Page 21 of Rage

“What about motive?” one of the deputies asks.

“The Amish use cash,” says another deputy. “Any chance it was a robbery gone wrong?”

I shake my head. “The register at the nursery contained cash.” I look at Sheriff Rasmussen. “Do you know if there are any CCTV cameras or game cams in the vicinity?”

The sheriff stands. “We checked with a few of the property owners in the area, Kate, and we got nothing.”

I point at Skid. “I want you to go back out there this evening and talk to every residence within a five-mile radius. Find out if anyone saw any strange vehicles or buggies in the area. Check to see if anyone has a game cam or CCTV that we overlooked.”

He sends me a two-finger salute.

I look at Rasmussen. “Anything turn up on the grid search?”

The sheriff shakes his head. “I still got two deputies out there with a metal detector. We located a garbage bag. There was blood on it, but nothing inside. Everything was sent to the lab.”

“So, conceivably, the killer or killers could have transported the remains in the bag?” I ask.

The sheriff nods. “That’s what I’m thinking. The bag, by the way, is polyethylene, which is good news because that particular material may retain prints, so the lab will be looking for latents, too.”

“Excellent.” I point at T.J. “When we finish up here, I want you to check any and all trash containers or dumpsters in the area. Dismembering a body is a messy job. Whoever did it may have gotten rid of clothes or towels. He may have tossed tools.”

“You got it,” he says.

“Until we have a suspect, everyone who knew or had contact with Yutzy is a person of interest.” I glance down at my notes. “According to Yutzy’s parents, Aaron Shetler was his best friend. He’s Amish. Local. Shetler also has a clean record. No warrants. He’s employed at Quality Implement.” I catch Glock’s attention. “When we’re finished here, find him, pick him up. Bring him in so we can talk to him.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he says.

I turn my attention to Mona Kurtz. She’s the first female to grace the ranks of the department, a good cop, and one of my favorite officers. “I want you to cruise around on social media. Focus on Yutzy and Shetler. Personal lives. Girlfriends. Look for any disputes or arguments. See what you can find.”

“On it,” she says.

I look out at the group. “According to Yutzy’s parents, Yutzy and a Millersburg man by the name of Carter Brooks were involved in some kind of contractual dispute. I did a cursory search of Yutzy’s residence and sure enough, I found some docs that confirm as much.” I turn my attention to Lois. “Anything interesting on Brooks?”

Dispatchers generally don’t get too involved with investigations, particularly of the homicide variety. But because my department is invariably short-staffed, I’m never shy about asking them to step in. They’re well versed on using the police databases we have access to and mining information from various sites on the internet when that’s all we’ve got.

Lois straightens her shoulders. “Thirty-nine years old. Divorced. No kids. Millersburg residence. He’s part owner, manager, and stakeholder of a microbrewery in Millersburg. Blue Lake Tap and Brewery. No active warrants. However…” She looks down at the paper in her hand to skim her notes. “Brooks was arrested last year. Initially, he was stopped for speeding. Eighty-two miles an hour in a thirty-five. An open container led to a search of the vehicle, at which time a loaded weapon was found. Brooks was not a licensed concealed-carry permit holder in Ohio, so an arrest was made. Blood test cleared him of the OVI. He took a plea deal on the weapon charge, and got it knocked down to a misdemeanor.”

“Lucky guy,” someone mutters.

“Must have a good lawyer.”

I soak in the information greedily. “According to Yutzy’s parents, Brooks and Yutzy were involved in a serious dispute over a landscaping job and presumably money.”

“What kind of money are we talking about?” Rasmussen asks.

“Brooks was asking for over fifteen thousand dollars,” I tell him.

One of the deputies whistles. “That’ll ruin your day.”

“People have been killed for less,” someone else throws out.

I look at Lois. “Send me everything you have on Brooks.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I go to the next topic. “We also have a female person of interest.” I hold up the enlarged image of the mystery woman whose photo I found in Yutzy’s bedroom. “I found this when I searched Yutzy’s home. I’ve not been able to positively identify her. The only name we have to go on is Cass or some variation thereof. Based on my conversation with Yutzy’s parents, I believe he may have been romantically involved with her.”

“Lot of skin,” mutters one of the deputies.