Chapter 15
I spent Tuesday night at home with Amber and Kate. Since all of us were beat, we ordered a pizza. As much as she enjoyed cooking, even Amber felt like having dinner delivered that night.
I explained the situation we were in—deciding whether to help the PD. All we had done so far were things they couldn’t do. Our ace tech gurus had identified the car in question, and the FBI had access to Beth’s driver’s license.
“Honestly, unless the perp is identified as a serial predator, everything else can and should be handled by the police.”
Kate and Amber’s heads bobbed up and down. They both worked for the sheriff’s office, and back in the day, I did too. Only on rare occasions had the FBI been called in to help with our cases.
“So are you guys done helping, then?” Kate asked.
I shrugged. “I have no idea. I mean, we aren’t working a serial offender case this week, but we could try to revive stalled cases. Besides that, Taft does bring up a good point.”
“Which is?” Amber asked.
“That our budget shouldn’t take a hit for a case the police can do on their own.”
When the doorbell rang, Kate pushed back her chair. “Makes sense to me. Grab some beer while I get the pizza.”
We continued our discussion while we ate.
“So did you actually see the dismembered leg?” Amber asked.
Kate gagged on her food. “Amber, do you mind?”
I laughed at their foolishness. “I didn’t see it, but I did hear something strange about it.”
Amber leaned in. “What?”
“That there wasn’t any blood left in the tissue or muscle. I don’t know if that’s common or not given the fact that it was in water for a few days, but it must have been odd enough for Dave Mann to comment on it.”
“He’s the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner, right?”
After taking a bite, I nodded.
Amber continued. “I think it would be cool to work a case that unusual. I mean, there’s no named suspect, no description of him, no crime scene, and no motive. That would be quite the case to solve. Maybe it takes two departments to actually do it.”
“Yeah, maybe, but that’s up to Taft.” Then something popped into my mind, and my eyes widened. “What if another body part was found south of Milwaukee, like, on the Illinois shoreline? That would involve us, a crime that crossed state lines.”
Amber grinned. “I don’t think it works that way, sis. The crime wasn’t committed in two different states. Nobody can help it if a human limb travels with the current into another state’s jurisdiction.”
I swatted the air. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Honestly, I wish it was our case. Like you said, Amber, solving it would be something else.”
Kate got up and grabbed another round of beer since we still had half a pizza left. “So you know who the victim is?”
I nodded.
“And you know what kind of car she left in?”
I nodded again.
“Have you looked up how many white Camrys are in the area?”
I swallowed. “Not yet. That’s tomorrow’s task, but there’s no reason the PD can’t do it.
It’s kind of boring to sit at a desk all day and look up the names of owners of who knows how many cars.
Then we have to start over again to see if those owners have criminal records. Better left to the PD to handle.”
“Anyone talk to Beth’s family yet?”
I shrugged. “That should have been done today by the police, although I don’t know if they spoke to them or not.”
“Do you think the perp cut her up?” Amber asked.
I shrugged again. “I really don’t know. Dave Mann should have that in his report. The fish may have chewed on her, but it would take a predatory fish that eats carrion to bite off a leg.”
Kate gagged again.
“Knock it off, Kate. You’re a deputy, for God’s sake, and you’ve seen far worse.”
Amber continued. “So the rest of her body is in the lake?”
“I’d assume so.”
“Damn,” Kate said, “that’s a horrible way to go.”
“She might have already been dead when she hit the water, but I told detective Bill Gavin not to get too focused on one scenario. Beth might have spent the night with the perp and willingly gone out with him on his boat the next day. A nice lunch and boat ride with an attractive and well-off man. She might have said something he didn’t like, so thunk, he cracked her in the head and tossed her overboard. ”
“That’s extreme,” Kate said.
Amber swatted away my comment. “Nope, it didn’t happen that way.”
I laughed. “Oh, now we’re playing the ‘who can come up with the best scenario’ game?”
“Of course.”
“Okay, little sister, then how did it go down?”
Amber cleared her throat. “First, if he was well-off, he wouldn’t drive a Camry.”
Kate frowned. “Maybe he’s frugal, and that’s why he’s well-off.”
Amber wagged her finger at Kate and me. “I’m not buying it. He may do okay at whatever he does since he has a boat, too, but it’s all about the killing, and who’s easier prey than night workers?”
I sighed. “If that’s the case, then he’s likely done it before.”
“Then you and Renz would qualify to take the lead on the case.”
“That is true, but we don’t have anything to go on or proof that he’s done anything in the past. Hell, we don’t even know who he is.”
Amber jumped back in. “There was a segment on the news earlier about Beth but only that she’s missing.”
“Right. We don’t want to scare off the perp.”
“Then how are you going to catch him if there isn’t any information for the public to act on? Maybe somebody knows a weirdo with a new white Camry and a boat who likes to engage with hookers.”
I listened as Amber schooled me on Catching a Killer 101.
“Hmm… Maybe it would be easier to catch him with the public’s help, especially if Taft plans to take us off the case.
The PD doesn’t know what to do since there’s nothing for them to work with.
I’m going to text Bill and have him contact the news station.
They can update the ten o’clock segment about Beth to include that she was last seen with someone in a white Camry who possibly owns a boat.
Plus, they have to show a tip-line number. ”
“Yeah, good plan,” Kate said.
“I better get Renz’s take on it first. You know what happens when someone goes off half-cocked.”
Amber chuckled. “Yep, and you’ve done that plenty of times.”
I cleared the plates off the table, grabbed my beer, and walked into the living room, where I took a seat on the recliner. After tapping Renz’s number, I waited until he answered.
“What’s up, Monroe?”
“Amber, Kate, and I were talking about the case during supper. They thought the news coverage should include that Beth was last seen climbing into a white Camry and that the driver may own a boat. The public can’t help if there’s nothing for them to look for.
I guess what I’m saying, now that I’ve given it some thought, is why tell the public about her if we aren’t asking for their help? ”
“Hmm. You do have a point, but they said to call District Five’s phone number with information.”
“But the PD doesn’t have anyone dedicated to answer tip-line calls.
That number is probably the nonemergency number that isn’t recorded, and the person taking the call isn’t writing anything down.
We don’t know if Taft is going to let us continue helping or not, but the PD has to get their ducks in a row if Taft pulls us from the case. ”
“So what do you want to know?”
“If you agree with what I just said. I’ll call Bill, or you can, and tell him to update the information to the news station so they can air the revised version on the ten o’clock news.”
“Okay, I’ll let Bill know. I’ll call you back in a few,” Renz said.
I ended the call feeling better that Renz was going to pass along the info. Renz was closer to Bill than I was, and I’d been tough on Bill since the PD had asked for our help. It was Renz’s turn to add his two cents.
Minutes later, Renz called back. The information was passed on, Bill would contact the news station immediately, and the ten o’clock segment about Beth would be updated with a dedicated tip-line number to call.
It was the only way to get leads on the man who’d committed such a brutal murder, and all of the calls would be recorded.
With any luck, there would be action going forward. I was excited to watch the ten o’clock news, and hopefully, some legitimate calls would come in.