Chapter Two
Stefanie was still trying to come to terms with finding a dead body along the trail.
It was quite literally the last thing she’d expected to see when stepping away from the music and other Founder’s Day events for a bit of solitude.
But here she was, face-to-face with an extremely handsome detective named Campbell Sawyer—albeit on opposite sides of the crime scene tape—who was investigating the mysterious death.
She loved his Dallas mustache, which was a perfect fit for his square-jawed features, Greek nose and penetrating blue eyes, as well as the coal-colored hair in a short quiff.
He was wearing a dark blue blazer over a light blue checkered button-down shirt and gray tweed pants, along with black monk-strap shoes.
Once she caught her breath, Stefanie met his gaze and said, in a measured tone of voice, “I’d just left the area where music was playing, to be by myself, and was planning to walk down the trail and along the river…
when I saw her—” Stefanie glanced in the direction of the body, trying not to freak out.
She looked back at the detective. “I never saw anyone near her—only people that were hanging out along the way, seemingly oblivious to what had happened to the poor woman—”
Campbell nodded. “Did you happen to recognize her?”
“No.” Stefanie flinched. “I’m not from around here—just moved to Reston Hills four months ago—so I haven’t had much of an opportunity to familiarize myself with too many faces as of yet.” TMI, she thought, but still felt compelled to put it out there.
“I see.” He pinched an aquiline nose. “Where are you from?”
“San Antonio.”
“Texas?” he said thoughtfully. “Nice state.”
“It is,” she agreed, missing the state more than she cared to admit but content in knowing the time was right to relocate.
She returned to the moment at hand. “I wish I had gotten to know her—the dead woman—and maybe… I don’t know, through one means or another, have been able to somehow help her avoid her fate—” He probably thinks I’m just babbling just for the sake of it and maybe I am, she told herself, still a little nervous about the situation.
“That would have been great,” he said in a gentle voice. “But unfortunately, these things happen—sad as that is—even though none of us ever want it to. Or can control it.”
“You’re right.” Stefanie wrung her hands. “Doesn’t make it go down any easier.”
“For you and me both,” Campbell assured her. “Know that I’ll do everything I can to find out who she is and how she ended up dead in the park.”
His hard expression told her he meant business.
This was comforting to Stefanie, as she felt very much that no one deserved to be humiliated in death.
Even if it came by one’s own hand, there would certainly have been a trigger to bring her to that point.
And if there were nefarious reasons the life was taken away, there was further cause to get to the bottom of it and get justice for the victim.
“I’m sure you’re good at your job, Detective,” Stefanie told him instinctively.
She looked over his shoulder at the deceased woman and the personnel from the Eckerslin County Coroner’s Office, who would remove the body.
Gazing back at him, she said evenly, “I just hope she can be at peace when you have your answers.”
“Me, too.” Campbell reached into his pants pocket and removed a card. “We may need you to come in and give a formal statement. Other than that, if anything pops into your head—big or small—relating to this investigation, call me anytime on either number there…” He handed her the card.
Stefanie took a quick look at the info and nodded. “Will do,” she promised.
“Then I’ll let you get back to your Founder’s Day activities.”
She furrowed her brow. “Not sure I’m quite up to that,” she admitted, hardly in the mood for fun and frolic after what she’d seen. Instead, she intended to go home. “But thanks anyway.”
Campbell flashed her an understanding look and said smoothly, as if he could predict the future, “See you later.”
Stefanie couldn’t help but feel enthusiastic about the prospect of seeing him again as she watched the detective walk back toward the others on that side of the barrier.
She turned in the opposite direction, in search of Bella, to share the sad news with her.
I almost hate to rain on her parade, Stefanie told herself, knowing how much Founder’s Day meant to Bella as part of her family’s legacy.
But she would learn about the tragedy sooner or later—as would everyone who lived in Reston Hills—so there was no need to withhold it from her.
* * *
STEFANIE PULLED BELLA away from an elderly member of the Founder’s Day committee, wanting to be the first to bring her up to speed on the grim discovery as the one true friend she had in town.
“There you are,” Bella told her spiritedly. “I was looking for you to see what you thought of my speech—if you could call it that.”
“It was wonderful,” Stefanie said sincerely.
