AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“When your guys are done in your offices, I could use some help over at the Watering Hole,” Jake said.
“We’ll cover for Gunny,” RJ said. “The bar will be busy with people attending this weekend’s town founders parade and activities. The overflow of visitors looking for a drink in Fool’s Gold will find their way out here. The day shift’s about ready to leave. I’ll head over with Gunny and relieve the folks who need to get home to their families.”
Gunny and RJ left through the front door.
Jake held up a hand. “I’d like my team to convene in the basement in five minutes. Ladies, make yourselves at home, or you can join the men in the basement.”
“I’m coming with you,” JoJo said.
Emily raised a hand. “Me, too.”
“I’m not hanging out on the porch by myself,” Kinsley said. “I’m coming, too.”
Rachel slipped her hand into Griff’s. “I think I need to be with you in the basement. If there’s a discussion of the investigation, I definitely need to be in the middle of it.”
He squeezed her hand gently. “That’s fine. I want you with me at all times.”
“Surely, the Wedding Veil Killer wouldn’t come to a crowded lodge and attempt to kill me with so many witnesses.” She shook her head. “He’s been too careful not to be seen or leave any marks.”
“I think it’s like you said.” Griff tipped his head. “He’s walking, living and laughing among us. We can’t see him because he’s just a normal Joe. Someone everyone trusts and sees every day without really seeing him.” He gave her a twisted grin. “Know anyone like that?”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “Half the people in town fit that description. Everyone gets so busy in their own lives they don’t pay attention to the nuances of the people around them.” She grimaced. “That includes me.”
“You’ve been watching everyone, studying them,” Griff said.
“Yeah, but am I watching the right one? How will I know? How do profilers do it? How do they get into a killer’s head?”
Jake approached Griff. “Follow me. I’ll show you our base of operations.” He led them through the kitchen to a door at the far end that opened onto stairs leading down into a basement.
As Jake descended the stairs, lights came on automatically. The long room lit up bright and white. It had been tastefully transformed from a regular basement to a sleek, modern office with a long conference table, a large LED screen at one end and a bank of computers with an array of monitors.
“Nice,” Griff said.
Jake grinned. “Wait until you see the armory.” He walked across the floor to a door with a biometric scanner. Jake touched his finger on the scanner. Moments later, the lock made a clicking sound.
With a flourish, Jake swung the door open to a room filled with an impressive array of weapons, from AR-15s to nun-chucks. Handguns lined the walls in every size and configuration. A large cabinet stood in the center of the room with drawers on both sides.
Jake pulled open one of the spacious drawers, exposing helmets with night vision goggles. In another drawer were armored vests and gloves.
The last drawer contained a variety of communications devices and trackers.
“You might want to tag Ms. West with a tracker in case something happens and we lose her.” He held up a necklace that had an ornate, oval-shaped pendant.
“I’ll take it.” Rachel reached for the necklace. “There’s nothing like being the target of a serial killer to make you want people to creep on you.”
Jake pulled out a handheld tracking device and turned it on, showing them how to use it.
“The best scenario is to not lose Rachel,” Griff said.
“True,” Jake said. “No matter how hard you try to control your environment, things happen. It’s better to be prepared for the worst and have nothing happen than to be unprepared when it does.”
Everyone gathered around the conference table.
“Not all of my guys are here tonight, but all are available if we need them,” Jake said. “And for that matter, all of Hank’s guys in Montana can be mobilized should we need them.”
Griff and Rachel spent the next five minutes bringing the team up to date on the status of their investigation, showing them the heart-shaped necklace and discussing the fifteen-year-old cold case of Christy Severs.
“Neither Christy nor Lindsay were raped. Without witnesses, fingerprints or any other DNA evidence, we can’t identify our perp,” Rachel said. “Christy was murdered in a back alley at night. No one saw it happen. My sister was killed on an isolated mountain trail with nobody around.”
