Chapter Sixteen
The Bracelet in The Wax
“Anything?” Ava asked the second they were on the ground and spoke with Devlin.
Before he said the words, Ava saw the truth. They were still scrambling to understand Wax’s clues.
“Nothing yet, but we have agents everywhere. We’re slowly clearing inside the mine shaft. It’s still unstable but we’re searching for any hidden passages that might have been used for him to escape.”
“Thanks.” Ava stepped away with Caleb. “I can’t stand around and do nothing.” She turned her face up to the snow that had begun falling again. Another storm was moving into the area dropping the temperatures to well below freezing. At this time of the year, the weather could be brutal.
“Ava, you’re worn out. So is Shadow. Maybe we should go back to the command post and start analyzing the evidence for anything that might give us a clue. Maybe you should try and get some rest while you're there.”
Caleb was right, but everyone on the team was running on fumes. “I can’t sleep. Not knowing he has Rachel. I forgot to hand off the evidence we found at the fire to Devlin.”
She headed toward Devlin’s post with Caleb and Shadow.
“This is the latest clue from near the lodge. It’s impossible to make out what’s inside with all the wax.”
Devlin carefully turned the evidence bag containing the wax casing around in his hand. “We have the portable lab set up over here. I’ll do a DNA check as well as fingerprints. Then we can open it up.”
“So, all the evidence inside the mine is here?” Ava asked in surprise.
If that were the case, she’d coordinate the evidence here with the pieces they’d retrieved from the other crime scenes.
Members of her team as well as local law officers, including Detective Hunter, were going over everything at Caleb’s lodge.
“That’s right,” Devlin told her. “We thought it would be easier. Come with me.” Devlin led them to the mobile lab.
“Stay.” Ava gave Shadow the command to wait outside to keep from contaminating evidence.
Inside the van, several of Devlin’s team worked on evidence.
Devlin handled the analysis himself, working meticulously to preserve any evidence Wax left behind. Once he’d completed both steps, he carefully removed the wax coating from around the object.
Ava held her breath as the last layer of wax was peeled away to reveal a tiny bracelet with initials. HL. “That looks like a baby’s bracelet.” She didn’t understand any of the clues Wax had given them.
Caleb leaned in closer, studying the bracelet. “Three different uses of the letters HL. I think we have to accept HL is probably the initials of someone important to him or maybe Wax himself.”
“You’re right, but where do we even begin to find answers?” Ava shook her head.
“I’ll swab it before I give it over to you.” Devlin went to work while Ava struggled to understand.
“So, we have a key, a lake, a lodge, rings, and now a bracelet. How are they all connected?”
Caleb looked around the van at the work taking place. “Right now, my brain is not working clearly enough to figure it out.”
Devlin finished with the bracelet. “I’ll leave it in the evidence bag but at least you can make it out better.” He eyed them both. “You two look exhausted. There’s food in the tent along with coffee.”
“He’s right. Let’s clear our heads for a second.” Ava asked Devlin to let her know if anything came up. She and Caleb stepped from the van where Shadow waited.
The storm continued to intensify.
“It’s been hours since Shadow had anything to eat. I’ll see if I can grab him something inside.”
The tent was set up with several long tables lined with a buffet of food. There were only a few people inside refueling.
At the corner of the space, a smaller table had been set up with food for the K-9s with bowls for the food and water.
She poured some of the kibble and fresh water into bowls and set them down for Shadow who ate voraciously. She was glad one of them had an appetite.
After the strenuous chase Shadow had led, she wanted him to rest because Ava had a feeling he was going to prove key to capturing Wax.
“I feel like I want to be part of the search going on now, but I have no idea where to start.” Ava sighed deeply. “The clock is ticking. I can’t lose Rachel to him, Caleb. I can’t.”
“Don’t even go there, Ava,” he told her and pressed a hand to her shoulder. “My gut is telling me he’s using her to draw you out. He wants you to be there when he kills her, which means he’ll keep her alive until then.”
The horror of possibly witnessing Wax kill her friend was reflected on Ava’s face.
“Hey, we’ll figure it out. We’re not going to let him win. But right now, you need to take a beat and regroup. Let’s grab some coffee and something to eat and then sit and clear our thoughts.” Caleb pointed to the food.
Ava’s appetite wasn’t there but she placed a couple of pieces of fruit and a sandwich on a plate before finding a table close to Shadow. She set her plate down and got them both coffees.
Wireless charging stations were set up at each table. Ava plugged in her phone.
Shadow finished his meal, lapped up some water and came over, curling up at her feet.
Once Caleb joined her, Ava asked if he minded if they prayed. She could tell the question came as a surprise.
When she and Caleb were together, they attended church regularly. Occasionally, they’d visit her parents and go to her father’s church.
Though she never told her parents, praying—worshiping God—attending service—had always been part of her life until Wax.
That monster had destroyed her faith and had taken away her ability to pray to God because her heart had been filled with doubts and bitterness.
She was slowly finding her way back, but it had taken three years just to set foot in church.
