Mercy goes home to find Uncle Mike and Samuel in her living room. Later that night Mercy investigates O'Donnells' house as a coyote and sees his ghost and O'Donnells' actions when he was killed before she notices an antique walking stick and an exceptionally large raven follows her into the house and takes the walking stick before leaving via through stone wall. Kyle finds an lawyer named Jean Ryan for Mercy and Mercy tells her everything on Kyles' advice. When Tim leaves Samuel asks Mercy what is wrong as he can smell her worry. After saying goodbye Mercy and her group walk over to Samuel who is talking to a young man named Tim Milanovich about Samuels' performance. Mercy calls Tony Montenegro and tells him Zee did not kill O'Donnell and after convincing him, Tony tells her she needs to get Zee a lawyer. Mercy promises to help and Mike promises to pay for a lawyer if she hires one.

During the festival Adam Hauptman sits behind Mercy and later after Samuel is done playing Uncle Mike calls to tell her Zee is in prison as he was caught by the police when he and Zee went to talk to O'Donnell at his house and found him dead right before the police arrived and Uncle Mike was able to escape with his magic but Zees' was not suitable. The next day Mercy goes with Kyle and Warren to a music festival called Tumbleweed where Samuel Cornick plays.

The story opens with Mercy having bad movie night with Warren Smith and Kyle Brooks before going with Zee to the local Walla Walla Fae reservation to aid the Fae in residence in identifying the killer and Mercy points them in the direction of a reservation security guard Thomas O'Donnell.

Mercy thompson bone crossed