Chapter 9

9

Brooklyn stared at Colin on the video call, pondering his question. How could she think about it and answer him when all she wanted was for him to be here instead of still at the crime scene?

Barbie had gone home, and Brooklyn had taken over Sandy’s care, trying to get her to go to bed. No such luck. She curled up on the end of the sofa instead. They’d had Breakfast at Tiffany’s on the television and had been chatting with Eryn and Micha while half watching the movie. More like with Eryn, as Micha was the strong, silent type. Not rude, just not one to engage in small talk or really watch this vintage romantic movie. Besides, he was outnumbered, and the topics often went to things women usually found more appealing.

Brooklyn had been pacing off and on. Until the call. Then she’d settled down. Kind of. She was glad Colin phoned with an update, but she wanted more from him. She wanted to see him in person. She’d never felt this way about a guy before. Not even after dating for months, and she honestly didn’t understand it.

Then she also wanted to be at the scene. To help figure out who died in the fire. Man, how awful. Someone lost his life in a horrific way. She prayed the reason he died had nothing to do with her. That Kane hadn’t somehow done it to scare her.

Because she was scared. Maybe that’s why she wanted Colin at the cabin. By her side. Sure, Micha and Eryn were with her, but despite their sidearms and extensive experience, she didn’t get the same feeling of security from them. A silly thing. The pair of them were capable of protecting her and more.

“Did you hear my question, Brooklyn?” Colin asked.

“Sorry, I was zoned out for a minute,” she admitted. “Will you repeat it?”

“I asked how Mom was doing and if I should come home to help out.”

“Your mom is fine,” Brooklyn said.

“More than fine,” Sandy called out. “You found a winner in Brooklyn. I hope she stays for a long time.”

Had Sandy hinted to her son to do something about that? Not as in extend Brooklyn’s job, but maybe get to know her and develop a serious relationship? Or was Brooklyn just wishing for that? For something she couldn’t have until Kane was behind bars.

“Glad to hear it,” Colin said. “But don’t stay up too late talking and wear yourself out.”

Sandy frowned. Brooklyn suspected it had to be hard to have changed roles with her son where he’d become the parent figure.

“I’ll keep you updated,” he said. “Call if anything comes up or you need my help.”

“Go,” Sandy said. “I’m sure you’re needed there .”

Ah, yes, Sandy might as well have said you’re not needed here right now so pay attention to where you are needed. But Brooklyn suspected she needed him too. Now for sure. But for how long? Maybe the next few days would tell.

The call ended, and Brooklyn set her phone on the table.

Sandy sighed.

Brooklyn swiveled to face her. “Everything okay?”

Sandy picked up a flowery pillow and hugged it to her chest. “It was hard enough to move in here, but to have my boys want to wrap me in bubble wrap is something they need to stop doing.”

Brooklyn tried to put herself in Sandy’s shoes and then in Colin’s too. “I can see how you would feel that way. It’s clear they both love you a lot and want the best for you. If my parents had a health issue, I could see myself doing the same thing.”

“Oh, I understand it. Trust me. I’ve thought about it enough, and I should be thankful I raised them to be so responsible. I just don’t want to ruin their lives by them thinking I’m top priority and require all of their attention.” She rested her chin on the pillow. “I sure don’t want them to put off their lives to be here with me. Which is why you’re so important. You’ll let them get on with things, and you could even help me encourage them to go about life as natural.”

“I can do that for sure.” Brooklyn would help, but if this turned into a long-term job, would she want Colin to go about his life? To find a woman to love?

“I can work on Colin too,” Eryn said. “See if I can get him to relax a bit.”

“Thank you,” Sandy said, but kept her focus on Brooklyn. “Realistically, how long do you think you’ll be here? Once this Kane guy is caught, will you stay or go back to your IT career?”

Brooklyn had to be honest. “Likely IT, but don’t worry. If I do, I won’t leave until you find someone to replace me.”

Sandy frowned. “I don’t know you well, but I suspect you’re going to be very hard to replace.”

