Beginnings ➣ Monroe [1]

34 | LAST GRIMM STANDING PT. 1

"What? Like a chess game gone awry?" Isabelle questions sarcastically.

"People aren't always what they seem." Hank remarks.

"Don't we know it." Isabelle mutters sharing a look with Nick.

"Maybe it was drugs." Hank suggests as they walk towards a bloodied steak by the fireplace.

"It's a possibility." Isabelle pauses. "But I don't think that's it. Something's telling me whatever happened is far more complicated than just the average break in, and-or, murder."

"When was the last time we had anything average?" Hank inquires.

"That's.." Isabelle trails off as she thinks about it. "Very true, actually."

"Well, the steak's raw. It looks like someone was gnawing on it." Nick muses, kneeling down so he could get a closer look at it.

"Animal could have gotten here after. Door was open." Hank points out.

"Why would it leave the steak was behind?" Nick asks.

"Something probably scared it." Isabelle responds.

"What kind of something?" Nick questions.

"It's the woods, Nick." Isabelle informs him. "And as we all know lots of scary things occur in the woods."

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"A lot of horse tracks." Nick comments as they trek through the woods surrounded by the cabin.

"It's not that unusual out here. Lots of people have horses." Hank tells him.

"Well, unless they have a secret underground barn then I don't think that they belong to the owners." Isabelle interjects.

"Let's see where they go." Nick presses.

"Wow. That's a lot of hooves." Isabelle breathes as they reach a circle of dozens of hoof prints.

"Hey, look at the path of these tracks." Nick blurts pointing to a set of tracks at the edge of the circle.

"Well, they came in one way and doubled back." Hank points out.

"Why would they do that?" Isabelle asks.

"I'm not sure." Nick murmurs. "Look — there's a lot of hoof prints here, and these drag marks next to them."

"Dragging what? A rake?" Hank inquires.

"Or something clawing at the ground." Nick responds.

"Or someone." Isabelle mutters and kneels down as she notices something shiny poking out of the ground. "Well this is interesting."

"Could be something off a saddle." Nick muses as Isabelle a piece of metal out of the dirt.

"Don't look at me." Hank remarks raising his hands in the air in defense. "I'm not a horse guy."