“Can I get you a to-go cup of coffee?” Quinn asked.
“Got one in the car,” her friend said, waving bye and hurrying out the open door.
Grimm closed the door behind her.
“What’d she bring?” Quinn asked.
“Muffins, Danish, two or three different kinds of sweet bread like banana nut, pumpkin, and lemon loaf it looks like. A couple croissants.”
“Those will have chocolate baked inside,” Quinn said. “They’re my favorite.”
“Oh? I thought you were particular about your chocolate,” he said.
“I am, but that’s one way I like it,” she said.
When Quinnand Grimm arrived at the Observer, Logan Burrows, and Sheraton were already in the conference room. They’d posted pictures on the glass whiteboards of Barbie Martin, Heather Randall, and Sandy Cranston. Underneath each, they’d written dates and details that were known about their disappearance and other facts.
“This is awesome,” Quinn said. “Way better than shuffling through a pile of papers as we talk about them.”
“Exactly,” Sheraton said. “I’ve put in an order for another glass board to put on the other wall. It should be here in a few days.”
Grimm settled at the conference table. “What is one common denominator between these women? Other than that they are missing?”
“They each were believed to have been last seen wearing a heart-shaped piece of jewelry,” Logan said. “In every interview I’ve conducted with the family it was mentioned.”
“Really?” Quinn pulled out her notepad and flipped through until she found what she was looking for. “Trish, Barbie’s sister, did mention that the mother-of-pearl heart-shaped earrings that their mother gave her when she turned sixteen were missing from her jewelry box. She assumed that meant Barbie had been wearing them the night she disappeared.”
“Yes. And when I talked with the Cranston’s, they said Sandy always wore a gold heart-shaped locket with a picture of her and her mother inside. Heather Randall’s boss said she had a heart-shaped ruby ring that she wore,” Logan said.
“Do you think these items attracted the guy in the Pembroke State baseball hat to these women?” Quinn asked.
“We don’t have proof that Sandy Cranston was seen with a guy in a Pembroke State baseball hat.”
“But we did establish that Cliff Beamer, whom she dated in high school, went to Pembroke State,” Sheraton said. “Still we have no solid evidence that he is involved in anything.”
“No, we don’t,” Logan said. “Sandy’s parents said they didn’t see him after he came to visit that one time before their daughter went to college. And he was a very nice young man who had dated their daughter in high school.”
“Then we should rule him out,” Quinn said. “Because nothing ties him really other than he was a frat boy and the last thing I want to do is wrongfully accuse the Beamers of a crime.”
“Let’s not rule him out completely,” Sheraton said. “I’m with you on not wanting to wrongfully accuse anyone, but we need to keep an open mind all the same. We can put him in the possibility column for now.”
Logan handed a glossy photo of Cliff Beamer to Sheraton and he taped it up on the collage, then jotted down what they knew about him. Which turned out to be a lengthy amount.
“Do you think it’s wise to have his photo up there for anyone who passes by this room to look in the window and see his picture with the missing women?” Quinn asked.
Sheraton ran his hand up and down the back of his head. “You have a point.” He turned the photo around, so it was the backside that was visible for anyone looking into the room to see.
“I find it interesting that all these women-owned heart-shaped jewelry,” Grimm said. “It isn’t something you’d expect would attract a man to them.”
“I’ve been reading up on trophies,” Logan said. “It’s a way for the serial killer to relive their kill. And since we have three missing women who all have similar missing jewelry pieces, I believe we can label this a serial killer case.”
Quinn took in a deep breath. She turned to an empty page in her notepad and jotted down that bit of information for future use.
“But just between us. We’re connecting the dots, but the authorities haven’t yet,” Sheraton said. “They haven’t seen the pattern, or if they have, they aren’t making it public knowledge and won’t until they have the suspect in custody.”
“Sher, don’t you have a buddy who’s a retired Altoona detective? Couldn’t you reach out and see if he can find out if he’s heard anything that might be connected to this case?” Quinn asked.
“Of course,” Sheraton said. “I’ll reach out to Jamison later today and see what he might be able to find out for us. Good call there. I should have thought of him sooner. How’s your next article coming along?”
