Page 4 of Ghost of You (Haunted Souls #24)

Jude’s stomach dipped as he walked into Cisco Jackson’s office. It wasn’t like him to feel anxious over being assigned a case, but this wasn’t just any case. He felt like he personally owed it to Francesca to find her killer. Getting personally involved was not a good thing.

He noticed the look of surprise on Cisco’s face when he saw Cope walk into the office and shut the door.

Jude wasn’t sure if he should explain Cope’s presence or let things play out.

If Cisco wanted to tell them that he wasn’t giving them the Adams case, then Cisco didn’t need to know why Cope had come with them to this meeting.

His gut was telling him that would not be the case.

“You know why I asked to see you,” Cisco said, steepling his fingers together.

“We assume it has to do with the Francesca Adams case.” Jude pulled out his notebook and prepared to scribble Cisco’s instructions.

“Indeed it does.” Cisco looked back and forth between the three detectives, seeming to ignore Cope for the moment. “I’m putting my neck out giving this case to you. It’s technically a cold case, but I would ordinarily assign an investigation like this to homicide detectives.”

“Why are you handing the case to us?” Fitz asked.

“To be honest, it wasn’t my call.”

“Whose call was it?” Ronan looked like he had an idea, but didn’t voice it.

“Sarah Corning, the lieutenant governor. Former mayor of Salem.” Cisco grinned.

“Sarah was always the type who got emotionally involved in abduction and murder cases. She’d known Francesca for over a decade before she disappeared.

We all did. None of us would ever have guessed that a prominent member of the city council would abscond with a cool million bucks, leaving her husband, family, and her community high and dry. ”

“Even after the records showing Frankie had stolen the money came out, Corning was still on her side,” Ronan said. “We all thought it was a risky political move at the time, but seeing where she is now, I’d venture to say the risk was worth the reward.”

Cisco shrugged, obviously unwilling to commit either way.

“I’ve got the file for you.” He pointed to the table behind the detectives, where several evidence boxes sat.

The body is being autopsied today. The ME is expecting the three of you.

” Cisco’s attention finally turned to Cope.

“I’m assuming you want to be the cold case psychic? ”

Cope nodded. “I was the one Oliver came to when Frankie went missing. He visits the shop every year, rain or shine, on the anniversary of his wife’s disappearance. I’d like to offer my services if you think there’s anything I can do to help.”

“You’re emotionally involved in this case.” It wasn’t a question. Jude knew Cisco made the statement simply to feel Cope out.

“I am,” Cope agreed. “A woman is dead. Frankie was someone who would give the literal shirt off her back if you were in need. It’s time someone return that gesture to her.”

Cisco looked impressed. “And if you discover Oliver Adams killed his wife?”

“I bring the information to you, Chief, or to Captain Fitzgibbon, just like I would if I knew Jude committed a crime.” Cope offered a small smile.

Jude didn’t take the bait. He could hear the earnestness in Cope’s voice and didn’t want to do anything that would make Cisco kick Cope out of his office. Tennyson had helped solve murders more times that Jude could count. He had no doubt Cope could do the same.

“Tennyson gets sick in morgues. He says there’s so much death residue that he feels overwhelmed and anxious. Then he blows chunks. That gonna happen to you?” Cisco threw the question out like a gauntlet. The question was, would Cope pick it up.

“If it does, I’ve got a bottle of Scope in my backpack.

” Cope sounded determined to work this case no matter how uncomfortable it would make him.

“This case isn’t about my comfort or my abilities.

It’s about a woman who left her house one afternoon and never came home.

She deserves the absolute best the Salem Police Department has to offer. ”

“And you’re part of that best?” Cisco raised an eyebrow.

Cope nodded. “I am, Chief.”

Cisco reached into his desk and pulled something out. He tossed it to Cope, who bobbled it for a second before catching it. He held the police badge up for Jude to see. “Raise your right hand and repeat after me. I, Copeland Forbes,-”

Jude beamed with pride as Cope was sworn in as a temporary member of the cold case team. He should have pulled out his phone to record the moment, but there would be time for accolades later, once this case was solved and Francesca Adams’s killer was behind bars.

“I don’t have to tell you time is of the essence here.

Whoever killed Francesca has had four years to prepare for the eventuality of her body being discovered.

” Cisco turned to Cope once again. “I know you have a soft spot for Oliver Adams. That ended the second you accepted the badge attached to your belt loop. There’s no room for personal attachments here. Got it?”

“Yes, chief,” Cope agreed.

“Keep me updated, Fitz, and for fuck’s sake, stay out of the press.” Cisco’s eyes were on Ronan, who tended to be a bit of a media darling.

“Speaking of, chief,” Ronan began.

“Fuck me with a guillotine, Ronan. Don’t tell me you’ve already spoken to them?”

