18
W ith the discovery of the bodies, Theo didn’t wait until six o’clock to serve the warrant. He and Trish decided to move on Noir Hills Estates at four o’clock sharp with as many officers as they could borrow from other nearby jurisdictions.
Lucien and Birk watched from their position on the top of the hill as the first officers arrived and stationed themselves around the pump house. After securing the two graves inside, the coroner pulled up and disappeared into the nine-foot by nine-foot structure.
“Theo must’ve coordinated this with as many people as possible,” Lucien judged, looking out over the scene.
“We gave him and Trish almost four hours of advance notice,” Birk maintained. “But to get the medical examiner out of bed at this hour is a downright miracle.”
It wasn’t until the second team moved toward the main house that they realized the estate remained in total darkness, where the occupants inside must still be asleep. Thirty minutes went by before the disoriented Shepherd brothers appeared handcuffed, stumbling down the steps of the villa barefoot, still wearing their pajamas. The pair stood on concrete in the courtyard, becoming enraged over their rough treatment. As if they had just realized what was happening, the two began shouting and screaming obscenities, demanding to know the reasons for their detainment.
Trish Vosberg kept her cool as she read them their rights, knowing this was a pivotal moment in her life. She calmly informed the Shepherds of the evidence found on their property, leading to their arrest for the murders of Bethany Heywood and the unidentified male. The brothers vehemently denied any involvement, claiming they were being set up. She grew tired of listening to their complaints and instructed two uniformed officers to separate them and put them in different squad cars before joining Theo inside the villa, where he supervised the other uniforms that went from room to room.
“Thanks for letting me make the arrest. They sure put up a fuss.”
“No problem,” Theo said, studying Trish’s demeanor. “Did they proclaim their innocence?”
“Every other breath. Have they found anything significant?” she asked Theo.
“Didn’t you get Birk’s message? He found the gray Mazda sedan Bethany drove that Sunday in a large barn they used for storage forty yards from the house. When the second team arrived, they found Bethany’s purse still in plain sight on the front seat. Her driver’s license was in her handbag. Those two idiots didn’t even bother getting rid of her belongings.”
“Arrogance,” Trish muttered. “But nothing pertaining to Jill, Connie Upland, or Cynthia Zepp?”
Theo shook his head. Now wasn’t the time to remind her that the evidence for those crimes might never surface after such a long time. But he didn’t feel it was his job to point that out. Instead, he wanted her to enjoy the victory of putting them in handcuffs as he carefully chose his next words. “Let’s not forget Owen Quinn on that list. And there’s a vehicle in that building registered to a Nevada woman who went missing three years ago. We might solve several other crimes we knew nothing about, so show a little patience. We still have this entire place to search. We’re just getting started.”
“I’ve been patient for twenty-five years. At this point, a few hours or days won’t matter. This is your investigation. I’m not sure how you’ll be able to prove they murdered Sam, though.”
“Finding the murder weapon would be the first step. But yeah, there’s a lot of work yet to do.”
As the sun rose over the estate, more officers arrived to assist in covering the entire one hundred acres and every building on it. The Shepherds were taken to the county jail while forensic teams descended on the pump house and the surrounding area, looking for more evidence.
Through it all, Lucien and Birk refused to budge from their spot on the hillside, knowing that this was just the beginning.
“We should’ve brought popcorn,” Birk tossed out. “This is the best show I’ve seen in years. Although I could use a stack of pancakes and three or four eggs right about now.”
“Same here. Imagine what else they’ll find,” Lucien proffered. “Any other missing people you know about?”
“Not yet. But it’s not even seven a.m. yet. Wanna bet there are more secrets hidden within these buildings somewhere? Maybe even lying underneath the grape vines.”
“That’s a morbid thought. Look, I’m not moving until they make us. I’m determined to see what other evidence Theo and Trish uncover and see this through.”
“Sounds good to me. I offered the use of the search dogs. I have Beck standing by if the cops decide to use them.”
“Good thinking. Even if I did go home, I don’t think I could sleep. I can’t get Bethany’s dead eyes out of my head. And then there’s the male victim. He was in far worse shape. How do you think they died?”
“If I had to guess, I’d say she was strangled. She had ligature marks across her throat. Keith’s not as young as he used to be. He’d need to use a rope or some other type of cable or cord. The male’s more of a mystery. With the white stain still visible around his mouth, I’d say it looks like he might’ve been poisoned.”
“On the premises? Wow. That’s bold. How could you tell that, though? I thought you didn’t want to look at him.”
“I snuck a peek at your photos of the bodies.”
Lucien absorbed that and thought of something else. “Noir Hills has several employees on the payroll. Getting a conviction for Keith or Ken Shepherd might be tough, especially if the brothers decide to put the blame on someone else.”
“Not really,” Birk reasoned. “If Bethany was strangled, there’s always the hope the killer left DNA. And if they find the gun used to shoot Sam, that will put a nail in their coffins.”
The two men watched the sun come up over the fields.
“This is a beautiful piece of land,” Lucien noted. “Have you ever wanted to own a winery?”
“Not until this moment. Imagine living away from the city and having all this land around you, waking up every day to that sight. I never considered myself a rural type, but I might spring this on Jade and see what she thinks. What about you?”
“I’m not a winemaker. It’s not my jam. So this thing between you and Jade is heading to serious cohabitation?”
“Honestly, we’ve been cohabitating for quite some time. But yeah, I was surprised she said yes when I asked her to move in with me. I thought for sure that she had already decided to buy the house, and I’d missed my chance.”
Lucien chuckled. “Women are full of surprises, my friend. But I’m glad she said yes. Jade’s good for you."
Birk nodded, a smile playing on his lips. “Yeah, she is. Makes me want to be a better man. I’ve always avoided marriage until now. But it seems to work for you and Brogan.”
