Page 5 of Crime Lab Cold Case (Pacific Northwest Forensics #2)

Natalie couldn’t breathe for a second. Michael’s wife was murdered in the same place where Katie disappeared? How had she not known this?

Why was he visiting the scene of his wife’s murder? If he was innocent? She became aware a few seconds too late that her mouth was hanging open.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know that.” She cleared her throat. “Do you mind if I ask you why you go there? Isn’t it upsetting?”

Spreading his hands, he said, “I’m not sure I can answer that question. I think at the beginning I went hoping to find some overlooked clue.”

She could relate to that. She was hoping to find some overlooked clue in Katie’s disappearance…fourteen years later. She found herself nodding.

Seemingly encouraged, he continued. “I wanted answers, not just to clear myself, but for my daughter.”

Second whammy in one lunch. Michael had a daughter? “I didn’t realize you had a daughter. Her mother’s death must’ve been traumatic for her…and you.”

“It’s been—” he shook his cup, rattling the ice “—confusing for her. She’s young. Just turned two. But it’s not the first time she’s been without her mother.”

He pressed his lips together, clamping down on any more confidences.

Their conversation had taken a detour she hadn’t expected.

Had Michael, or anyone else, made the connection between Raine Wilder’s homicide and the disappearance of Katie Fellows fourteen years ago?

Not that she actually believed the same person was responsible.

Too much time had passed, and the victims had different profiles—one was an older, married woman with a child, and the other was a carefree teenager.

Plenty of wooded trails and dark forests and deep canyons surrounded Marysville, and crime scenes dotted these areas. It wouldn’t be unusual for different killers to zero in on the same spots for their evil deeds.

She sniffed and dabbed her nose with a napkin.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to put a damper on lunch. I haven’t been great company in a long time.” He jabbed a finger at her cup. “Do you want that refill now?”

“Please.” She gave the cup to him, her fingertips brushing his hand.

“Zesty Blood Orange?”

She shook her head. “No. Just the regular Diet Coke. I kinda lost my curiosity.”

Ten minutes later, they walked into the lobby of the lab. Natalie held up the umbrella. “Didn’t open it once.”

Sam peeked out the window. “You’d better hold on to it. Once the wind kicks up, it’ll bring the rain clouds with it.”

Pointing to the ceiling, Michael said, “You can smell it already.”

Natalie asked, “Are you sure about the umbrella?”

“That one’s been around for a while. If someone comes looking for it, I’ll send them your way.” Sam winked.

“Thanks, Sam.” She followed Michael up the stairs, and they stopped at the top, where their paths diverged.

“I forgot to ask if you got everything you needed today. You good in the conference room?”

“It’s perfect. Room to spread out. I’m going to need it, as I’ll probably be dragging some boxes up from the evidence room.”

“That conference room will afford you plenty of space for that.” He turned slightly, running a hand through his hair. “Thanks for lunch and sorry it got so heavy.”

“I think that’s unavoidable in our line of work and thanks for the recommendation. Lunch was delicious, and I feel like I can fight off this jet lag for another three hours.” She shook her cup, still half-filled with soda, at him.

“We’re all at your disposal. Let any of us know if there’s anything else you need.”

She held up her finger. “There is something. I need access to the lab’s personnel records—hard copies or online—for the past fifteen years or so. I need to compile a database of the lab employees who were here during those years when the evidence went wonky.”

“That’s one way of putting it. We don’t have those records here, but I can call Seattle for you and request them.

I’m guessing they’re all online, so it would be a matter of giving you access to the personnel program.

I don’t even have that. Human Resources for the Washington State Patrol would be responsible.

But I know the HR manager. I’ll give her a call. ”

“Thanks, Michael.”

He strode off to the left to catch up with one of his lab managers, and Natalie turned right toward the conference room.

She stumbled to a stop when she reached the door, which was open a crack.

She thought she’d closed it firmly, but then probably not everyone knew she’d set up shop here.

Maybe Felicia could print her a temporary sign she could tape to the door.

An empty coat-tree sat in the corner, and Natalie hung up her raincoat and newfound umbrella. She dropped her oversize bag at her feet.

