Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“With Stan’s attack and evidence stolen, wouldn’t that make the murderer someone in the community?” Ian asked.
“It would,” my dad agreed, “and that’s what I’d be looking for… men with local addresses.”
“There’s something else, Dad,” I said, and he waited for me to continue. “I had Amy searching for missing girls at that time.”
“I told you I already came up empty-handed with that search,” my dad said.
“I know, but with Amy’s analytical mind she spotted a pattern after spreading out the search, not only for missing girls but for chronic runaways as well. Check your email, I had her send you the findings.”
It didn’t take him long to find it and go over it.
“I really need to hire her,” my dad said, shaking his head. “This shows that once a month from July until Rita’s murder a high school girl went missing in the surrounding area on a Friday night. And in every case the police officer had noted that the girl was a chronic runaway.” He shook his head again. “When these types of reports came into the station, I’m ashamed to say we didn’t pay them much attention. We’d post a picture and be told to keep an eye out but didn’t put any effort into searching for them and no one ever spotted a pattern.”
“Did any girls go missing after Rita’s death?” Ian asked.
“Not on Friday nights and no chronic runaways,” I said.
“A pattern like that would suggest—”
“A possible serial killer,” I said before my dad could. “Travis and Rita could have accidentally come across the guy burying Deanna. Travis went to fight him, and he probably warned Rita to run.”
“The reason they found her in a different area,” Ian said.
“Right,” I said. “The guy probably then returned and buried Travis with Deanna leaving everyone to believe that Travis killed Rita.”
“But a serial killer wouldn’t stop killing,” Ian said, “which means he left the area.”
“Not necessarily,” my dad said. “With unexpectedly killing two people, he could have moved his hunting ground so no connections could be made to him and still remain living here.”
“My question is, why would the killer want that pin?” Ian asked.
“Fingerprints?” I asked with a raised brow at my dad.
“I was told not to expect much, but then the killer doesn’t know that,” my dad said, “and he could believe his prints may be on it.”
“Maybe it’s one of Stan’s old college buddies that was at the lodge with him that weekend?” Ian suggested.
“I don’t believe so. They were all in medical school and had little time for anything else. It was a weekend for them to relax and destress. Besides, they had helped your uncle Max, Ian, with medical emergencies that arose when they were there at other times. He spoke highly of all of them.” My dad shook his head. “But then you never truly know what people are capable of.”
“Would they have been in the area during the time frame when the other girls had gone missing?” Ian asked.
“They would,” my dad admitted and rubbed his chin. “You both have been very helpful, but with the off chance that this may involve a serial killer, I need to take it from here.” He looked to me. “No more digging, Pepper. I won’t have you hurt like Stan. You’ll leave it to me now.”
“You can’t mean that?” I argued. “You can’t expect me to come this far and give up.”
“You’re not giving it up. You are handing it over to me to finish,” my dad said.
“Not fair, Dad,” I complained.
“Fair or not, I will not see you hurt,” he said and pointed his finger at me. “I know you, Pepper, and I’m ordering you not to pursue this any farther. You are done on the Carson case.”
“Your da is right, Pepper,” Ian said. “Leave it to him to finish.”
I glared at Ian as if he were a trader.
“Listen to your boyfriend, Pepper, he has your best interest at heart,” my dad said, relieved Ian had taken his side. “I will keep you in the loop. You deserve that much with all the help you have given me.”
I left my dad’s office without saying a word to him, letting him know I was not at all pleased with his decision. And when Ian and I reached our vehicles, I turned to him ready to tell him to stay home tonight. I never got the chance since he had the audacity to laugh, and I was ready to spit fire.
“Do you really think I would go against you?” he asked, humor in his voice.
My anger cooled and I guess he felt it was safe to reach out and take me in his arms which, of course, I did not object to.
“It would do no good to argue with your da,” he said, his arms snug at my waist. “We can still work on the case. After all, we have a good team, you, me, Amy, and Beau. And with this snowstorm nearly upon us, we have time to work on it.” He nibbled along my neck. “Among other things.”