“We listen and we don’t judge.” Ronan offered his boss a so-there look.

“No, for your information I haven’t spoken to them, but they showed up at West Side Magick this morning as if Oliver Adams was the Pied Piper.

Can we get an officer down there to keep the crowd back.

Ten and the guys have readings today and as it’s nearly lunchtime, Cassie’s business is going to suffer if the lunch crowd can’t get near the building. ”

“You got it,” Cisco agreed quickly, looking relieved.

“It may be a good idea to post someone at the Adams’ residence too. We all know how ugly people get when they think there’s a murderer among them. Not to mention the amount of media that will be camped out on his front lawn.”

“Good call, Ronan. I’ll get right on it.” For once, Cisco didn’t sound sarcastic. “Call me if anything unusual comes up.”

With a nod, Fitzgibbon grabbed one of the case file boxes and headed out the door. “We’ll be in one of the conference rooms going over this information.”

Each of the detectives grabbed a box. Jude indicated Cope should do the same. “You’re gonna be great,” Jude said, as they filed out into the hallway.

“Damn straight, I am.”

Closing the conference room door behind him, Jude set his box down on the table in the correct order. His was box three of four.

“Where do we even start since this case is sort of backward?” Cope asked. “Do we start at the beginning or with the discovery of the crime scene yesterday?”

“Let’s start at the beginning and go through everything chronologically.” Fitzgibbon popped the top off the first box. “If there’s anything you sense or feel, let me know. If you want to touch the evidence, put on a pair of gloves.

Cope nodded and started looking through the boxes.

Jude went against the grain and started with the crime scene photographs and the notes the officers had taken.

In the first several pictures it was nearly impossible to tell that there were skeletal remains in the photo.

The forest had grown up and around the bones.

Fiddleheads sprouted between Francesca’s ribs, while last year’s pine needles, now brown with age, covered everything else.

The last few shots were of the skull. A large bullet hole was punched through the back of her skull with a large exit wound in the center of her forehead, like a third eye.

“Who the hell found the remains?” Jude asked.

“Troop of boy scouts,” Fitz said.

“Were they out trying to get their serial killer merit badge?” Ronan asked.

“No, wilderness survival,” Fitz said, with no humor in his tone.

“One of the boys had volunteered to find firewood and tripped over the skull. He started screaming for help and the rest of the troop came running. Thankfully one of the troop leaders had a cell phone and was able to call 911. Usually they’re not allowed to bring technology into the woods, as it defeats the purpose of scouting to survive.

The leader’s wife is nine months pregnant and could deliver any day, so he took his phone, not wanting to miss the birth of his child.

Turned out to be a good thing he did. The hike out would have taken two hours and it would have been dark by the time help was called. ”

“It’s surprising no one had stumbled on the remains sooner,” Jude said. “Hunters are always the ones finding human remains.”

“Yeah, but the Salem Towne Forest is city property. There’s no hunting allowed on the grounds.

The part of the area where the body was discovered was off the beaten path.

There were no trails out that far,” Fitz said.

“Not to mention that the land abuts property belonging to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with no hunting allowed there either. It’s a miracle she was found at all. ”

Jude agreed with Fitzgibbon’s assessment.

Like Oliver said earlier that morning, up until the body was found, he had hope that Francesca would walk through the door.

Now, all hope was gone. It wasn’t going to be an easy time for Oliver, trying to make final arrangements for his wife, all the while being questioned by the police as her possible killer.

“I know we’re not supposed to be personally involved,” Cope said, “but do any of you think Oliver did this?”

Fitzgibbon sighed. “I don’t know. He was pretty shaken up this morning when he came to West Side Magick, but he’s had years to perfect this act. I can’t tell either way, which is good, that way we don’t slant the evidence to fit our theory.”

“What about you?” Ronan pointed to Cope. “I know you couldn’t contact Frankie, but was Oliver giving you any signs that he was hiding something?”

“Everyone is hiding something, Ronan. Granted, not everyone’s something is as serious as a murder, but everyone in this room is hiding something they don’t want anyone else to know.”

Fitz and Ronan wore worried looks. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to expose any of those secrets, but ask yourselves if you were in Oliver’s shoes, would you try to keep that thing hidden? I know I would.” Cope’s eyes moved from detective to detective.

Jude had never been happier that his husband couldn’t read him.

Yeah, he had secrets of his own. Nothing that would compromise national security or his marriage vows, but he didn’t exactly want his husband to know that when Cope went to bed early, Jude was downstairs playing Call of Duty and snacking on mini Snickers.

His own peccadillos aside, Jude wondered what Oliver Adams was hiding. Were his secrets harmless, like Jude’s late night video game addiction? Or were they more serious? Maybe involving the abduction and murder of his wife?

One way or another, Jude was going to find out.