She closed her eyes. More than anything she wanted to go into his arms and find the comfort her heart needed. But how could she? With Wax still out there taunting her and her team. Bringing him in needed to be her only concern.
And when this was over...Ava couldn’t bring herself to think that far ahead.
Still for a moment, she wanted to stay here with him and wonder what their lives would have turned out like if there’d been no Wax.
Her cell phone buzzed, breaking the spell. She started and reached for the phone. Caleb stepped back.
Rachel’s number appeared on the screen.
“What’s up?” she asked in an unsteady voice.
“ERT’s here. They’re removing the body now. Did you find anything?”
“No. We tracked Wax’s scent to a small community.” Ava looked Caleb’s way. “We believe he had a car parked nearby. That’s how he got away.”
“Unbelievable. He seems to be one step ahead of us.” Rachel’s frustration was clear.
“We’ll get him. Once the rest of my team arrives, we’ll have more manpower. We can increase our search radius. We’ll be there in a few minutes.” Ava ended the call.
She and Caleb began walking again. The silence between them was filled with lingering emotions. No matter what the future brought, she’d always care for Caleb. But was she too broken to offer the type of relationship he deserved?
They reached the clearing. In the fading light of day, a team of forensics specialists worked to bring their latest victim out while Ava tried to dismiss her worst fears. Wax had initially taken three victims before disappearing into the darkness where he lurked. Would it be the same this time? Or had the killer only just begun?
Chapter Nine
Missing Pieces
By the time they reached Caleb’s family lodge, it was late, and the storm had thickened into a curtain of driving snow that muted everything a few feet away from the light’s glow of the lodge.
The two-story, full-round log lodge was made of stone and timber. Smoke curled from the chimney, vanishing into the storm.
Ava stood in front of the evidence board that the task force members had set up against the wall. Photos of the three past victims and their current one, terrain maps, and Wax’s cryptic symbols covered its surface.
ERT had confirmed that Emily was killed in the small cabin. The woman beneath the ice had been taken to the morgue for autopsy. They were still at the crime scene combing the icy surface for anything. Some had been disbursed to the cabin where they’d found the locket.
Rachel handed her a steaming mug of coffee.
“Thanks.” She smiled her gratitude. “What do we know so far?” Ava kept her attention on the board.
“We confirmed the blood found on the rock surface wasn’t Emily’s. So far, there’s no match. It could be the second victim. Hopefully, the ME can give us an answer for that.”
Ava pressed her palm against her chest. She couldn’t get the image of the woman in the lake out of her head. Why had Wax chosen to leave her there? All the previous victims had been left displayed in the woods. The final one before Emily was in the old church, but that was only because Wax had worried about being caught. “Has anyone been reported missing from the area?”
Rachel told her no. “We’ve broadened our search to the surrounding counties, but Emily wasn’t from around here, so…”
“The victim could be from anywhere,” Ava concluded.
“Exactly,” Rachel said quietly.
“We need to start at the beginning,” Ava said. “Starting with the first victim three years earlier.” She moved to the head of the table where agents worked alongside law officers. “Can I have your attention, please?”
All eyes turned to her. By now, several of the Redeemed team had arrived with their K-9s. Shadow was busy hanging out with his teammates. She smiled as she watched them play together. All the dogs in the unit were highly trained. Several had come from a military background like Shadow. Some had experienced trauma while working search and rescue for police agencies. All had scars. It was good to see them enjoying down time.
“As you all know, we have a second victim recovered. Wax has left us plenty of clues. He’s trying to tell us something that we’re missing.” She told the team they needed to start with the first victim.
“Victoria Dobson,” Harper Lee Stevens said aloud.
Ava smiled at her colleague. Harper was the widow of a fallen police officer and a U.S. Marshal. Harper had beenready to leave law enforcement after her husband’s death which she’d witnessed. Marcus saw her value and recruited her for the Redeemed K-9 Unit. She’d been assigned Val, a former cadaver recovery dog.
