Chapter 4
Chapter
Four
Franklin
Six victims. How in the hell had we missed this?
Then again, finding the first one had been mere happenstance.
Would we have even looked for more? I wasn’t certain.
So far, the graves Boone led us too varied in depth.
We’d only dug up three more, bringing our current total to four.
Two were deeper, and Dr. Stowe advised she thought they were older.
I wasn’t a serial killer expert, but I knew enough to understand that the longer they got away with it, the more untouchable they perceived themselves to be.
It was likely our killer had become increasingly complacent as they continued killing without consequence.
Taking care to bury the bodies deep most likely became too taxing.
Or maybe our perp became physically disabled, not allowing them to dig for as long or as deep.
Whatever the reason, two of the graves we’d discovered were far shallower than the other two. I had no doubt we’d find two more, exactly where Boone pointed. My necromancer was far better than any trained cadaver dog.
As darkness descended, we pulled out the overhead flood lights.
The sun had taken its warm rays with it, and the air temperature cooled into the low fifties.
I’d gotten Boone my official police jacket.
The coat swamped him and hung down to his thighs.
He didn’t seem to care, and I liked seeing Boone in my coat.
Still, I needed to ask Captain Cicely if we could get Boone his own official police-issued jacket and vest. Boone worked enough crimes scenes that they were needed.
Especially after what happened with Grayson earlier.
Just thinking of that arrogant prick nearly sent me spiraling.
Prejudice came in many shapes, sizes, and colors.
All of it was beyond pointless. More than that, it was damaging.
I’d be happy to teach Grayson that lesson personally.
Hell, I would have punched him in the face if I thought that would knock some sense into him.
It wouldn’t. Meeting violent thoughts with true violence only led to more lashing out.
Reacting like I wanted would only make someone like Grayson dig his heels in further, tenaciously clinging to his hate.
“I need to head back, unload our current bodies, and come back for the others.” Dr. Stowe had somehow invaded my personal space while I’d been silently brooding. “It’s never a good thing when the ME van is too full to spare room for another passenger.”
I appreciated Dr. Stowe’s attempt at levity. “I don’t suppose it is.”
Dr. Stowe sighed. “Not gonna lie, this is a mess.” Head tilted down, Dr. Stowe’s shoulders curled in, the weight of the day taking its toll.
“So far, they’re all women of similar age.
I’ll know more when I get the autopsies finished, but it might be limited considering most of the remains are little more than skeletal. ”
“You think this happened a long time ago?”
“Not necessarily. Given the climate, ground conditions, and microorganisms in the area, the flesh doesn’t last long. Soon enough, all that’s left is their clothing and bones. I may not be a detective like you, but judging by the clothing that’s left—”
“They’ve been murdered within the last year, two tops.”
“Exactly,” Dr. Stowe agreed.
I ground my teeth. “That means our killer is probably still out there, looking for their next victim.”
“All too possible.” Dr. Stowe’s gaze drifted toward Boone.
“Are you going to ask him to bring the victims’ souls back?
I hate to say it, but that might be the quickest way to a resolution, and if this perpetrator is still active, then time is not on our side.
” Sweeping a hand across the landscape, Dr. Stowe added, “Who knows if this is the only dump site. There could be more out there we don’t know about. Perhaps something fresher than this.”
Nausea bubbled up from deep within my chest. Dr. Stowe was right. “I’ll check with Captain Cicely, but I doubt she’ll have an issue about Boone doing his thing.”
“And Necromancer Boone?”
I tilted my head toward Dr. Stowe. “Boone won’t have an issue doing it either.” There was absolutely zero doubt in my mind.
“Okay.” Dr. Stowe offered me a tired smile. “I’m off to the morgue. I’ll drop off our latest customers and be back in thirty, maybe forty minutes.
“See you soon.”
Dr. Stowe patted my shoulder before walking away.
She took her assistant and one officer with her.
While we could use more help, I happily sent Officer Grayson as backup.
While he hadn’t said anything else to Boone, I’d caught more than a few narrowed looks sent Boone’s way.
I’d also seen Grayson back away, as if being in Boone’s general vicinity was toxic.