“You’ll find someone.” Brooklyn let her thoughts wander to the future, but Kane came to mind, and she shut that down right away. “But then it’s not an issue unless Kane is behind bars, and for that to happen, we have to find him.”

“You will.” Sandy dropped the pillow and leaned over to squeeze Brooklyn’s arm, her face contorting in pain with the movement.

“And maybe I can help.” Eryn got up. “My laptop’s in the dining room. I can do some research on wildlife trafficking. Maybe figure out how to locate Tarver through that.”

“Thank you, Eryn.” Brooklyn smiled at her. “And for being here when I know you’d rather be home.”

“No worries. A break from three kids can be a good thing.” She grinned and went to sit at the rustic table that matched the pine-paneled walls.

Micha got up, too, and rested his hand on his sidearm. “I’m going to do a perimeter check.”

Brooklyn didn’t like his serious expression at all. “You think there’s a problem?”

He shook his head. “I have the security app on my phone and would know if there’d been a fence breach. But my military days come back to me in situations like this. Gotta be extra careful when things are quiet. That’s when things go south.”

Could he be right? Was Kane outside the fence ready to penetrate their defenses?

Brooklyn’s mood darkened even more. “I sure hope there’s nothing wrong.”

“Me too. Lock the door after me.” He stepped outside, letting a cool wind drift inside.

Brooklyn crossed the room to turn the deadbolt and look out the glassy window to the dark night. She’d loved being in this remote cabin by the lake. The quiet. The peace. But now her stomach tightened. Still, stress wasn’t good for lupus, and she had to remain lighthearted for Sandy.

Brooklyn had never been good at hiding her feelings. No matter how hard she tried they came to the surface and lived in her expression.

Well, starting now she had to learn how to conceal them. She took a deep breath, prayed she could pull it off, and swallowed every emotion that threatened to send her into a panic.

Colin stood with Dev and Sheriff Day, watching as the fire crew wet down the house’s smoldering areas. Plumes of smoke rose up, and the sizzling sound snapped through the air. The crew stood down on arrival, watching the remaining hot spots until Abby arrived, but then the chief insisted on wetting down the hot spots. He said that ultimately it was his crew’s responsibility to ensure the fire was out, and he didn’t want a rekindle that could spread to the surrounding area. But, at the same time, he agreed to do his best to keep further damage to a minimum for the arson investigation.

This gave Abby plenty of time to sign an agreement with the Veritas Center and to question Colin and his teammates. The thirty-something woman whose serious expression spoke to the stress of the job seemed capable and knowledgeable. She was petite with near-black hair that hung straight to her shoulders, a cute nose, and big eyes, and she wore khaki tactical pants and a county logo shirt. If not for the way she carried herself, he could see the men in her department trying to walk all over her.

The two deputies on scene clearly respected her. That said a lot for her in Colin’s book, and he treated her with respect too.

Too bad she didn’t reciprocate. She wasn’t rude. Not at all, but her dislike or distrust of feds, and by extension former feds, was as clear as the night sky above. Nothing new for Colin, and no point in causing any issues. Not when Dev had a connection to her. So he’d stopped trying to communicate and took a back seat to his little brother.

“So tell me about Clackamas.” She leaned against the Veritas van.

Dev narrowed his gaze. “If you’re looking for dirt on the agency, I’m not one of those guys who kisses and tells.”

“Nah, I actually want to hear about your experience. Especially your time with the marine unit. Figure there are times when we can learn from larger agencies, and I know we can step up our water patrols.”

Colin liked her even more for the open-mindedness Dev said she possessed.

Dev launched into describing his time patrolling the rivers in Clackamas County. Abby pinned her rapt attention on him and seemed to drink in every word, but still, Colin saw her pull her gaze away to survey the scene too.

Colin should be glad his brother connected with the sheriff. Problem was, he wasn’t used to playing second fiddle to his brother. Totally an ego thing. A thing he needed to get over if he wanted to find Tarver. And he did want to find the guy. Badly. Find him and help ensure a conviction for murdering this victim and put him behind bars for the rest of his life.

“Hey, watch it,” Sierra said to the firefighter from where she was collecting evidence outside the house. “You’re trampling all over evidence. Can’t you see my marker?”