During that time, she hadn’t said a single prayer.
“No, not at all. I think we can use a little prayer,” he said quietly and bowed his head.
Ava reached for his hands and clasped them. Caleb’s head jerked up, his eyes pinned on hers.
“It’s how we do it at my house,” she said, but the truth was she needed to lean on his strength. Caleb’s faith had always been strong, never faltering no matter how dark the path ahead became.
She bowed her head. “Father, I can’t even put into words how I feel, but You know.
” The words felt awkward as she started but soon, an urgent plea tumbled from her lips.
“I’m so worried for Rachel. Please, don’t let Wax win.
Don’t let him hurt her. Help us figure out Wax’s puzzles before he takes he—” Her voice broke and she fought back tears.
“And thank You, Lord, for giving us your strength. We ask for Your wisdom to find the killer and bring him to justice. Amen.” Caleb finished the prayer for her.
She still held his hands, her eyes filled with tears. “Thank you.” The words came out in a whisper.
“You’re welcome.” He didn’t look away. “Ava...”
She knew what he wanted to say. She’d felt the same pull of emotions that reminded her she still loved him.
“I know,” she said softly. “And I feel the same way, but I can’t think about us now. I can’t let myself hold onto that hope again.”
Caleb swallowed deeply and pulled his hands free. “When this is over, let’s talk about us.”
She smiled. “I plan on it.”
Ava sipped her coffee and picked at her food. “I think I’ll call my parents now. I want them to hear it from me before they see it on the news.” She pushed the plate away.
Caleb did the same. As much as they both needed food, neither had an appetite.
Ava retrieved her phone once more and called her dad’s number.
“Ava? What a nice surprise.” Her father’s voice confirmed he had no idea what was happening. Today was Saturday. Dad would be putting the finishing touches on his sermon for the next day.
“Dad, he’s back.” She barely got the words out before her voice cracked.
“Who is? No.” He figured it out from the tremor in her voice. “Please tell me you aren’t working the case.”
As much as she wished she could give him that reassurance, she couldn’t. “I’m leading the case. I have to do this, Dad,” she said before he gave her all the reasons not to.
“Sweetheart, you barely survived the last time you went after that monster. Mom and I thought we’d lost you. I don’t want you to go through that again.”
“I don’t have a choice, Dad. He’s killed two more women so far and he’s taken one of our agents. If we don’t stop him soon, she’ll die.” She hated the way her voice stumbled over those words.
“Okay, honey, I understand. Mom and I will be praying for you. Please be careful.”
It always humbled Ava when her dad told her that he was praying for her. She could feel those prayers protecting her.
“There’s something else.” She hesitated. “Wax keeps giving us clues that there’s some type of past connection between him and me and I think it might have something to do with my parents who died.” She told him about the creepy poem. “We’ve never talked about them and I don’t remember them at all.”
“How could you, honey? You were just a baby when they abandoned you.”
She swallowed back tears for the parents she never knew. “Dad, if you have any information about them—”
“Honey, you know we don’t. You were placed in foster care. We never even knew their names.”
Was it the truth? Her father had never lied to her before. Why would he start now? But she couldn’t give up so easily.
“Then I need to find a way to learn who they were. Wax believes there’s a connection between me and him. To find it I have to know more about my biological parents.”
The length of time it took for her father to respond was filled with questions Ava wished she could ask.
“I can check with the agency in which we adopted you and see if they’ll tell me anything. It may take your authorization to gain answers, though.”
“Do it as soon as you can. If I need to get a warrant I will.”
His sigh filled the space. “Okay, honey. I’ll call as soon as they open.”
“Thank you, Dad.” Ava ended the call and placed the phone on the table before she shared her worst fears. “What if we can’t find whatever connection Wax thinks exists?”
Caleb reached across the table and covered her hand. “If it’s real and not part of his twisted games, we’ll find it. I promise, we’ll find it.”
She sure hoped he was right. She glanced down at her partner whose eyes were closed, but Ava knew Shadow was ready to work at her command.
While she struggled with lack of sleep and tried to pull her thoughts together, her radio squawked to life.
“Ava, come in.”
She recognized Agent Novak’s voice right away and hit the mic. “I’m here, Novak. What’s going on?”
“You’ve got to see this. We’ve been searching the mine looking for Rachel and we’ve stumbled onto what appears to be some type of sanctuary.”
“We’re on our way. Where are you?”
“Larabee will meet you at the entrance and bring you up.”
Ava jumped to her feet, triggering a low growl from Shadow. She looked down at the dog. “Time to go to work.”
Shadow was on his feet in a heartbeat leading the way from the tent. She and Caleb scrambled after him.
“Shadow, halt.” She needed to get his lead snapped into place. The dog did not wait so patiently while she did so. “Let’s go.”
The words were all Shadow needed to start for the mine as if his instincts were directing him to Wax.
A sanctuary. Novak’s words rumbled through her hazy thoughts. What type of sanctuary had Wax built into the mountainside and what would they find there? The unknown became almost as scary as the reality of Wax’s sick games.