“Idiot,” I mumbled while happily watching Grayson’s taillights fade into the distance.
Carefully walking across the grassy weeds, I made my way to Boone. He was staring down at what appeared to be an undisturbed plot of weedy land.
“Is that our next one?” I asked, placing an arm across his shoulders and pulling him in tight. Boone leaned into my touch, and I felt a full-body shiver race through him.
“It is, but…”
“But what?”
“I’m not sure. This one feels different somehow. I haven’t reached out to them yet so I can’t tell you a lot more than that.”
“Different as in not human?”
“No. They’re human. I do get enough to know that. It’s just… There’s so much anger and fear emanating from the others, but this one is…I wouldn’t say peaceful, but they aren’t furious either. If I had to guess, I’d say they’re sad.”
“I’d be sad too if someone murdered me.”
Boone elbowed me in the gut. “Of course you would, but you’d be other things too, and those feelings would far outshine the sadness.”
I considered Boone’s words and found I couldn’t disagree. “I’d be pissed.”
“No doubt. And that’s the first and most overriding emotion I’d notice. That’s why this one is different.”
I was starting to understand. “I think I get it. I don’t know how that fits in or what it means.”
“Neither do I. I’m just saying it’s different from the others.”
“This where we’re digging next?” Johns asked. When I looked his way, the man appeared haggard and worn. Dirt covered every exposed piece of skin and coated his clothing.
I reached for the shovel. “This is where I’m digging next. You are going to go sit in your car and take a break.”
Johns kept the shovel just out of my reach. “I’m good. I can keep going.”
“I know you can, but what I’m saying is you don’t have to. I can step in for a while. You’re not a machine. You need a break, Johns.” I knew the moment Johns gave in.
“You’re tired too.”
“I am, but not physically. You’ve been doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Reinforcements should be here in the next hour. Two at the most. You’ve done enough.” I reached for the shovel, and this time Johns didn’t pull it away.
Something akin to anger flashed across Johns’s deep brown eyes. “We’ve got six dead here. That makes me think I haven’t done nearly enough.”
Laying my hand on his shoulder, I squeezed, offering what support I could. “Trust me, I understand. We can’t go back in time. What we can do is stop this fucker now that we know.”
I don’t know that my little speech made Johns feel better, but his solemn nod let me know he’d at least heard me. Shoulders drooped and gait dragging, Johns walked toward his police cruiser.
“He’s a good man,” Boone said, voice soft and too low for Johns to hear.
“One of the best.” Hand squeezing the life out of the shovel handle, I turned to the innocuous patch of weedy ground. “I suppose there’s no time like the present.”
“I can help,” Boone offered.
I considered his offer and shook my head. “Better not. That could come back to bite us in the ass later.” Boone wasn’t officially on the case yet and hadn’t had the kind of training necessary for the situation.
Boone’s grin was lazy. Shoulders relaxed and hands stuffed into his pockets, he rocked back on his heels and ridiculously waggled his eyebrows. “I guess I get to lean back and watch my sexy fiancé work his muscles.” A low whistle escaped his lips. “Mmm, mmm, mmm. A very fine specimen indeed.”
My cheeks heated, their color most likely matching my ginger hair. Boone’s laughter lit the air and lightened my mood. “You’re ridiculous.”
“It’s not just me. You know, Leander still refers to you as my muscle.”
I stopped mid-shovel. “You’re joking.”
“Not even a little,” Boone answered with a shit-eating grin.
Digging in the earth, I grunted. “That just goes to show you Leander’s been living out in the boonies way too long.”
“Nah. It means he’s got eyes and knows a good-looking man when he sees one,” Boone argued, his tone full of affection. “I am a very fortunate necromancer.”
“And I’m a very fortunate human,” I quipped.
Boone’s answering smile was soft. “We’re a fortunate couple.”
“I’ll agree to that.” With one final grin, I turned my attention back to the work at hand and got busy. After all, this body wasn’t going to excavate itself.
“This one’s older,” Dr. Stowe said as she crouched deep in the hole I’d dug. I hadn’t managed the whole thing by myself. This body was buried deep in the earth, deeper than any of the others.
