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“Just Jack.” The dark-haired man holds up a finger, looking mildly annoyed. He’s textbook handsome, a little rough around the edges with lots of dark stubble and cobalt eyes that glow juxtaposed against all that fur. He looks as if he might have five to ten years on me, landing on the outer edge of forty somewhere.
Nikki is harder to place chronologically—women by and large usually are. She’s beautiful, with cut features, robed in a navy pantsuit, and has a no-nonsense vibe about her.
Both of them look ready to get down to business.
“Nice to meet you,” I say as Rob and I take a seat.
The screen at the front of the room lights up, and soon enough a headless body glows before us. It’s a partially naked torso lying with the lower half submerged in what looks like a creek. A blue skirt with lots of fabric sits bunched up above the victim’s knees, and a blouse of some sort is covered with mud and most likely blood.
“Coroner says it was a series of clean slices that severed the head,” Grant says, zooming in on the neck. “This took a lot of muscle, so whoever did this was very strong or very angry but by no means an expert. Coroner says the vic was most likely dead prior to the decapitation. Body was dumped into the water initially, but we think an animal tried to drag it to land. According to the decomposition, death occurred about forty-eight hours prior to discovery.”
“Who discovered it?” Nikki asks, jotting down notes on the pad in front of her, or come to think of it, she might be doodling.
Grant nods. “A father and son who routinely fish at the end of this road.”
“Now that will make for great Thanksgiving dinner conversation for years to come,” Rob says and a lethal silence fills the room.
“Rob.” I wrinkle my nose at him as if he just let a foul odor fly. “Not everyone here gets your humor.” I glance over at the SAC. “I’ve known him all my life and I still don’t get it.”
“I get it,” Jack says with a stone-cold expression just as his surname suggests. “I just didn’t think it was funny.”
“Thanksgiving is over six months away,” I tell him and then immediately regret it. Did I just say that out loud? Who the heck cares about National Slaughter a Turkey Day in the middle of a criminal investigation? Way to make yourself look like an idiot. I nod to the SAC in hopes he’ll have mercy and carry on.
He ticks his head to the side and does just that. “The head was found near Cheyenne this morning. CSI completed their investigation at the scene and it’s in forensics’ hands. The head has been reunited with the body at the coroner’s office. Stone, you can take Baxter and give her the tour. Knight, you work with forensics until they get you a set of prints so we can give our Jane Doe a proper name.”
Nikki nods. “I’ll scour the databank for missing persons who might fit the bill as well.”
“What about the cold cases you’re working on?” I ask Rob.
Grant chews on his lip. “Okay.”
“Okay?” I ask, hoping we’ll dig into every cold case Rob can give us. If anything, we can help bring justice to the families that are waiting for answers.
“You take it, Baxter. Dig in that direction,” he says. “You seem especially interested and that should translate to motivation. Hopefully, it might put a dent in something.” He points a finger at Nikki and Jack. “She’s excited to be here. Don’t pull her down in your vortex of doom. We need that kind of energy to revitalize this place. I want the victim identified and a killer in handcuffs. Make it happen.” He nods to Rob. “Sheriff, thank you for requesting our assistance.”
“I didn’t request.” Rob scowls my way and I bite down on a smile.
It’s been my life’s work to aggravate him socially and the fact I can now do it professionally is the icing on the cake.
“You did by proxy,” Grant says. “The three of you exchange numbers and emails,” he says, nodding to Nikki, Jack, and me. “You”—he points to Rob— “come with me and I’ll show you the state-of-the-art forensic lab we just installed. That might motivate you to call on us more often.” He starts to take off then backtracks. “Stone, when the two of wrap up at the coroner’s office, start in on those cold cases. What’s your plan of action after that?”
“Follow the money,” Jack grunts. “That’s always my plan of action.”
“Good move,” Grant says, shooting him with his fingers. “Let me know what you come up with.”
Hale and Rob disappear out of the room, causing Buddy to whimper, so I give him a hearty scratch between the ears.
Nikki starts tapping into her phone like mad, while Jack stares me down as if I were motivating him to reach for his weapon.
“Follow the money?” I say just above a whisper, and yet again regret the words ever leaving my lips. It sounded as if I were placating him. I was, but that’s not the point.
His left eye comes shy of closing and there’s a smugness on his face I’d suddenly love to wipe off, but a growl works its way up my throat instead.
I’ve never instantly disliked someone, but right now I’m getting close.
He inches back, looking mildly amused. “Did you just growl at me?”
“Must have been the dog.” The lie speeds out of me so fast, but I don’t mind because I’m too busy staring him down hard enough to let him know exactly who the guilty party is.
