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“Holy shit, boss.” Andi looked sick.
“There are bruises on her thighs and in various places on her body. He also pulled out clumps of her pubic hair by the roots.”
Andi swallowed and clenched her jaw tight, no doubt to keep from vomiting. Mickey looked green in the light of the desk lamp.
“Nita swabbed for DNA, but she’s not hopeful. The guy apparently used a condom, and possibly even wore latex gloves. But maybe we’ll get lucky.”
“We took statements from the kids,” Andi told him. “How would you like us to proceed from here?”
Again, Cole dry-washed his face. He needed caffeine, badly.
“I say we talk to the kids one on one. We can’t keep their parents out of it since they’re all minors, so let’s try it in their homes.”
Mickey hunched forward. “You know their folks will want to stop us.”
Cole held up a hand. “I woke up the county attorney and requested a blanket warrant. I’ll make sure you each get a copy. Grab a couple hours of sleep before you start setting up your appointments. But do it fast before anyone has time to change their story.”
Andi’s eyebrows lifted to her hairline. “You think one of them may have done this?”
“No, but someone may have seen something and not want to come forward for reasons of their own. Don’t forget, they were having their party in a facility that’s supposed to be locked at night. I want to know whose idea it was and how they got through the gate. Anyone check the gate?”
“I… Sorry.” A red flush crept up Andi’s face. “We didn’t even think to look.”
Cole looked from one to the other. “My guess is this town is so used to people breaking into the park at night no one even thinks twice if the gate is open. Right?” When neither of them answered, he repeated his question. “I said, am I right?”
“Yes, Sheriff,” Mickey finally mumbled. “We’ll be a lot sharper from now on. You can count on it. You have our word.”
Cole rubbed his neck. “You’d think in three years I’d have realized how lax security is at the park. Once the attendant closes the gate at night, no one bothers to check anything.” He grunted. “Shit. You guys don’t need to apologize. I’m probably one of my own worst liabilities. But you can bet starting tomorrow the access won’t be quite so easy.”
“We’ll get on the kids real early,” Andi told him. “And we won’t screw it up.”
After his deputies left, Cole leaned back in his chair again. He needed to go home and catch a couple hours of sleep. Feed the horses and his dog. Shower, put on a fresh uniform. But he couldn’t get the image of Leanne’s body out of his mind.
He hoped this turned out to be a case of misplaced jealousy and teenage desire, although from Nita’s description of the body, it didn’t sound like it. He wondered, like Andi had asked, if Dana Moretti’s determination to reopen the old cases had anything to do with this? Could it really be a coincidence that she showed up in town making noises and the first murder in twenty-five years took place? Did that mean she was in danger, too? He didn’t even want to consider the possibilities.
Chapter Twelve
Without a newspaper to glance over, Dana flicked on the television on the kitchen counter to get her morning news fix. Switching to the local channel, she began to fill the reservoir of the coffee pot with tap water and measure coffee grounds into the basket.
She paid scant attention to what was being said until she heard the words High Ridge. When she turned to look at the screen, a reporter was doing a standup next to the entrance to High Ridge Municipal Park.
“…body of the teenager was found by her friends. Little is known at this time, although sources said she had left the park to go on a soft drink run. When she didn’t return, her friends began searching for her. We hope to have more on this later today. For now, this is Jerry Macatee from KSAT 12 in San Antonio.”
Dana’s hands shook as she poured coffee into a mug. She had to sit down at the table before she could lift the mug to her lips without spilling any. She swallowed half of it and tossed the rest. Her appetite had suddenly disappeared.
A body. A female body. She knew, from her research, High Ridge hadn’t seen a violent death since the pedophile spree. But this victim wasn’t a child. So it surely wasn’t the monster starting up again, right?
Quickly, she closed her laptop and shoved it, along with her files, into her computer case. She’d keep it locked in her trunk while she was out and set the alarm on the car. Considering the reception she’d gotten everywhere yesterday, she wouldn’t put it past someone to break into her house in an effort to send her a message.
Her hands stilled.Send her a message.
Surely, this girl wasn’t killed in some weird way to warn her off. Or divert everyone’s attention. That was far too big a stretch of the imagination. Her stomach clenched, and she had to swallow hard to beat back what seemed to be the ever-present nausea. No. That would be just too far-fetched. She was being paranoid.
But she definitely would find out every detail she could.
She showered, dressed in slacks and a blouse, and shoved her phone into her purse. Before she started off to see the parents of the dead children, she planned to stop at Sheriff Cole Landry’s office. He’d said if she wanted to talk, he’d listen. She was sure, though, this wasn’t what he’d meant.
****