“Older as in she’s been in the ground longer or older as in her physical age when she died?” I asked.
“Yes to the last, and I’m not certain to the first.” Dr. Stowe had a small paintbrush in hand and was meticulously scraping away the dirt around the skull.
Dawn had broken and a faint pink haze lit the horizon.
More cars arrived, including more CSIs. They had a big job ahead of them.
Some had set up stations around individual grave sites.
The excavated ground was already being sifted through for evidence that might have been left behind.
“Blond with a hefty dose of gray,” Dr. Stowe mumbled as the victim’s hair was uncovered. “She’s definitely different from the others we’ve recovered.”
I remembered Boone’s earlier comments. “Boone said something similar.”
Dr. Stowe’s head snapped up, her eyebrows raised as she gave me a quizzical look. “He saw the body? I thought he was asleep and—”
“He didn’t see the body.” I shrugged, unsure how Boone’s necromancer abilities worked and finding it difficult to explain. “He said this one felt sad more than angry.”
“Huh.” Dr. Stowe stared down at our victim. “I don’t know what to do with that information.”
“Join the club.”
“If it’s a club run by Necromancer Boone, then I’m honored to be a member.” Dr. Stowe offered me a wink before returning her attention to the remains. “Have you spoken to Captain Cicely yet?”
“About asking Boone to bring back our victims?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Not yet. I’d like us to be in a more controlled setting if possible when Boone brings them back.
” I inwardly flinched when I remembered the McCallister case of shredded souls.
I could still hear Boone’s screams and see his crumpled body.
While something like that ever happening again was slim to none, that didn’t make the possibility zero.
I wanted Boone in a safe, controlled environment just in case.
Besides, it might be easier for him if all the bodies were in the same room.
He wouldn’t bring them back all at once, but he might get a feel for who should go first. Maybe.
Honestly, I might be making that up because I hated the idea of Boone working when he was already exhausted—physically and mentally.
Whether he wanted to admit it or not, this situation with Huxley was weighing heavily.
And it wasn’t just what Huxley might directly do.
Since none of us were certain what Huxley wanted with a necromancer, Boone was understandably reluctant to continue his search for other necromancers.
He didn’t want to place anyone else in Huxley’s crosshairs.
While that was admirable, Boone hadn’t lost the desire—or the need—to find his fellow necromancers.
Nothing had changed. They still needed help.
This issue with Huxley could very well delay that help and we could lose more of Boone’s species.
A yawn cracked my jaw, and I leaned heavily on the wall of dirt at my back. God, I was filthy. I needed a shower in the worst way possible. I didn’t know if my clothes were salvageable or if throwing them out would be the best option.
“Go home, Detective,” Dr. Stowe ordered. When I made to protest, she held up a hand. “You’re no good to anyone the way you are right now. Get cleaned up and get some rest. Take Necromancer Boone with you. A nap leaning against the trunk of a tree does not a restful sleep make.”
Tilting my head back, I stared up at the lightening sky. “You should take your own advice.”
“Oh, believe me, I plan on doing just that once I get this one out of the ground and loaded into the van.”
I couldn’t find the energy to argue. I also couldn’t find the energy to climb up and out of this hole.
“Need a hand?” Johns’s head peeked over the edge, an arm extended. Freshly washed and in clean clothes, the man looked better than the last time I’d seen him.
“I’d appreciate it.” I clasped Johns’s wrist and he hauled me up and out. It wasn’t exactly graceful, but it worked, and at the end, I was topside.
“You headed out?” Johns asked.
I nodded and hooked a thumb in our ME’s direction. “Doctor’s orders.”
“That’s a good doc.” Johns slapped me on the shoulder, pushing me Boone’s direction. “I grabbed a shower, some food, and a couple of hours of sleep. You and Boone need to do the same. I’ll catch up with you later.”
Having been given my marching orders, I strode toward my sleeping fiancé.
Boone’s head was tilted at an odd angle, his back leaning against the trunk of a half-dead tree.
I winced while staring at the crick in his neck.
Good thing Boone never left home without one of his pops’s pain charms. I had a sneaking suspicion he was going to need it.