“You would’ve made your grandfather and father proud.
” Bella had lost her dad, Stuart Reston, earlier in the year to a heart attack, and her mother, Eloise Reston, years before that to colon cancer.
Being without her own parents, Stefanie could very much relate to the pain of their absence in her life.
“Thanks for that.” Bella smiled. “Doing my best to keep their dreams alive and make my own come true, to one degree or another.”
Stefanie nodded, thinking of her own life and times. “It’s really all any of us can ask for.”
“So true.” Bella eyed her perceptively. “What’s wrong?”
After a moment or two, Stefanie answered straightforwardly, “A woman was found dead in the park…”
“What?” Bella cocked a brow. “Where?”
“On a trail by the river.” Stefanie sighed. “I was the one who discovered her—naked and no longer breathing—”
“So what happened to her?” Bella asked anxiously. “Was it suicide? Drug related? Or something even worse…?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure,” Stefanie responded.
“That will be up to the police to determine. Or Detective Campbell Sawyer, more specifically.” She pictured him in her mind and wondered if he would need her to come in for that formal statement.
Or if they might meet again under more normal circumstances. “He’s investigating the strange death.”
Bella reacted to this. “Campbell… Figured as much.”
“You two know each other?” Stefanie asked, but quickly realized this shouldn’t come as a shock to her—assuming that the detective was a local, unlike herself.
“We know of each other, is more like it,” Bella told her.
“We both attended Reston Hills High School, but Campbell was a bit older, so we didn’t hang out together or anything.
But his father, Mason Sawyer, was also a police detective for the Reston Hills Police Department and was friends with my dad.
Campbell decided to follow in his father’s footsteps. ”
“Hmm…interesting.” Stefanie fixed her face thoughtfully. “Sounds like someone else I know.”
Bella laughed. “I suppose that some things do tend to run in the family, if the will is there.”
“True. I just hope that Campbell—er, Detective Sawyer—can get to the bottom of what happened to that young woman…” Stefanie uttered, feeling regret over the life that had ended before its time.
“I’m sure he will,” Bella said with confidence.
“Anyway, I’m heading home now. Not in the mood to stick around.”
“I understand.” Bella nodded her head. “Wish I wasn’t obligated to do so, but someone needs to bring others up to date on what happened.” She hugged her. “I’ll call you.”
“All right.” Stefanie flashed her a tiny smile and walked off contemplatively.
* * *
SHE LEFT THE park in a blue Subaru Legacy sedan and drove down Hepmore Avenue for a couple of miles before turning left on Draker Drive. All the while, Stefanie couldn’t get the image of the dead woman out of her mind.
What had happened to her? Could she have really been so strung out on drugs or whatever that she removed her own clothes and died? Or had her death been caused by someone else who had no qualms about having her discovered that way?
Maybe the answers would be forthcoming in short order with Campbell Sawyer on the case.
When she reached Meriotte Road, Stefanie swung left and was soon pulling up to her two-story, two-bedroom rented Craftsman home on a cul-de-sac that sat in front of a wooded area.
She’d fallen in love with the place the moment she checked it out, feeling it suited her and reminded her of the house they’d had in San Antonio.
Stefanie stepped inside and onto white oak engineered hardwood flooring.
She took a sweeping glance at the open-concept design, with vaulted ceilings and casement windows that offered an abundance of natural light.
The ample living room had a stone fireplace and mid-century modern furniture with a separate, similarly furnished dining room.
The amazing kitchen included a cozy breakfast nook, an island and quartz countertops.
Though she loved making meals on the stainless steel gas cooktop and in the smart convection wall oven, she didn’t do it often enough when cooking only for herself these days.
Her attention turned to the wooden U-shaped staircase as her Selkirk Rex cat, Curlie—with her dense cream, black and lavender coat of long hair—came bounding down the stairs. Stefanie knelt to greet her, and the cat leaped into her arms, clearly overjoyed to see her.
Or maybe it was her subtle way of saying she was hungry.
Stefanie decided it was a combination of the two, and chuckled. “Love you, too, Curlie.” She petted her head and along the cat’s back before setting her down. “Let’s feed you,” she said, noting that Curlie had already dashed off into the kitchen.