“Trying to do my job, lady, just like you,” the tall firefighter dressed in full turnout gear snapped.

“Lady? Lady?” Sierra’s voice rose an octave, and she clamped her hands on her hips. “I?—”

“We appreciate any help you can give in avoiding these marked areas.” Kelsey took Sierra’s arm and tugged her to the side before she could finish her sentence.

“Grrr.” Sierra glared at the firefighter’s back. “Why do these macho guys think they need to call me lady? If I was a guy, they wouldn’t say a word about my gender, and they’d give me more respect.”

Kelsey released Sierra’s arm. “I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it.”

“You know he did and?—”

“And if you let him distract you, you’ll lose twice by wasting valuable time.”

“Fine. Okay.” Sierra took a long breath and let it out. “I know you get it. I’ll move on to the kennel and come back here when they’re done.”

“Would you like me to take photos for you to speed things along?” Kelsey asked. “At least until I’m cleared to recover the body.”

“That would be great.”

“I’ll grab my camera and meet you at the kennel.” Kelsey spun and picked her way to the van, where Nick sat on the bumper. His attention was so focused on his phone he didn’t notice her arrival. Or if he did, he didn’t show it.

Colin didn’t know him well enough to know which it was, but when he got bogged down on his phone or computer, he lost track of what was going on around him. They were actually lucky that Nick had taken a break to answer the sheriff’s copious questions. But he didn’t waste even a second before returning to his dark web search for signs of Tarver. Too bad he hadn’t had any success yet.

The fire chief took off his helmet and ran a hand through sweaty gray hair as he stepped back to them. “We’ve wetted everything down, and you’re clear to enter. If you want help in retrieving the body, we’re glad to provide it.”

Abby faced the van. “Hey, Dr. Dunbar,” she called out. “You want help recovering the remains?”

“No!” She spun, camera in hand. “If we’re clear to enter, then everyone stands down and no one goes near the remains. Including your men.” Despite her feminine appearance in this heavily male-driven field of law enforcement, her tone carried authority, and Colin would never intentionally want to cross paths with her.

“We’re glad to let you take lead,” Abby said. “But I’ll need to take a look at the crime scene before it’s disturbed.”

“Fine. You can follow me. No one else.” Kelsey hung the camera strap around her neck and exchanged gazes with Abby. “But if you want me to help you solve this murder, please follow my directions to the letter.”

“Of course.” Abby tilted her head. “At least as long as other lives aren’t at risk. In that case, you listen to my directions.”

Kelsey nodded and changed her focus to Dev. “Could you go to the kennels and tell Sierra I won’t be coming to take pictures for her and that she now has free access to the house?”

“Of course,” Dev said.

She picked up a large bin and stepped toward the sheriff.

“Can I carry that for you?” Abby asked.

She arched an eyebrow, and Colin expected her to tell her she was capable of doing her own work, but she gave her the bin. “Thank you. Follow me.”

She marched toward the house, Abby in tow. Colin was glad Kelsey had sent Dev to the kennel on the errand. Took Abby’s attention off them and freed Colin up to fall in line behind the pair and travel at least to the edge of the house. He might not be on the official list to receive investigation information, but he could get close enough to listen in to their conversation.

“You can put the bin there.” Kelsey pointed at a spot a few feet from the body.

Abby set it down and turned toward the victim. “Oh, man. Man. I…” Her throat seemed to choke off the words. “I’ve never seen anyone this far gone.”

Colin had to give her props for being willing to admit her discomfort and not try to pretend she was okay with the gruesome sight.

“It can be hard to take in.” Kelsey opened the bin and took out battery-powered lights. She set them up and focused the beams on the body, leaving a much clearer picture of the burned state of the victim.

Colin had wanted to join them in the house, but his queasy stomach thanked him for being at a distance. He focused on Sierra stepping out of the darkness with Dev.

Abby ran a hand through her hair and cleared her throat. “You do these retrievals all the time, but I guess you never get used to the sight.”

Kelsey slid her fingers into a pair of disposable gloves. “You’re right. I recover remains all the time, but not a lot of burn victims.”

