AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The three men stepped back and waited until Norm lifted off.
“You two start a preliminary sweep of the rock; I’ll head over to the body.”
“What are you hoping to find?” asked Randy.
“Anything that’ll tell us how they got up here. Specifically, I want to know if they had a chopper or ATVs up here.”
“Got it,” said Kenny.
Slade nodded to them and headed towards the body, waving off one of the cops who started across. “We need to keep off this rock until my guys have a chance to see if they can find anything.”
“Damn it. We didn’t think of that.”
“How’d you boys get up here?”
“Hiked in.”
“That’ll help. Kenny and Randy will take impressions of your shoes so we can eliminate them.”
“None of us have dealt with anything like this. A couple of us puked, but we managed to mostly do it in the same spot and over the edge. I apologize for that.”
“No need to apologize,” Slade assured him. “I know veteran homicide detectives who throw up at scenes. Looks and sounds like you guys did everything you could do to preserve the scene. Let’s go take a look at the body.”
“I understand he was a friend of yours. I’m sorry.”
“Thanks; I appreciate that.”
The cops had done an outstanding job. Slade had expected the tarp to be secured at four corners by short posts but instead they had erected a tent-like structure that included side flaps that could be zipped open or closed on one side.
Slade pointed towards the tent. “You guys did a great job—way more than I was expecting.”
“Well, I had it in the trunk of the car. I thought it might be a good thing—you know, help to protect it.”
Slade nodded. “The chief is on his way up. You can double check with him, but I think you guys can head back into town.”
“All of us?”
Slade hid his smile. He could hear the eagerness in the young officer’s voice. Helping out on a case like this could help him in his career, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a liaison. He’d need to double check with the chief, but having the kid attached to their investigation would give the chief some relief, as well.
“I was actually thinking it might be helpful to have one guy on the force attached to my team as a liaison. Any chance you’d be interested? I have to tell you that was quick thinking on the tent. You probably helped preserve evidence.”
“If the chief says it’s okay, I’m definitely in. Just so you know, I met Daniel a couple of times, even had coffee with him.”
“That’s not an issue, but again, good thinking on letting me know. I appreciate that kind of straightforward honesty.”
Slade meant what he said. The kid had a good head on his shoulders, and it would be good to have a local on his team. It could smooth over any feathers they might ruffle. In any event, he meant to ensure the kid’s name was in his report.
Slade shook his head and extended his hand. “Sometimes, I’m an idiot. I get so focused on things I forget to introduce myself. Slade Rafferty, Major Crime Unit.”
“Wentworth Henderson. My mother was one of the Wentworth’s of Portland. My friends call me Went.”
Slade nodded. “I get it. Mine named me after a romance hero in one of those historical bodice rippers.”
Once inside the tent, Slade had to stop and take a step back. He’d seen some gruesome murder scenes in his time, but Daniel’s ranked right up there. He’d been placed on what appeared to be a fairly flat rock on the side of the cliff where the falls started to tumble over the precipice. He was spreadeagled with metal stakes driven through his hands and feet. Whoever had killed him had removed his eyes and ears. He was naked and someone had carved some kind of runes or hieroglyphs or something of that nature into his upper torso. His wrists had been slashed and his throat cut.
At the sounds of approaching vehicles, Slade turned to Went. “I need you to tell Jimmy and Doc to walk around where Kenny and Randy are working.”
“Gotcha.”
