Page 20 of Bring Them Home

“In the farmhouse with his wife, Shelley. But I wouldn’t go thinking he had anything to do with this. As I said he’s pretty shaken up and the guy strikes me as salt of the earth, ya know.”

Amanda wished it were easy to dismiss people from suspicion based on looks and first impressions alone. She learned early in her career everyone put on shows to varying degrees. Those who committed the most grievous of crimes often appeared least suspect. Just like Phillip Daily? They’d soon find out.

“I told Mr. Manning and his wife to expect that detectives would want to speak with them,” Jensen added.

Amanda nodded. “And we will. First, I’d like to get a look at the scene.”

“Of course, follow that path.” He pointed to an area where the cornstalks were flattened.

“Was it like that when you arrived?” she asked.

“It was. Manning walked through the field from his house.”

She nodded and turned to leave.

“Just don’t say I didn’t warn you about the mess,” Jensen called out behind them.

Trent reached out and put a hand on her shoulder when she stopped at the mouth of the narrow path. That simple touch, full of reassurance, lifted her spirits. She could, and she would, see this investigation through, even if it was Paul Archer’s body at the other end. “This path is likely where the killer came through with the body.”

“I’d say that’s a fair assumption, but I don’t see any track marks that something was rolled through here.”

“Me either, but he, or she, could have dragged the body out here in something.”

“Like in a tarp.”

Don’t remind me… Not that the high-profile murder investigation they had last month was far from her mind anyhow. It was a case that involved a killer who liked to wrap their victims in a tarp. Something like that sticks with a person. “Sure. Or carried them. I don’t see blood or other forensic evidence strewn along the way. I’d say we’re looking at someone who is strong enough to lug dead weight.”

“Or two people sharing the burden?” Trent countered. “We know from the mall video there were at least two people working together to pull this off.”

“But if this is Paul and those people were out here, where are Brooke and Valerie?” It was a valid question, but she couldn’t let her mind reflect on it for too long. They had to be alive, safe somewhere. “Though we could be getting ahead of ourselves. This might not even be Paul Archer.” Not that I believe that…

She came to a small opening where all the cornstalks in the area had been flattened and found the CSIs.

“Hello there,” CSI Isabelle Donnelly greeted them.

“You guys must have picked the short straw,” CSI Emma Blair kicked out.

Amanda’s gaze fixed on the remains. The man was dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, but as Officer Jensen had warned them, it was a messy scene. Nature had lent a macabre hand to the devastation. The carrion birds, with their hooked beaks, had torn through his shirt and gorged on his torso. Flesh, organs, and intestines had been fished out and were lying next to the body. The man’s left eye had been plucked out by the birds, and the right one was wide open, facing toward the sky. A milky haze covered it, suggesting he had been dead for some time. The skin that remained was ash gray, but even his bare legs had been gnawed on.

But despite the mutilation, Amanda was sure of one thing and laid a hand over her stomach. This was what remained of Paul Archer.

“You all right there? I know it’s quite the sight and hard to stomach.” CSI Emma Blair stepped up to Amanda’s side. “If you’re going to vomit, though, do it away from the body.”

“I’ll be all right.” But the way her stomach lurched belied her claim. Just focus on the facts… “It’s him.”

“It’s him?” Emma narrowed her eyes. “Him who?”

Trent filled in the CSIs, including that they had video of Valerie’s and Brooke’s abductions.

“You actually watched it happen?” Isabelle said.

“Uh-huh. We can only assume the husband”—Trent pointed at the body—“was taken by the same people from another location.” He turned to Amanda and added, “I guess we can sufficiently rule out his involvement.”

All Amanda could do was nod.

Trent continued. “I hate to say it, but if he’s here, then maybe…”

She didn’t want to think about Brooke’s and Valerie’s bodies being in this field too. It seemed Trent didn’t want to put it into words either. But they couldn’t just ignore the possibility because it was ugly. “We should call in the K-9 unit, just to be sure.”