“We’ll need to get access to all that.”
“Way ahead of you,” Connor smiled.
“Was this lodge active?”
“Hunting group pays for the upkeep.Uses it in season, sometimes for poker nights, small gatherings, that sort of thing.”
“Who has keys?”
“I’ve got a list started.Too many.”
“That’s always comforting.”
“A couple dozen club members.Maybe more if anyone made copies.”
Selena walked to the broken window and crouched without touching the sill.Glass lay inside.
Did you come back for something?she thought.
“Was the door locked after processing?”
“Matt says yes.I checked it myself before we left.”
“Then whoever came back either broke in through here or wanted us to think they did.”
Connor stood beside her.“I still say it was probably kids.”
Selena ignored the comment.“What about any camera footage?Trail cams, that sort of thing in the area?”
"I already put out the word, but it doesn't seem any local hunters had the road to the lodge covered that we know of."
Connor scanned the window frame with his gaze.Selena remained crouched a second longer than necessary, then stood.
“Don’t bring anyone in to clean up the scene,” she said.“Keep the lodge shut.”
“The hunting group won’t be happy about that.”
“I’m not concerned with their happiness.”
“That’ll play well at the next county meeting.”
“If the killer returned to break in, they might not have found what they were looking for.We proceed on the assumption there’s something here until we prove otherwise.”
Connor looked around the room as if measuring the work in his head.“What do you need then?”
“A full catalog of every item in the lodge.Furniture, drawers, cabinets, old photographs, tools, trash, anything stored in the kitchen, anything in the attic if there is one.I want to know what belongs here and what doesn’t.We’ll need to run that past whoever knows this lodge best.”
“That’s a lot.”
“That’s police work.”
He grinned.“I’ve missed that since last time.”
“What?”
“You telling me things I already know with absolute confidence.”
The almost-smile stayed a moment, then left as he looked back at the blood.
