Page 20 of Rage

“Chief Burkholder!”

I glance left to see a woman in a stylish orange suit rush toward me, eyes on fire, microphone in hand. “What can you tell us about the murder?”

“Press conference at eight.” I sidle away to reach the door before she can block me.

The woman isn’t deterred and thrusts the mike inches from my face. “Can you confirm that the victim was decapitated? Do you have a suspect?”

“No comment,” I tell her.

A hissed curse follows me as I go through the door. The reception area is jammed with people—concerned citizens, local business owners, and cops from several jurisdictions—and I realize that’s why the journalist outside didn’t follow me inside. To my right, I see Glock talking to a couple of Holmes County deputies. Farther in, the owner of the Butterhorn Bakery gestures animatedly as he talks to Auggie Brock, the mayor. I can only imagine the whoppers being traded.

“Chief!”

I turn to see my floater dispatcher, Margaret, get to her feet. I start toward her. She’s got the headset clamped over her cropped silver-brown hair and she’s waving her hands at me like a drowning woman reaching for a life vest.

“The mayor’s looking for you,” she tells me.

I reach her, pluck messages from my slot. “I see him.”

“Sheriff Rasmussen, too.”

“I’ll find him.” Head down, I start for my office, brush past a town councilman and the principal of the high school.

“Any chance I could have a moment with the chief?”

I glance left and see Tomasetti standing in the hall, looking at me.

“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” I say on a sigh.

“That’s what all the female chiefs of police tell me,” he says.

“So I’ve heard.” I unlock my office and slip inside. I’d expected him to continue on to the “war room” for the briefing, but he slips in behind me and closes the door.

“You’re not going to drop some atomic bomb of bad news on me, are you?” I ask.

“Not a chance.” Eyes locked on mine, he crosses to me and presses a chaste kiss to my forehead. “You got this.”

Despite the tension running like barbed wire across my shoulders, I smile. “See you in two minutes.”

And then he’s gone.

I go to my laptop first. My email box overflows with information from the queries I put in to Lois and Jodie. I skim the highlights as best I can and print the details I need for the briefing. Two minutes later, I walk into the war room to find it packed to the gills. Every officer in my department is there along with two of my dispatchers. I count three Holmes County deputies. A detective with the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Mayor Brock. Sheriff Rasmussen. And, of course, Tomasetti.

I nod at the sheriff as I stride past, letting him know I’ll talk with him after the briefing. At the half podium, I give the mike a sharp tap.

“Since it’s a hundred degrees in this room and every single one of us has our work cut out for us this evening, I’ll make this briefing short and sweet.”

The hum of conversation ceases.

“Here’s what we have so far.” I start with the victim’s name and recap what little we know. I run through each of the bullet points I jotted down throughout the day. “According to the coroner, Samuel Yutzy was murdered thirty-six to forty-eight hours ago. No criminal record. No warrants.” I recite his address.

“Do we have cause or manner of death?” Sheriff Mike Rasmussen asks.

“No and no,” I tell him. “Doc Coblentz will be doing the autopsy, probably in the morning. I anticipate being able to answer at least one of those questions shortly thereafter.”

I look out at the small ocean of faces. “Information is scarce at this point, but I’ll give you what I have so far.

“Logistics.” I turn to the map of Painters Mill secured to the wall behind me. Using a red marker, I draw an X where the body was uncovered. I circle the location of the tree nursery. “A large amount of blood was discovered at the tree nursery. Both scenes are still being processed by BCI.” I turn to face the crowd. “In theory, I believe the murder and dismemberment happened at the nursery. The killer or killers may have then transported the remains roughly a quarter of a mile into the woods. There, they dug several shallow holes, and buried everything.”