Page 42 of Homicide in Water Creek

“What now?” Jacks asked. She’d been riding quietly beside him, giving him time to think without insisting on small talk.

“Maybe the killer never meant for us to find Vonita,” he repeated. “Maybe he thought putting her in a vehicle as damaged as the Porsche meant she’d find her way into the crusher before anyone was the wiser.”

“That’s possible,” she agreed. “But we still need to figure out how she got in the car to begin with.”

Nodding, King slowed at the city limits just as he spotted the storage units. They were directly off the highway, as the officer had indicated. He punched a button on his phone to send a prewritten text to the officer to let him know they’d arrived, then turned left into the gravel parking lot. There was no point in trying to preserve any tire tracks now. Too many days had passed since the car was left there, and too many people used these storage units every day.

Putting the SUV into Park, King eyed the innocuous white car. Would it provide the answers they needed, or just pose more questions? The man in him wanted to hope for the former, but the cop in him said it would be the latter.

“We’ll figure out what she wanted with Water Creek,” Jacks promised, her soft palm caressing his cheek.

Shaking his head, he sighed. “If she was headed to Water Creek, it wasn’t to reconnect. I promise you that.”

When she nodded, it wasn’t even hesitant. “No, her history doesn’t lend itself to that.”

“If fortune smiles upon us, that car will give us the next place to start. Thanks for coming with me.”

“You needed the help.”

He pressed her hand against his face and kissed her palm. “I needed you, and it feels so good to finally be able to admit that, even if it’s only to each other.”

“We’ll sort out our granddaddies, I promise,” Jacks whispered.

“They won’t have a choice if they want to be in our lives, right?” he asked, and she nodded. With a sigh, he pointed at the car. “Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be. What’s the plan?” she asked, focusing on him.

“We’ll do a simple walkaround. We don’t have to worry about footprints or tire tracks at this point, since the county cops were already here. Then I’ll glove up, check the car, look for any luggage, and move forward based on anything we discover.”

“How do we document that?”

“My bodycam will be on, so keep that in mind as we talk. The video will be entered into evidence. I won’t turn it on until the county cop arrives, though. According to him, the car was unlocked, with the key under the driver’s-side floormat. He took the key and secured the vehicle, so the scene has already been contaminated. He had no idea when he found the car that it was involved in a crime, so there’s nothing we can do about that. Once he arrives, he’ll remain here as we inspect the car, also recording the process.”

“Okay, so once we’re at the car, your body cam is on, and I’m taking pictures of whatever we find. Got it. What are we looking for?”

“Vonita bled out, so we’re looking for blood. That said, the car shows no spray on the windows, so he didn’t slice her carotid arteries inside the car. The cop would have seen it immediately.”

“So you’re thinking the killer could have transferred blood after he killed her?”

“It’s possible,” he agreed.

“Do you think someone picked her up here, but killed her closer to Water Creek or in Water Creek?”

He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the rearview mirror. “We haven’t explained how she got into the Porsche’s trunk, so all possibilities are still in play.”

“Maybe someone held her hostage for a time and then killed her before they drove to Water Creek. If someone knew the area, it would be possible to approach Boone’s Boneyard from the back, dump her over the fence, climb over it, and hide her in the trunk. Even if the smell eventually drew someone out to investigate, they’d be long gone.”

“It’s the only thing that makes sense, since we know the car hauler never stopped anywhere near Fort Bridger. Do you think Boone will put up cameras back there now?” Her derisive snort was answer enough. Probably not. “Remind me to check how long the car hauler was parked in front of Boone’s when we get back to the station.”

“To what end?” she asked, twisting in her seat to look out the back window. “We know the logbook says he didn’t stop here.”

“That’s correct, but if he arrived in Water Creek at, say, 10 p.m., he’d have to wait until morning to offload the cars.”

“If he left the car hauler for food or to sleep, Vonita’s killer could have used it to his advantage,” she said, picking up on his idea. “Good theory.”

“That’s all it is right now, but every theory has to be explored until the case is solved.”

Tires crunched on gravel, and they both turned to look behind them. A Unita County Sheriff SUV pulled in. Jacks reached for the door handle. “I’m ready.”