Page 39

THIRTY-EIGHT

BLACK ROCK FALLS

The office hummed with activity. Jenna gathered everyone into the conference room and her first priority was contacting the next of kin of the two victims. She sent Rio and Rowley with the bad news and asked them to inquire if both women followed a pattern. Did Maya run at the same time each morning and did Elaine close the library and walk the same way home every night of the week? This information was imperative if they discovered that there was a fourth serial killer in town. Once Rio and Rowley had set out, she placed her phone on speaker and called the DOC command post to notify them about the current murder. “I don’t have the manpower to send out our drones, so I’ll need your teams moving closer to town and checking all the outlying cabins in the immediate area. We know what vehicle they have available to them and we have BOLOs out on them. We have had no sightings of either the prisoners or the vehicle in the vicinity of Stanton Forest.”

“We’ve found various camps with hikers and guys fishing. All of these left their vehicles in the parking lot on the edge of Stanton by the hiking trail and walked to their destinations.” The coordinator let out a long sigh. “Although we haven’t seen any drones in the area, and the forest is vast. It seems real strange that we haven’t encountered any sign of the prisoners since they left the last cabin. I figure that someone is giving them the heads-up about where we are, and they are taking evasive action. We have fresh boots on the ground this morning and they are moving slowly toward town along the eastern side of the river. If one of the prisoners did commit the murder this morning, then we have no reason to believe they’re moving in a westerly direction. I will notify you immediately if we come across any evidence.”

Twirling her pen in her fingers, Jenna looked at her team. None of them had any questions and she gave them a small nod. “We’ll be searching empty buildings around the perimeter of town. I’ve released another immediate report this morning, and I expect the townsfolk to call in on the hotline if they see anyone suspicious hanging around. Thank you for your assistance. I hope to hear from you soon.” She disconnected.

The moment she placed her phone on the table it chimed. The caller ID told her it was Norrell calling from the medical examiner’s office. “Good morning. Do you have an update?”

“I recall Wolfe mentioning that you preferred to have the preliminary findings on murder victims ASAP. I went ahead and examined the two female victims. I believe my findings are conclusive, but I will be completing both autopsies today. Just as a side note, I worked late last night to complete the autopsy on Robert Moore, the second forest victim. Time of death concurs with the timeline in Amy Clark’s statement. Death was from sharp force trauma to the neck. I’ll send you a detailed report later today.”

“Do you believe that Moore’s and both of the female murders were committed by the same person?” Jo leaned forward in her chair. “As we have three serial killers on the loose, it would be interesting to know if they are all killing.”

“The sharp force trauma in three of the murders appears to be inflicted by the same knife but I’ll need to wait until the DNA evidence is processed. We’ll have the murder weapon, but who wielded it in the women’s murders is inconclusive at this stage. I have taken swabs, but if these men were wearing gloves, it will be difficult to find any trace evidence.” Norrell tapped away on her keyboard. “The first female victim, who we are assuming is Elaine Harper, sustained twenty-five sharp force trauma injuries. Most of them were used to inflict pain. It was a vicious attack by someone who knew what they were doing, so I surmised this was the work of one of the serial killers as it fits the MO of Carl Romero . When he was done, the final blow was an upward thrust under the sternum to slice the heart in two. This was the kill shot.”

Jenna placed her pen on the desk, reached for a cup of coffee, and took a few long sips. The details of the murder were horrific. Even after all the times she’d stood in an autopsy room during an examination, the horror of what one person could do to another still made her sick to her stomach. Kane had always insisted that empathy was a good thing, and once she lost that, she needed to quit her job. “Okay and what about Maya Brooks?”

“She suffered a flesh wound caused by a gunshot to her upper thigh. This had been treated and I concur that this happened as recorded in the 911 call. Her cause of death is from massive blood loss from a severed carotid artery, resulting in cardiac arrest. There are no signs of sexual assault in either victim. Once I have completed all my tests, I will send you a full report.”

Twirling her cup in her fingertips, Jenna frowned. “Defensive wounds?”

“Not in Maya Brooks. She has scratches consistent to running through the forest, but from the angle of the wound to her throat, she was attacked from behind and above. I’d say she was on the ground, maybe on her hands and knees, when attacked.”

Picturing the scene in her mind, Jenna nodded. “Thanks. Rio and Rowley are notifying next of kin. They are local, and Rio and Rowley will collect DNA swabs of the victims’ mothers’ for identification.”

“That’s good. I already have positive IDs on both male victims. They are, as you suggested, Troy Lee, from the first murder, and Robert Moore, from the second. If that’s all, I’ll get back to work.”

Jenna searched the faces of her team. No one had questions. “Okay, thanks, Norrell.” She disconnected and leaned back in her chair. “Suggestions?”

“I figure we need to spread out across town and hang out anywhere they might drop by for food.” Carter waved a toothpick held between finger and thumb. “They wouldn’t be foraging for food. All of them are city folk. We know they have cash. The cabins were ransacked and they have clothes as well.”

“They’ll park some ways from their target store and walk. Two vehicles and three men. One might remain with a vehicle.” Styles stood and refilled his cup from the coffeemaker. “We’re not dressed like FBI and won’t be noticed.” He carried his cup to the table and sat down. “Taking them in will be a problem. They have nothing to lose and might take hostages if cornered.”

Shrugging, Jenna blew out a long breath. She would be noticed. Her face was all over the front pages of the newspapers this morning alongside the pictures of the prisoners, and moving through town would make her a target. Leaving the ranch had put her in danger. She needed to be sensible. “I’m sure you are all competent in taking down these men. If you spot one, call for backup. Rio and Rowley will be back soon, and Raven is available as well. Use your coms and keep me updated. If Beth or Kalo gets a sighting, I’ll call you.”

Everyone stood, apart from Raven, and headed out talking among themselves. She turned to Raven. “I can’t sit here doing nothing.” She opened a drawer and pulled out a tourist map. “I figure we check out these old buildings.” She circled them with her pen and pushed them toward him. “If we see signs of habitation, the DOC teams are close enough to call in for backup.”

“You’re not concerned about being shot at?” Raven raised both eyebrows.

Shaking her head, Jenna looked at him. “I’m not planning on getting out of the truck. All these places, we can drive around.”

“Dave said his truck was bombproof but guys exaggerate.” Raven shrugged. “I’m not sure if risking your life is what he had planned for me.”

Standing, Jenna holstered her weapon. “Dave never exaggerates, and trust me, the escaped prisoners don’t have the weapons to take out the Beast. Let’s go.”