The Botanist Read Online Free PDF Page A

behind. As it turned out, a garbage can had fallen over, depositing much of its goods onto the ground, including the used napkins. The hobo was a chronic drunk, and probably a little crazy to boot. He’d seen the napkins and his mind had just filled in the blanks.
    These ridiculous, disgusting cases made all four of the detectives shudder, but that didn’t mean they could ignore them. If a report was filed, it had to be followed up.
    Cody looked fearfully up at the captain. “So, what is it?”
    The captain held up a clear plastic bag that made Cody cringe. It was enough to silence the other three detectives as well, which didn’t happen often.
    “Comes with a mutilated doll,” the captain grinned.
    “Great,” Cody muttered.
    “Two hikers found it up Hydra Mountain. There’s a trail called Hy-Hydand-dera—?”
    “Hydrandra Trail,” Court finished for him. “Yeah, I been up there. You take it up to the fork and if you go left, it takes you to the waterfall.”
    “Is there really a waterfall up there?” Frank asked.
    It didn’t sound plausible to Cody, either. He’d never been up that particular mountain, but they were in the southwest corner of Utah. Not much outside the city limits but dust and sagebrush. A waterfall just didn’t seem likely.
    “Yeah. I mean, it’s more like slobber on a burner, this late in summer, but it’s there.”
    Frank nodded knowingly as the captain went on.
    “Well, according to the report, they went right, not left. Two young lovebirds, just exploring. Then they found the doll.”
    “So some hiker’s kid dropped it,” Cody said. “What’s so special about a doll?”
    The captain tossed the bag at Cody, who caught it above his head.
    “Why don’t you press the hand and find out.”
    Feeling the urge to scratch his scalp, Cody carefully removed the dirt-covered doll from the bag. Most of the hair had been pulled out, one eye was permanently shut, and the faded pink dress it wore—it may have originally been red—was ripped and unraveling.
    Reaching over and taking a tissue from the box on Frank’s desk, Cody squeezed the doll’s right palm. Then he hunched his shoulders, waiting for something to happen.
    Nothing did.
    The captain had put on his reading glasses and was studying the report in front of him. “Other hand,” he murmured, not looking up.
    Cody pressed the other hand. This time, a jovial, high-pitched, little girl’s voice came out of the doll.
    “I’m a whore,” it announced cheerfully.
    Cody almost dropped the doll.
    Frank gasped and slid his chair several feet away from Cody.
    Cody glanced at him, annoyed. “Well I didn’t say it, Frank.”
    “I’m sorry,” Tom said from across the room, “an old man’s hearing starts to go. Did that thing just say, ‘I’m a whore’?”
    The captain looked up at them. “Press it again, Cody.” His look told Cody it wasn’t just to repeat the first phrase. Against his better judgment, Cody pressed the palm again.
    “I like it when Daddy touches me,” the doll announced in a way -too-happy voice.
    Cody did drop the doll this time, chills running down his back.
    “What”—Court also scooted away from Cody—“the hell.”
    The captain gave them a grimace of a smile. “Now you know why the hikers turned it in. Look”—he removed his reading glasses—“before you all go getting worked up about it, I want you to try and keep this in perspective. It may be nothing at all.”
    “No offense, Cap, but how could that be nothing?” Frank asked.
    Cody was about to agree, but the captain held his hands up. “Think about it. This thing is battery powered, which means there must be some sort of computer or recording device in there. You know how smart kids are today, especially with electronics. This may simply be the case of horny, teenage boys screwing around with this thing and thinking it’s hilarious. It was abandoned near what I understand is a popular high school hotspot.”
    “And if it’s not