Version 04192013

First Avon Books paperback printing: December 2000
First Avon Books hardcover printing: September 1999

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