As she flipped open her laptop, she reached for the mouse on her right. Her fingers skimmed across the empty mousepad, and she turned her head to find the mouse off the pad and out of reach.

She screwed up her mouth on one side. She preferred using a mouse to the touchpad on the laptop and always brought it and the mousepad with her when she traveled. She’d left it on the mousepad. Had someone been in the conference room to clean up?

Her gaze shifted to the credenza against the wall, and she blew out a breath.

Someone had cleared out the pitcher of water, the coffee pot, the tray of muffins and cups that had been there during the meeting.

Felicia, or whoever had cleaned up, probably dusted a few crumbs from the table, too, and repositioned her mouse.

As she reached for her mouse, Dr. Butler tapped on the door. “Sorry to interrupt you. Just wanted to tell you that if you want to interview me before Dr. Volosin comes back later in the week, I can provide you with anything you need.”

“Thank you. Dr. Volosin isn’t returning until the end of the week?”

“That’s right. He’s helping with a case down in Portland right now.” Dr. Butler glanced over her shoulder. “You might find me a little easier to work with than him, anyway.”

Raising her eyebrows, Natalie asked, “Another Lou Gray?”

Dr. Butler flicked back her long, beaded braids. “Dr. Volosin has also been at this forensics lab for a long time, like Lou, so they were both here during the cold-case time periods.”

“Got it.” That’s exactly why Natalie wanted to speak to Dr. Volosin instead of the amenable Dr. Butler. The more outwardly contentious the interview, the greater possibility of getting to the truth.

As Dr. Butler turned to leave, she paused in the doorjamb. “I’m glad you’re here, Agent Brunetti. Michael knows his stuff, but he can’t always be everywhere at once.”

Dr. Butler closed the door behind her before Natalie had a chance to ask her what she meant. She made a mental note to definitely talk to Dr. Butler before her boss returned.

Natalie returned her attention to her computer and accessed the file she’d started before lunch. She’d created a database of the cold cases she’d been sent to investigate and had set one up for her own personal investigation, as well.

The shadow database mimicked the official one.

She’d investigate the evidence for both sets in the same way, using the same methods.

She didn’t know why her department had left off those two cases, including Katie’s, but it hadn’t been her place to suggest which cold cases she’d investigate and which ones she wouldn’t.

She didn’t want to draw attention to her interest in those cases.

The fact that Michael’s wife had met her demise in the same location that Katie disappeared had shocked her. She’d made a habit over the years of searching for Devil’s Edge Trail in relation to homicides to keep tabs on any other crimes in the vicinity. She’d missed Raine Wilder’s murder.

She and Michael had been in that location last night for their own ghoulish reasons. Of course, he’d been willing to reveal his motive, while she’d kept silent. Nobody needed to know her ulterior motives for being here. Nobody needed to know her connection to this area.

She’d studied a few of the faces in the cafe at lunch.

Of course, she remembered the restaurant from her teen years here.

She’d even remembered the homemade potato chips.

Sometimes she and her friends, including Katie, would pop into Fantastic Cafe on their way home from school just to pick up an order of chips.

They’d hold the little brown bags with the grease spots leaking through the waxy paper cupped in one hand, while plucking out chips and popping them into their mouths.

The best part was licking the salt off her fingers.

She’d needed all her concentration at lunch today not to do the same.

Lost in the memory, a smile tugged at her lips.

The two other girls in their clique, Bella and Megyn, had avoided her after the incident. Had she reminded them of their shared loss of Katie Or had they just figured she was bad news and toxic company? It had been her idea, after all, to go into the woods at night.

Bella and Megyn hadn’t joined them that fateful night after what had happened on their previous outing into the woods. Natalie shivered. That should’ve been a warning to all of them, but she and Katie liked to push the envelope.

Her email notification pinged and she clicked on the new message.

She scanned the email from the Washington State Patrol HR department.

Michael must’ve gotten right on her request for the personnel records.

The email included a link to their employee records and a temporary username and password for Natalie.

As she clicked on the link, an alarm sounded in the building. She half rose from her chair and peered through the blinds. People began emerging from offices and work areas, heading toward the stairs.

