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Slade grinned as Went left to do his bidding. He wondered if he’d ever been that young and eager. Ambitious yes, but like so many, he’d lost his youth and eagerness in a land of sand and heat on the other side of the world.
It didn’t take long for the chief and the doctor to join him. “Doc—good to see you. Thanks for agreeing to do this. Jimmy, thanks for coming. Before we get started, any chance I can have Went assigned to help with my team? I think having a local will help.”
“Well, you’re almost a local. People know you, but I think Went could be of help. His father’s family is one of the founding families and his mother’s family is big down in Portland. But he’s a good kid, and everyone likes him.”
“Thanks. This tent was his idea, and it was a damn good one. I think he kind of took lead…”
“That would make sense. He isn’t the senior officer up here, but he knows his stuff. His nose is always stuck in a book on forensics and the like.” They stepped into the tent and the chief shook his head. “Good lord. I didn’t think it would affect me as much this time.”
“Yeah, there’s no way to get used to that.”
Doc shook his head. “No way to get a good time of death until I get him down from here, but it was recent. He suffered. Everything but thecoup de graceof his throat was done before they killed him.” The doctor pulled open his mouth. “Yep. They cut his tongue out, too.”
“Went?” Slade called.
“Yes, sir?”
“Any chance you guys found his eyes, ears, or tongue?”
“Nope.”
Slade thought back to various courses he’d taken in folklore and mythology. It seemed to him that whoever killed Daniel didn’t want him to be able to see, hear, or speak in the afterworld.
Went continued, “You want us to start looking?”
“Jimmy, there’s really nothing for you to do. Can you send one of your guys to my place…”
“Already done,” said the chief of police.
“Of course, you did. If you could keep someone there until we can at least do a preliminary search, I’d be obliged. But as long as we have Went and the doc, I think we’re good.”
Slade watched as Jimmy dispersed his men and told Went he’d be working with MCU for the duration and would take orders from Slade.
“As horrific as this is,” said Doc, “you just made Went’s year. He’s a good kid with a good head on his shoulders. I think you’ll be grateful for the help.”
Slade nodded. “I already am.”
“Sorry about your friend.”
“So am I. I wish I could have done more for him.”
“Don’t be thinking like that,” said Doc. “This kind of evil would have happened whether you’d been there or not. Let’s just be grateful that whoever did it only took Daniel. And let’s pray he’s the only one they wanted.”
Slade nodded. The doctor had just spoken his worst fear—that Daniel would only be the beginning. What the hell had Daniel gotten himself into? Who would want to kill him in such a torturous, horrific manner? Slade might not know now, but he vowed that before it was over, he would find the killer and give Daniel either justice or revenge—and at the moment, he didn’t care which.
CHAPTER4
FIONA
Fiona couldn’t have been happier. Her friends were here to celebrate her newest release, her book was doing great—both in sales and in reviews and they’d solved their second cold case, the theft of Nagisa. Although ‘solved’ might be a bit of a misnomer. They’d found the bronze statue, but they still didn’t know how she’d ended up inside a brick niche.
The press had been called and both papers, the local radio news team, and the editor forFood and Wine, who’d come to meet with Chef Stuart about Seraphim, were now in the back room with the Mystery Writers’ Murder Club and Chef Stuart.
“What made you look for the statue in the wine cellar?” asked one reporter.
“Chef Stuart noticed a discrepancy in the blueprints and asked if we’d take a look,” answered Christie.
“The ladies of the Mystery Writers’ Murder Club have already solved one murder, a missing persons case that turned out to be a murder, and have now found Nagisa,” supplied Chef Stuart. “Fiona lives here and runs the local bookstore, where she has not only the latest bestsellers, including her own, but vintage books and first editions.”
