Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Ainsley’s revelation the night before sat in his gut like lead. Now that she’d admitted that Tess had allowed her to borrow her deceased mother’s car, he felt a little better.

At least Ainsley had someone to look after her. But the fact that Tess hadn’t returned his call from last week ago bothered him. Coupled with the fact that the call last night had come from Tess’s phone but they’d never spoken with the woman directly, it didn’t bode well.

Anxiety churned in his stomach as he looked up her information. There was nothing listed in the database, but that didn’t mean anything. His instinct told him something wasn’t right. Dare dialed the woman’s number and waited impatiently as it rang. His unease grew with each grating ring of the phone until it finally rolled over to voicemail.

Double checking her address, he called the local police in her area and explained his concerns. The patrolman promised to do a well check, then advise what they found.

Dare pushed from his chair, grabbed up his keys and phone, then headed outside, leaving Sarge with Yvonne. The autopsy was complete, and he was champing at the bit to see the results.

Thirty minutes later, Dare exited the highway and pulled up to the building housing the Burnett County Medical Examiner’s office several minutes later. Inside, he greeted the receptionist and made his way down the hallway toward the morgue.

Dr. Seidel nodded at Dare as he entered. “Sheriff. Let me get our Jane Doe.”

He stood from the computer where he’d been inputting data and moved to the small freezer where the body was stored. A moment later, he rolled out the table and flipped on the light overhead for better visibility.

“What’s COD?”

Seidel pointed to a collection of fibers. “Pulled those from her airway. Official cause of death is asphyxia. Fibers are small and white, probably cotton or something similar, but I can’t say for sure until we have them processed. I lifted a few hairs, several of which are probably hers, but also a few shorter ones. We’ll see what the lab comes back with.”

He lifted the woman’s hand from the table. “Mild abrasions around her wrists indicate she was bound at the time of death. I checked under the nails, but they appear to have been freshly groomed.”

Dare bobbed his head in acknowledgment. No big surprise there.

“As we suspected, there are signs of sexual assault.”

“Semen?”

Doc Seidel shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. But there are definite signs of trauma, bruising to the vaginal walls.”

Dare grimaced. “What the hell is wrong with people?”

The ME leveled him with a look. “It gets worse.”

Dare braced himself as the doctor cleared his throat. “Whoever killed her wanted to make sure any evidence linking back to him would be eliminated. He—or she—cleaned up after themselves. I found traces of bleach in her throat and vagina.”

Dare couldn’t stop the forceful shudder that racked his body as he snapped toward the doctor. “Jesus Christ.”

“I know.” The doctor looked sick himself. “I’ve heard of it, but to see it firsthand...” Dr. Seidel shook his head. “I lose faith in humanity a little more every day.”

It was a sentiment Dare agreed with wholeheartedly. “Were you able to find anything else?”

“Unfortunately, no. I’ll send over my report by tomorrow.”

The doctor shook his head, and Dare pursed his lips. He’d pull some of the old missing person’s reports for young blonde women within the last year and check for any similarities in the cases. “I appreciate it. And if anything else jumps out at you, let me know ASAP.”

“Will do.”

Dare made his way to his car, his mind whirling with possibilities as he left the ME’s office.

His phone rang, tearing him from his thoughts. He quickly glanced at the strange number, a sense of foreboding slithering through him.

“Sheriff Jensen,” he said.

“Sheriff, this is Clint Montgomery from St. Cloud PD. We checked on Tess Newman, like you asked.”

Dare felt his stomach tighten. “And?”

Clint took a deep breath. “I’m sorry to report, Sheriff. We found Tess Newman dead in her home. The place was completely tossed, and there were clear signs of a struggle.”

Dare closed his eyes, taking a moment to process the information. “Damn it,” he muttered under his breath. “Any leads on who might have done this?”

“We’re still investigating,” Clint replied. “At this point, it looks like a burglary gone wrong. Maybe the perp didn’t expect her to be home.”

“I seriously doubt that,” Dare’s replied. “Last night, Ainsley Layne received a call from Tess’s phone.”

He briefly explained what he’d overheard, and what had precipitated Ainsley’s arrival the previous week. “Ainsley leaves him, then her friend turns up dead? I don’t think this is a coincidence.”

“We’ll dig into Joel’s background and see what we can find,” Clint replied, his tone hard. “Do you have any additional information on him that might help?”

“Unfortunately, no. Just speculation,” Dare said, frustration saturating his tone. “He’s a respected surgeon, practically a pillar of the community. Everyone who works with him seems to like him, but something about him just doesn’t feel right.”

“We’ll make sure to look into him,” Clint reiterated. “If he’s involved, we’ll find out.”

“Thanks, Clint,” Dare said. “And please, keep me updated on any developments. I need to make sure Ainsley stays safe.”

“You have my word, Sheriff,” Clint assured him. “We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

“Appreciate it,” Dare said. “And, Clint, I know this is asking a lot, but I need to know everything as soon as you find it. Ainsley’s been through enough. She can’t handle any more surprises.”

“Understood, Sheriff,” Clint said. “We’ll keep the lines of communication open. You’ll be the first to know if we uncover anything.”

“Thank you,” Dare said, dread sitting like lead in his stomach. “I’ll be in touch.”

As Dare ended the call, he leaned back in his chair, his thoughts racing. He had to protect Ainsley and ensure that justice was served for Tess. Joel wouldn’t get away with this. Not on his watch.