She jumped up when someone knocked on the conference-room door. Before she had a chance to answer it, Michael poked his head inside the room.

He said, “It’s a fire drill. I’m sure it’s just a test, but we have monitors, and they’ll report any infractions of the rules. That means everyone out of the building.”

“I guess I could use a break, anyway.” She started to gather her files and reach for her bag, but Michael put his hands up.

“We’re meant to leave everything behind. Just grab your coat. Security will be watching the front door while we’re out in the parking lot.”

Natalie snatched her coat from the tree and followed Michael out the door, joining the stream of people descending the stairs. As she stuffed her arms in her coat, she said, “I hope the rain hasn’t started. I also left my umbrella behind.”

“We’re good for now.” They surged through the open front doors with the rest of the lab employees, and Michael put a hand on her back. “We have to gather all the way across the parking lot, even if it’s a drill.”

“I work for the government, too. This is nothing new to me.” They joined the others under some trees, on the other side of the parking lot. “Thanks for contacting HR so quickly. They already sent me a link to the personnel database and a log-in.”

“We have strict instructions to play nice with the FBI— any outside agency, really. There are too many cold cases on the books that show a lack of cooperation between agencies. In a lot of instances, that lack of cooperation is why they’re cold cases.”

Natalie said, “It’s good to hear departments like yours are putting emphasis on working with outside agencies. I’ll be sending good reports back to my supervisor.”

He lifted one eyebrow. “Can the FBI claim the same?”

“What does that mean?” A gust of wind kicked up, bringing the scent of rain with it, and she glanced at the clouds scudding across the sky.

“Come on. The FBI is notorious for playing its cards close to the vest. The Feds expect everyone else to turn over all their stuff, but they keep a lot of information to themselves.”

She put a finger to her lips.

It wasn’t the FBI that was keeping secrets from Michael, but her secrets wouldn’t matter to him—except the one where her friend disappeared from the same trail where his wife was murdered.

A horn blared from the building, and people began shuffling across the parking lot. She cranked her head back and forth, scanning the area. “That’s it? The fire engines didn’t even show up.”

“Could’ve been a planned exercise. We also have active-shooter drills and shelter in place. I’m not sure what warrants a visit from the fire department, but I don’t think the powers that be want to keep us out here any longer.” He held out a hand, palm down. “I just felt a big, fat raindrop.”

“Perfect timing.” Natalie hugged her coat around her frame.

By the time they entered the lobby, the skies had opened, and water spattered the windows. Most people who worked on the second floor avoided the elevator, so Natalie climbed the stairs with the other lab workers, nodding at a few familiar faces from the meeting earlier in the day.

When she reached the conference room, she shoved open the door and removed her coat. After hanging it up, she took her place in front of her laptop and returned to the email with the log-in information for the employee database.

She cross-checked the database with the dates of her cold cases with the missing or corrupted evidence, including Katie and Alma’s cases, which were similar Several of the same people had worked all the cases, which didn’t surprise her. A few of those employees still held positions at the lab.

The crimes were clustered in a ten-year span. Ten years at the same forensics lab didn’t jump out at her as unusual at all. Lab rats had to put in the time to be considered specialists in their fields. Being designated a specialist came with its own perks and bragging rights.

She noticed a few people packing up and leaving the office. She’d decided to keep the blinds open on the windows of the conference room. She didn’t want anyone to think she was hiding anything from them…even though she was. Appearances sweetened the path to acceptance.

She saved her files and chugged some tepid water from her glass this morning. She’d accomplished a lot today, not the least of which was getting to know Michael Wilder a little better. He’d opened up to her more than she’d expected.

Part of being transparent was not working alone after hours, so she logged off her computer and started packing. She reached down for the bag at her feet and opened it to slide in the laptop.

When she glanced inside, her heart stopped. Her two files, Katie’s and Alma’s, were gone. She dragged the bag to the table and spread it open, ridiculously checking corners that couldn’t possibly accommodate two file folders.

She slumped in her chair. Someone in this office had stolen those files…and they’d orchestrated a fake fire drill to do it.