Abby looked around. “Nothing survived this fire. His ID, if he had any on him, couldn’t either. And forget fingerprints, right? So how will you even identify him?”

“We start every investigation by completing a biological profile,” Kelsey said. “Then we answer as many questions as we can to start. Our top-five list includes the victim’s age, sex, ancestry, stature, and—if he’s reported missing and we suspect it might be him—any individualizing traits that family and friends would know.”

“Things like what?”

“Braces on teeth, healed or healing fractures, skeletal deformities, amputations, and other medical and anomalous conditions of teeth and bones.”

“If you can’t complete that profile?”

“Then we have to use DNA.” Kelsey frowned. “It’s less likely to survive high-intensity fires, but it can, and that’s a potential option. We could also get prints from other objects in the nearby area that can lead to a possible identity, and dental records, which we can compare to the teeth. That is assuming the teeth aren’t too fragmentary for reconstruction and that good or reliable antemortem records exist.”

Abby looked around. “You said this was a high-intensity fire. I didn’t know prints could survive such heat.”

“They can for sure. Many forensic technicians don’t have the training or equipment to recover them. But if you have a skilled forensic team like ours with state-of-the-art equipment, prints can be lifted for comparison to databases.”

Abby planted her hands on her trim waist. “Are there times when you just can’t ID them?”

Kelsey nodded. “I’ve had times when I couldn’t match remains to a specific individual. There weren’t any medical or dental records for the living person, giving us nothing to compare the postmortem information against. Or there were times when the remains were so severely damaged or compromised by heat that it was impossible to extract DNA. Or the teeth were too fragmentary for reconstruction.”

Abby frowned. “That occur often?”

She shook her head. “In my experience, it’s rare when a forensic anthropologist can’t reconstruct some living characteristic from bone, even burned bones. Though I have to say, wildfires can be particularly difficult when the victim is not in their home or vehicle.”

Sierra stepped into the house but knelt by the door. “Speaking of prints, the front door knob looks good to lift prints.”

“Great.” Abby turned. “What about the accelerant used? Gasoline odor seems to suggest that.”

“You’re likely right,” Sierra said. “Fortunately, the pour pattern is obvious. I’ll take samples, and if you locate a suspect in possession of a gas can, we can match the gas used here to the cans.”

“You can drill down to such a detail?” Abby asked.

“Yes,” Sierra said. “And if you obtain samples from local stations, I can pin it to them, and they could have surveillance video showing your suspect buying the gas.”

Abby frowned. “Wouldn’t it be as fast just to go to nearby stations and ask for video?”

“You’d have to answer that, but when you take this killer to court, you’ll want to forensically tie the gas to a local station if possible, so I’ll still give you the data.”

“Problem with either option is manpower.” Abby looked at Dev. “You sure you’re not wanting to get back in the game?”

Dev took a few steps closer to the house, glanced at Colin, then back at Abby. “I’m sure, but our team would be happy to help in this investigation in exchange for getting reports from the Veritas experts.”

Abby frowned, and the shadows from the lights cast deep shadows over her face. “Tell you what. Let me deputize you for this investigation. I’ll take lead on it, and you do the grunt work for me. If you do, I’ll share the reports.”

Dev didn’t answer right away when Colin wanted him to jump on the offer. But he held his tongue and trusted his brother to handle this.

“That could work,” he finally said. “But my team works with me.”

“I don’t know.” Abby scrubbed a hand over her face. “It’s one thing to bring in a temp deputy. Another to have the rest of your team horning in.”

“They can all report to me, and I’ll make sure they only work on what we need. No grandstanding.”

Colin snorted.

Abby shifted her focus to him. “Not going to be easy to keep former feds in line.”

Dev eyed Colin, reminding him of times they’d been caught by their father when they were up to their necks in mischief. “I can assure you they’ll behave, if this is the only way we can get the information from you and help bring in a killer.”

Colin gave a sharp nod of acceptance. Of course he did. No way he would antagonize the sheriff, but if he had to go rogue to find Tarver, he wouldn’t hesitate to do so.

He’d do just about anything to give Brooklyn back her life.