“Thanks. I figured you knew that, but needed to make it clear.”
Sierra followed Kelsey’s lead in putting her hair into a ponytail, but she had dishwater blond hair, straight and falling below her shoulders. Coop brought the bin, and she dug out white Tyvek suits, handing one to Kelsey.
Kelsey quickly tugged the garment over her tan dress slacks and a floral print blouse with sheer sleeves, but struggled with getting the zipper closed. “I’ll have to get a bigger size soon. I’m only seven months.”
“I remember those days.” Sierra raised her suit over black tactical pants and a black Veritas embroidered polo.
“And hope to experience it again someday?” Kelsey asked.
“Absolutely. But not before Asher turns two.” Sierra pulled up her zipper, the rasping sound echoing in the quiet desert.
Kelsey got her zipper sorted out and glanced at Sierra. “Ready?”
“As I can be.” Sierra looped a camera strap around her neck and the pair set off for Deputy Dahl.
Mackenzie and Owen trailed behind the couple. Mackenzie stifled a chuckle when Kelsey’s pregnant waddle, black hair, and white suit brought a penguin to mind.
“They seem like an interesting pair,” Owen said as they walked side-by-side.
“They are. Kelsey especially. She’s super feminine and doesn’t at all look like the kind of person I expect to unearth bones.”
“Yeah, I can see that.”
Sierra and Kelsey held out their IDs to the deputy.
“Deputy Dahl.” He lifted the crime scene tape for them. “The sheriff requested that you look for any ID as soon as possible.”
Kelsey nodded. “I will if it doesn’t compromise the scene.”
Mackenzie stepped forward. Dahl rolled his eyes and dropped the tape before she could follow, then picked up a clipboard and scribbled something on it. Probably recording Kelsey and Sierra’s names as having accessed the scene.
Mackenzie followed along the tape toward the body, but Dahl had cordoned off a wide area for the scene’s outer perimeter, and she couldn’t make out everything the Veritas team were saying. On the bright side, she was impressed with the way Dahl had handled the scene. Not every small-town deputy did a by-the-book job.
“How long do you think it will take them?” Owen asked her.
She looked at him, his eyebrows drawn together. “No idea, but that’s one thing they should be able to share with us.”
Deputy Dahl pinned his focus on Mackenzie and Owen. Did he think she planned to jump the crime scene tape? She must look eager to get a better view of the skeleton now that she’d come to grips with finding it, but she wouldn’t cause any problems with the crime scene. Besides, she suspected the good deputy and sheriff wouldn’t mind arresting her to prove a point.
So she ignored Dahl, and lifted a hand over her eyes to block the sun. Kelsey had put on disposable gloves and was searching the victim’s pockets. Hopefully, looking for that ID.
She stood, something silver dangling from her hand. She marched over to Dahl and held out her hand. “No ID but this might be unique enough to identify her.”
He put on a glove and took the item from Kelsey. He let what appeared to be a necklace dangle from his fingers. “Seems pretty unusual. Let me get on my computer and run it through NaMUS.”
He took off for his patrol vehicle and got behind the wheel. Kelsey went back to the remains. Mackenzie and Owen both kept their eyes on Dahl. Didn’t take long before he got out and came back to Kelsey. “Necklace matches a woman named Cassie Collins.”
Owen startled and took a step back.
Mackenzie looked at him, his face as white as the fluffy clouds overhead.
“From Vancouver.” Dahl mentioned the Washington city right across the Columbia River from Portland. “What in the world was she doing out here?”
“That’s what we hope to help you figure out.” Kelsey held out her hand. “Now I’ll need that necklace to log into official evidence.”
“Let me take a quick picture for the sheriff.” Dahl snapped a photo and handed the jewelry back to Kelsey.
“I’ll let you know the minute we have additional information that might be helpful.” Kelsey stood with the necklace dangling from her fingers.
