“This is Special Agent Dominic Novak. We’ve worked together for about two years now.”
Agent Novak appeared to be in his mid-thirties. She’d read his dossier. Novak was a native Montanan. He’d served the Bureau all over the country until a position landed back in his home state. He was capable but not looking to advance up the ranks.
“Nice to meet you, Novak.” She extended her hand. She’d been surprised to find Rachel had landed in Ava’s old position in Montana. She’d been in the D.C. hot zone the last Ava heard. But on the flight over, she’d learned Rachel had married and, unfortunately, divorced a local Montana marshal. Still, she’d built a life for herself here in Montana. Ava certainly understood the attraction of the state.
“What do we have so far?” she asked while swallowing back her own personal regrets. If Wax hadn’t kidnapped her, she might have ended up married to Caleb and had children.
Rachel took the lead. “The MO matches that of the Wax Saint, except for the car placement. The vic’s body was covered in wax. We arrived soon after she was located and were able to witness it for ourselves.” The look of disgust on Rachel’s face said it all. “ME believes she was still alive when he covered her in wax. She suffered badly. That’s sick.”
Ava turned away and swallowed hard, but the memories of watching that victim die were always close.
Shadow licked her hand, his gentle touch pulling her back.
“I heard you joined the Redeemed Unit. Sounds like an amazing experience and their record of solving cases has gottenattention. Who’s this?” Rachel asked without seeing the crack in Ava’s façade.
She forced words out. “Shadow. We’ve been together about a year now, since I joined Redeemed. He’s one of the best.” She patted the dog’s back. “Has the search revealed anything useful?”
What was left behind beside the body was every bit as important as the victim. She’d seen photos of what had been found near Emily, but she hoped the team had uncovered something useful that would help them identify Wax.
“Nothing more than what you received earlier. We’re still canvassing, though.” Rachel’s hand swept to the ERT team members, hard at work.
Ava called Vaughn over. “Deputy, you and Agent Novak stay with ERT.”
Shadow strained at his lead drawing Ava’s attention to the dog at her side. He sniffed the ground picking up a scent.
Ava snapped the lead loose and the dog rushed to a nearby tree outside of the crime scene perimeter. His tail stiffened, and his body tensed. He let out a low whine. “Rachel, you’re with me. He’s found something.” She followed the dog to the tree.
“What is that?” Rachel asked while leaning over Ava’s shoulder.
Ava grabbed a glove from her pocket and lifted what appeared to be a piece of cloth. “Red plaid flannel from a shirt, I’m guessing. It could be Wax’s. He could have torn it in a rush to get away. There might still be DNA on it.”
Yet even as she said it, Ava realized it didn’t match Wax’s carefully meticulous behavior from the past. Was this another new twist?
At all the previous crime scenes, there hadn’t been a single piece of evidence to point to Wax’s ID.
“Or it could be left behind by any number of hikers.” Still, Rachel held open an evidence bag. Ava dropped it inside. “I’ll give this to the forensics team.”
“Hang on.” Ava studied the fabric. Something about it seemed off. It was almost as if it had been carefully cut from the shirt, rather than torn. Was Wax playing with them?
Shadow continued to sniff around the tree.
Out of her peripheral vision, she caught someone approaching and turned, half expecting it to be Deputy Vaughn.
But it wasn’t.
She wasn’t even aware of straightening or the way her hand reached out to steady herself with the tree. The questioning look Rachel gave her. Or even the way Shadow let out a low whimper as if sensing her inner struggle.
All those things faded the moment she spotted Caleb.
She pulled in a breath. Let it go. Faced him.
Caleb Ward’s broad shoulders had a rigid set she recognized from the past whenever he was uncomfortable.
In his eyes was a storm of recognition and regret.
And in that instant, she knew this case wasn’t going to test her training. It was going to test every fracture in her soul.
Chapter Three
