“Change?”
“You fell at a crime scene. Your clothes are now evidence.”
“Oh. Of course.”
The afternoon drug on to early evening. She changed in the crime van with a female trooper in attendance, gave her statement to a Ranger, and waited to be allowed to leave.
As she watched the activity around her, a sensation of growing anxiety replaced the sadness, though she couldn’t explain why. Coop was brusque, even sharp at times, but that wasn’t the reason.
While the exact cause of her unease remained unclear, one thing was certain; it involved the woman in the grave.
After finally being allowed to leave, she couldn’t get home fast enough. A hot shower and strong coffee topped her to-do list.
Eva met her at the back door, face once more etched with concern. “Oh my dear, are you all right?”
The last thing she wanted was to discuss the events of the afternoon. “I’m fine, thank you. But I really need a long, hot bath, and some of your wonderful coffee.”
“Of course, my dear. Of course. I’ll keep your dinner on the stove to stay warm.”
“Is Dad okay?” Jason sat at the table, his face a cool mask.
She squeezed his shoulder. “I know you’re concerned, Jason, but he’s fine. This is part of his job.”
“They say she was partially buried.” The older woman’s hushed voice proved the rumor mill hadn’t missed a lick.
Sam chose not to reply as she reached for the coffee pot. “Coop will likely be late getting home if he has to accompany the remains to Dallas.”
“Two bodies in one week.” Eva twisted the towel she held in her hands. “I just can’t believe it.”
“How did you find this one?” Jason’s question held no censure. In fact, his voice showed no emotion at all.
Like father, like son. She saw no harm in relaying the essence of the story she told Coop. “Jack got away from me and found her.” She turned for the door, the dog on her heels. “Don’t worry about keeping anything warm for me. I’ll find something later if I’m hungry.”
As she reached the top of the stairs, the scent of gardenias made her hesitate.
Oh Granny, what’s going on? Am I crazy?
“I appreciate you letting me come along to the morgue, Sheriff.” JD focused on the dark road ahead. “Only time I ever went there was during the academy.”
Exhaustion weighed Coop down in the seat. Two bodies in one week. And he couldn’t ignore the fact there could be more because The Voice insisted he wasn’t done yet. “Hindsight being twenty-twenty, I should have let you come along for the last one. You need know these things.”
“I know it sounds bad to say this, but it’s kind of exciting to see how all this works for real, not just in the books.”
Coop hoped the deputy never got another chance to use what he learned today.
Lost in thought, neither spoke as the white lines on the highway raced by.
“You think it’s the same guy?” JD’s question sounded more like a statement.
“Yeah. Preliminary cause of death is strangulation, and her right index finger is broken, so, yeah, looks like the same guy.”
“You think he’s local?”
A light shrug preceded his reply. “I hate to think so, but it’s possible. Could be someone who comes this way on a regular basis, but it doesn’t feel right to me.”
“How so?”
He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “Both bodies were found in out of the way places a stranger wouldn’t know about.”
“True.”
“Both in high traffic spots. Lots of people in and out.” Coop rubbed the tight muscles in his neck with one hand. “I haven’t had to think like a killer in a while, but consider this. He took the time to more or less bury the first one. Maybe he didn’t want her found. At least, not right away. The next one, he expected to be. Or got careless.”
Jimmy shook his head, features tight. “He seems pretty slick to me. I mean, we got nothing on him up to this point.”
“Cocky guys make mistakes.”
JD nodded. “You’d know.” He snapped his head toward Coop. “I mean, with your experience and all. Not that I think you’re cocky or anything like that.”
Coop smiled at the younger man’s unease. “I know what you meant.”
JD broke the lengthy silence that followed. “I think about folks in town, people I’ve known for years, and I can’t think of a single person who might do such a thing.”
“I know.”
