Chapter 49
FORTY-NINE
Midnight Ridge
Ellie met Cord at the parking lot, and they hiked slightly north of the ridge where Minnie had lost her life. It was an uphill climb, and she was grateful she’d worn her hiking boots and grabbed a water bottle before heading on the two-mile trek.
With storms threatening, the sky was turning a dark gray, the leaves of the trees blowing in the intense winds.
The stench of a dead animal swirled in the air, and Ellie glanced into the bushes to the right and spotted a deer that had been mauled by other animals.
Crow feathers dotted the bushes although they hadn’t done the damage here.
Judging from the condition of the dead carcass, vultures, and perhaps a larger animal, a bear or coyote, had fed on the deer’s remains.
They rounded a bend and a fallen tree, stepping over the rotting wood.
Cord had gotten the coordinates from his partner Milo, and Ellie followed him, grateful for his guidance.
There were areas on the AT that were overgrown with bushes and other plant life, the trees so close together they looked as if they were intertwined.
If you didn’t have a compass, you could easily get lost and walk in circles, but Cord was a pro and the best tracker in the area.
Finally, they passed a dry section of the creek, and Ellie shivered as the air became more frigid. The scent of damp moss and muck from the creek filled the air.
“Over there,” Cord said, pointing to the right.
Ellie nodded and trailed him as he made his way through the tangled path, where Milo stood by a boulder. When they were less than a foot away, she spotted blood spatter on the rock.
“It’s definitely Roman,” Cord said grimly.
Ellie approached the scene with caution, scanning the area for possible evidence. The old man lay face down across the rock, arms dangling, blood streaking the stone and his clothes. The back of his shirt was torn and bloody.
“Looks like he was shot in the back before he collapsed and smashed his face,” Cord said. “Could have been a freak hunting accident.”
Ellie shook her head. “I might consider that except he was the witness in our homicide case. So cruel to kill a homeless man and leave him to the elements.”
“If he was killed by our unsub, the MO is different from the female victims,” Cord said.
“The girls’ deaths were more personal and filled with rage,” Ellie pointed out. “My guess is the killer realized Roman had seen him, wanted him disposed of quickly and didn’t have time to waste.”
She snapped a few photographs of the scene and the man before moving closer. Satisfied she’d gotten the basics on camera, she scanned Roman’s craggy face. Then his body and his bloody, tattered worn shirt. “You’re right. A gunshot in the back,” Ellie said.
“Probably why he ran from the scene after I talked to him. He realized the unsub might have noticed him,” Cord commented.
Ellie’s heart ached for Roman. He’d tried to do the right thing by talking to the police but it had gotten him killed.