“We’ve known each other what seems like our entire lives. She was my best friend growing up. Not that I ever admitted that to her until much later. But we’ve always understood each other’s mindset, our childhood angst, and those fears you get living in the shadow of someone famous. From the start, she got all my quirks. We were so similar that sometimes it was downright spooky. In my teen years, it put me off until I came to my senses. If marriage is on the table, I recommend marrying your best friend. Brogan’s been my rock,” Lucien admitted a hint of contentment in his voice. “But I guess we all need someone, right? Someone to share the highs and lows with.”
Birk chuckled softly. “I guess we do. Jade’s special, not like anyone I’ve ever known. She’s honest, smart, strong-willed, and, to top it off, beautiful. She’s probably way too good for the likes of me.”
Lucien’s lips curved. “Brogan says she’s smitten. But don’t tell either one I said that.”
Birk studied the sunrise. “This thing with Jade is all new to me.” Beginning to feel uncomfortable with the topic, he shifted his weight. “Shouldn’t we be discussing football or something instead of romance?”
Lucien chuckled. “How many games do you watch on Thanksgiving Day? All three, or do you pick one, settle in for three hours, then spend time with the family?”
Relieved that they’d gone on to another subject, Birk grinned. “I watch the games while I help with dinner. My mother taught me that.”
“Excellent answer.” For no reason, Lucien decided to blurt out, “I have a younger brother living in San Diego that I never knew about until I uploaded my DNA to a website.”
“Really? After having a younger brother for most of my life, I’d say you’re lucky you found out now while there’s still time to do something about it. Get to know him before it’s too late.”
“Uh, yeah, but there’s a problem. I don’t think his mother ever told him about Graeme or me. I don’t feel like I should pick up the phone, deliver news like that, and change someone’s entire perspective on who they are. Do you?”
“That’s tricky, almost a no-win situation. Maybe you should take a wait-and-see attitude until it blows up in your face. Or I guess that would be your father’s face.”
“I don’t think my dad cares one way or the other.”
“He doesn’t want to meet his son.”
“Maybe if the situation presented itself, he would do it. But Graeme Sutter isn’t the type who takes the initiative. He doesn’t go out of his way to try and correct anything in his past. Whatever he did, he enjoyed every minute in the limelight. He’s hardly one to feel guilty about it.”
“He’s not the only one in this equation. Why didn’t the mother ever tell her son the truth?”
“There is that.”
They sat in silence again until the activity at the main house kicked up a notch. They watched as the forensic team, wearing white suits, stood out in contrast against the green hillside and carried out paper bags full of evidence.
The estate, bathed in a golden glow of sunshine, caused Lucien to squint as he watched the forensic team spread out further across the property. He let out a low whistle. “Looks like Theo’s leaving no stone unturned. They must be looking for the murder weapon that killed Sam.”
Birk nodded, his expression thoughtful. “This will likely take two days or more. I think it might be time to head home.”
But a flash of movement caught his eye near the edge of the pond as she rounded the pump house. Trish walked toward them, navigating through the rows of vines with purposeful strides, and then ascended the hilltop.
Lucien stood up, brushing off his pants before giving Trish a nod of acknowledgment. “How’s it going down there?”
Trish stopped in front of them, her hands resting on her hips. She took a moment to catch her breath before updating them on the latest. “Bethany’s handbag and several other personal items were in the car you found. We discovered Owen Quinn’ wallet, containing his driver’s license in an upstairs linen closet. The Acura RDX belonged to him. We don’t know who the Ford SUV belongs to. But whoever it is might be at the bottom of that pond near the pump house.”
“Wow,” Lucien said. “And the murder weapon that killed Sam?”
“Tucked away in a gun cabinet in Keith Shepherd’s closet. It’s like he didn’t even think anyone would ever suspect him of murder. This is all coming together because of what you guys did last night. I just wanted to say thanks for reaching out to Truthseeker22. Brilliant move, by the way. Because of you guys, I might have my sister’s killer locked up right this minute, which I never thought would ever happen. Not to mention the man who took the lives of so many other victims. I knew the guy was bad, a serial killer, because of the three women I suspected he murdered in 1999. But I had no idea his crimes extended beyond that year. And now we know that Kenneth most likely aided Keith through the years.”
“This is a great opportunity to learn the truth about the murders from 1999 using the documents in Bethany’s storage unit,” Lucien pointed out.
“We’ll need everything she transported into that unit. A little while ago, I learned that most of those files went missing after Bethany did. We still have a lot of work to do making our case,” Trish explained. “But for the first time in years, I’m hopeful. I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate what you’ve done here. All the families involved will know, too, when I tell them.”
“I’m glad it worked out,” Lucien said. “Let us know if there’s anything else you need.”
“Not today. Go home. Today, we gather as much evidence as possible to put the bastards away for the rest of their lives.”
Lucien watched Trish walk back toward the pump house, a sense of closure beginning to settle in. The weight of the case, the secrets uncovered, and the justice finally within reach all swirled in his head.
He turned to Birk, admiration in his eyes. “We did good. I never imagined I’d ever be part of something like this when Brogan and I started web sleuthing. Can I just say, you must’ve been a helluva Navy SEAL?”
Birk clapped a hand on Lucien’s back, a grin spreading across his face. “I was, but brother, what I saw during this whole thing, you could’ve been one yourself.”
“Me? No way.”
“Yeah, you. You never run scared. You’re always up for the challenge. And you always do the right thing. That would put you at the head of the class over most other candidates.”
“That means a lot. Thanks. Some days, I feel like we stumble into a real-life mystery, and by some stroke of fate, we help crack it wide open.”
“Never sell yourself short or what you do for the families. Somewhere out there, a lot of people will be grateful you found answers they wouldn’t normally have had.”