Chapter 2

TWO

The town had changed dramatically in the last week or so, from a winter wonderland to a wet, muddy, flooded landscape. Gray slush lined each side of the blacktop, and water rushed along the gutters at an incredible speed. The drains couldn’t cope and muddy water gathered in slippery slicks across Main, getting deeper by the minute, as Wolfe arrived in town. He’d left his van at home and taken the truck. The cargo space was large enough to carry two bodies and it would negotiate the flooding with ease. It didn’t take long to find the flood-watch crew but it seemed the mayor had workers from various departments out early to deal with the local flooding. At one end of Main, at least two backroads had barriers across them warning of the floods. They climbed from the truck and Wolfe approached the men standing beside a tarp spread out over something on the grass.

Flowing from high in the mountains, the river was one of many that originated from Black Rock Falls. Wolfe headed to one of the men and flipped open his cred pack. “Dr. Shane Wolfe. I’m the medical examiner and I’m looking for Mr. Lime.”

“That would be me.” Lime nodded and his mouth formed a thin line. A man in his forties, strong in build, wearing a slicker and rubber boots up to his knees squelched across the soaked ground toward him. “The sheriff said you’d be along.”

Moments later a sheriff’s department SUV pulled up behind Wolfe’s vehicle and Chief Deputy Zac Rio, an ex-gold shield detective from LA, stepped out and nodded to him. Rio had recently been promoted to cover for Jenna and Kane when the baby arrived. A very experienced detective, he had a retentive memory, which made him excellent to have along at crime scenes. Wolfe turned to Lime. “Okay, as Chief Rio is here, we can go ahead without the sheriff. Where are the bodies?”

“Under the tarp.” Lime pointed.

Following his pointed finger, Wolfe turned to Lime. “That’s all I need for now. We’ll be in touch if we need any other info. Thanks for calling it in. Let me know if any more bodies show.” He handed him his card.

Glad he’d doubled up his thermal socks beneath the rubber boots, Wolfe squelched through the sodden grass toward the two lumps under a tarp. He glanced at Emily. His daughter and Rio had drifted apart after dating for a couple of years. “You okay working with Rio?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t like we were engaged or anything.” Emily shook her head. “We hardly dated. I care for him, but I don’t love him. He’s fine with it. We’re still friends. In fact, nothing’s changed apart from we can date other people if we feel like it.”

Relieved as Rio walked to their side and nodded to Emily, Wolfe bent to remove the tarp and reveal the bodies. The smell of death hit them in a wave, mixed with the smell of damp soil and mold. He took in the damage to the necks and heads, the local college football jacket with the year in a circle on the chest, and looked at Rio. “If that date is correct, these bodies are twelve years old. They’ve been preserved, dried out likely after being buried in sand.” He looked up at the clouds swirling around the mountain and the water still gushing through the forest. “Likely buried in a cave close to the river. The melt somehow washed them out.”

“We have a melt every year.” Emily frowned at the bodies. “Why did it happen this year?”

“Many reasons could cause a cave to fill with water, a cave-in for instance.” Rio rolled his shoulders. “The seismic activity in the mountains over winter was intense. We know about the avalanches, but we don’t know if the tremors caused cracks in the mountain. The cracks fill with snow and the ice expands and increases the fissure. When they melt, if it was over a cave, it makes sense the force of the water flowing down the mountain could wash out a cave. It’s not unusual for that to happen. We’d just need to find the cave. It might be dangerous.”

Wolfe looked from one to the other. “That all makes sense but it’s likely there’d be no evidence left behind there now. If the water gushed down hard enough to move two bodies from a grave deep enough to hide them from wildlife, the cave could be washed out down to the rock.”

“We don’t know that for sure.” Emily frowned. “There could be evidence all over. I figure we need to find the cave.” She looked at Rio. “Do you have an opinion?”

“Jenna will insist on finding the cave. She leaves nothing to chance, especially in a double homicide.” Rio crouched down and peered at the bodies. He tipped up his Stetson and squinted in the sun at Wolfe. “Those are nasty wounds.”

Pulling body bags from his kit, Wolfe straightened and then tossed one to Rio. “We’ll get them back to the lab and I’ll see what I can find. From my observation, the sand dried the bodies and the water has hydrated them some. This’s why they appear so distorted.” He pulled on gloves and handed a pair to Rio. “Seems to me, y’all have to hunt down the names of two college kids who went missing twelve years ago. That might prove difficult. Before Jenna took office, the sheriffs didn’t do much in the way of investigating anything, let alone keep records. I figure the old newspapers would be the best place to start.”

“I’m sure Jenna will organize everything when she arrives.” Rio took the feet of the first victim and lifted it into a black body bag and Wolfe zipped it. “One male and one female. Someone’s kids.” He frowned. “Maybe finding them will give their families closure.”

Wolfe nodded. “And finding their killer will give me closure.” He bent to lift the body of a small young woman into the bag. Her wet long dark hair brushed his arm as if trying to get his attention. He examined her face. It was undamaged but squashed a little from pressure, but her eyes were open, opaque, and staring. A gold chain hung from her neck and he discovered a heart-shaped locket tucked inside her jacket. He went to fold her hands inside the bag and shook his head in surprise. Her hand was locked tight around something. It glittered gold in the thin sunlight. After laying her down inside the bag, he went to his kit and took out a small evidence bag, and with gentle care, pulled out the item from her clenched hand. He looked at Emily. “Maybe she’s been holding on to a clue to her murderer for all these years. Poor souls. I mean to find the person who did this. Call Norrell and tell her I’ll need her assistance right away.”

“Okay.” Emily made the call.

His fiancée, Dr. Norrell Larson, a forensic anthropologist who worked in the medical examiner’s building, would assist with the dating of the remains and be able to interpret the conditions where the bodies were buried.

They carried the bodies to Wolfe’s truck and slid them inside. The stink of death would be difficult to remove from the interior. He looked at Rio. “We’re done here.”

“I’ll call Jenna.” Rio pulled out his phone. “There’s no need for her to rush here. There’s nothing to see.” He yawned explosively. “If you don’t need me, I’m heading to Aunt Betty’s for breakfast.”

Wolfe pulled down the hatch of his truck and removed his gloves. “I’m good, thanks. Tell her to head to my office around ten. I might have something to tell her by then.”

“Sure.” Rio walked away, splashing through the mud with his phone pressed to his ear.

Wolfe turned to look at Emily. “Darn, I actually like him.”

“He’s a nice guy and will make someone a really great husband.” Emily rolled her eyes. “I’m waiting for fireworks. Jenna said when she first kissed Kane it was like the fourth of July. When I meet a guy who does that, I’ll know.” She put both hands on her hips and stared at him. “Now can we get these bodies back to the morgue? If I don’t get some sleep soon, I’m going to fall flat on my face.” She pulled open the door to the truck. “You did mention how hard it was getting through a residency at a hospital. I’m aching in places I didn’t know existed.”

Wolfe smiled at her. “It will be worth it in the end.”

“I sure hope so.” Emily leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes.