Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 108849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
“Good.” Laurel leaned against the side of the UTV and closed her eyes, surprised by how tired she remained even after sleeping for several hours. She may have dozed off until they reached an area with a couple of obvious camping spots. She stepped out, and the wind chill slapped her wide awake. “This isn’t where we found Abbott’s Witch Creek victim.”
“No,” Monty said. “We’re about . . . I don’t know. What would you say, Jills? Maybe half a mile north of that scene?”
“So, he chooses the same body of water but not the exact same location,” Laurel said. “I wonder if that’s by design. Is the ice heavier here? We need to check that out, Officer Jordan. Please take pictures of the ice in this location and then the ice where Jason Abbott’s first victim was found, all right?”
“No problem, Agent Snow,” Officer Jordan said. “This baby will drive anywhere. I’m happy to do that.”
They required additional backup for this case. “Thank you.”
Dawn was just lightening the sky and the forest around Laurel as she followed Monty between the trees toward Witch Creek. Icicles hung from the surrounding branches, and fresh snow covered the trail they followed. Many sets of boots showed near the tree line, no doubt as officers tried to preserve the trail, but Laurel couldn’t discern any prints.
This killer seemed both methodical and lucky with the weather.
Monty looked back at her. “Do you think that the killer has changed his MO? I mean, initially there were three days between kills, and now seven days?”
Laurel’s boots sank into the snow near a tamarack shivering in the wind. “No. I think he’s careful and has to wait for the easiest time to take a victim. Based on what we know so far about Delta Rivers, she was a victim of opportunity, so we have to surmise the same for all of them right now—until we track her movements better to see if she somehow was stalked.” There were too many unanswered questions about Huck’s mother.
The wind cracked between the trees in bursts, pushing Laurel forward. Silence drummed around them as if the forest held its breath, allowing the wind to triumph.
She shivered, shoving her gloved hands into her pockets and ducking her head. Tucking her chin inside her jacket, she stepped in Monty’s footprints, unsure why they stayed off the main trail. There were no prints. Period.
Finally, they emerged onto a crusted-over beach area complete with two worn and weathered picnic tables near the tree line. Ice covered them both.
Fish and Wildlife officers had already set up several spotlights as well as a tent over the body. From the look of the scene, the state crime lab techs had been at work for at least thirty minutes.
The creek stretched wide at this point with the other side showing a drop-off between the trees and the creek. Ice spread across the water, which bubbled in protest against it in several areas, not quite breaking through.
Laurel neared the body. She could barely make out blond hair beneath a bubble of ice that encased the victim’s head and stretched down her entire length. She wore a long, gray trench coat with bright red boots. Awareness began to tick down Laurel’s body, and she shivered, making sure her coat was zipped up to the very top. She should’ve remembered to wear a scarf. Stepping to the side, she studied the creek.
She angled closer, noting that the hole this time held sharper edges, like the first crime scene, so perhaps an ice spud pole had been used again. “We need pictures of the ice close up and far away, and I’d love to get a molding of those indents if it’s possible.”
“I’ll try,” the nearest tech said. “Officer Tso has taken photographs of the entire area. The ice has already melted quite a bit, but I’ll do my best.”
She nodded. “Thanks, Jeremy.” She’d met him at a previous crime scene. He appeared to be in his early thirties with light blond hair and a serious countenance. Beneath the white hood of his suit, he wore a white knit hat.
“You bet, Agent Snow.” Jeremy sat back. “We can turn her over now. I think we have her as secured as we can.” They’d scraped all around the body. Had the killer poured water over her to obtain this amount of ice? That seemed most probable.
Laurel and Monty stepped closer. As the techs gently began to roll the body over, the ice cracked.
“Make sure you sample everything around her,” Monty said.
Jeremy looked up with a “no kidding” expression on his face. Laurel had caught that with no difficulty. Either he was being very obvious or she was becoming more proficient at reading facial expressions.
“Here we go.” Jeremy gently smoothed his ice shovel to the side.