Chapter Twelve
April brought forth the official emergence of spring as temperatures climbed into the eighties during the day with sunshine and blue skies prevailing. Delicate buds began to unfurl all over town. Vibrant colors burst forth in a symphony of daffodils and cherry blossoms.
It was Lake’s favorite time of the year.
She and Linus often met for a picnic when he wasn’t working, eating the lunch she’d made sitting on a blanket on the beach. They’d kick off their shoes and sink their toes into the warm sand while listening to the gentle waves around them.
Today, they sat near the pier as the pelicans glided above the rolling surf, their large wingspan creating shimmering reflections on the water below. Their white feathers glistened in the sunlight, almost appearing silver against the blue water.
Lake lifted her face to the sun as the warm breeze caressed her skin, enjoying the soothing soundtrack to the season. But she realized Linus wasn’t into the moment like she was. “It’s only been a week. It takes incredible patience waiting for answers.”
“Brent admitted there’s been no movement on Gabby Moreland’s case.”
“You think he’d tell you if there was? I doubt he’d share details. Look, there’s a cloud hanging over the entire town. We’re all upset. When word got out that we weren’t just dealing with one serial killer but two, people got scared. I know that because I’ve talked to most of the women in town. They’ve checked out every self-defense book and firearms manual we have on hand. And Naomi told me that Brent’s team has worked non-stop trying to ID what they believe is a second victim, but forensics takes time.”
“I know. I tell myself that every time I see that dump site in my head. It bothers me, Lake. Just because two victims were left on the beach side of the bridge doesn’t mean that we have two killers. It could just mean there’s a gap in the murders because the guy was in jail or vacationing in Tahiti. I don’t know. Maybe he couldn’t reach his regular dump site after 2021.”
She laid a hand on his cheek. “It’s all conjecture. And I can tell you’ve given this some thought. There’s not much we can do without knowing more of the specifics. I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
Linus hugged his knees and stared out over Smuggler’s Bay, his expression troubled. “I can’t shake this feeling that there’s something we’ve missed. What if there’s a connection we haven’t made yet?”
Lake squeezed his hand. “By missed, you mean law enforcement?”
“I’m not accusing them of not doing their jobs. I just know that something doesn’t feel right.”
“Did I mention the night of the storm, I had a conversation with Scott in the basement?”
Linus angled to stare at her. “No, you never said a word.”
“The thing is, Scott wasn’t on the bridge on the nights these women were taken and murdered. He told me so. I believe it’s significant that the killer or killers took a great risk to maintain their behavior, going back to the same location knowing Scott might show up to thwart their efforts.”
“I’m not following. What’s your point?”
“Scott managed to interfere half a dozen times. Why wouldn’t the killer be ready for that? Why would he keep going back to the same spot? Why not change up his method?” She shook her head when Linus continued to stare at her. “Because it’s the only thing he knows that works, getting women to stop on the bridge, trust him enough to walk up to the window and give him access.”
“Ah. If only we could talk to one of the women Scott saved.”
“What about Sally Kent or Sofia Diaz?”
“I haven’t found anything online that points to the right Sally Kent. Apparently, it’s a common name. And Jimmy says his cousin refuses to discuss what happened. She won’t even talk about it with him, let alone two strangers asking her questions.”
“Not even if we sent her an email?”
“No. Theo Woodsong told me he’s tried to get her to talk to him. But she won’t return his calls. None of the others want to talk either.”
“That’s a shame. Almost getting kidnapped is bound to mess you up psychologically,” Lake said, glancing at the time on her Cinderella watch. “I need to get back to work.”
“Me too.”
She stood up and shook the sand out of the blanket, folded it, and handed it back to Linus. “How did Ellie take it when you took Farley out of doggie daycare?”
“She tried to show her disappointment, but I think she was glad about it. No more dealing with Farley’s disruptions.”
“I don’t understand it. Farley is such a sweetheart around my dogs.”
“Yeah, well, let’s hope he doesn’t rip out your drywall or something,” Linus said as he loaded the picnic basket into his truck.
She patted his chest. “Don’t worry. I have faith. But if Farley goes bonkers, you and your firefighter paramedic friends will fix my sunroom, right?”
A worried look crossed his face. “Should I stop at the house and check on him?”
Lake sputtered with laughter. “Sure. Go ahead. Put out fresh water while you’re there. But don’t forget the security system needs a new code to enter. That’s on you. Otherwise, you’ll alert the whole neighborhood.”
“I know the code. I’m the one who thought it up.”
“True. But the dogs aren’t used to the alarm going off. Be prepared for three dogs to go into berserk barking mode.”
After checking on the dogs—who were fine, by the way—Linus took Crescent Street on his way back to the hospital. He spotted Eastlyn’s cruiser parked outside Layne’s Trains. On impulse, he decided now might be a good time to have a word with Cooper, and if Eastlyn happened to be in a talkative mood, maybe he could get her to talk about where the case stood.
Linus strolled into Layne’s Trains, greeted by the familiar bell above the door with classical Bach playing on the overhead stereo system.
Cooper sat huddled over an elaborate train layout, meticulously rearranging the buildings in a miniature village. His eyes lit up as he saw Linus enter. “Hey, what brings you by today?”
Linus leaned against the glass counter, eyeing the intricate model trains on display, trying to keep from giving away the real reason he’d dropped in. His eyes darted around the shop before trying to sound convincing. “Just passing by, thought I’d say hello.”
As he shoved off the counter to browse the shelves, he discreetly glanced at Eastlyn, who was on her cell phone near the back of the store. His eyes landed back on Cooper. “Did you decide where to take Eastlyn for her vacation?”
“We talked about seeing Ireland. I’d love to photograph at least half of the castles there. But Brent canceled all leave until this mess with the serial killer ends. How about you? Got any plans for summer?” Cooper asked, swiping a hand through his chestnut hair, shorter now than in recent years.
“I’m working on it.”
“I hear you’re dating Lake Marigold. She’s quite a looker,” Cooper said, looking up from his detailed miniature town. “I’d say that means you’ve completely moved on from Jessica. Am I right?”
“Jess and I weren’t right for each other,” Linus replied. “But yeah, Lake and I have been together almost two weeks.”
“Wow, two weeks, huh? Sounds promising. Why don’t you guys come for a cookout this weekend? I’ll put steaks on the grill.”
“That’d be great. Thanks. Oh, wait. Lake’s sort of a vegetarian.”
Cooper chuckled. “Okay, so I’ll adjust my menu and throw together some veggie kebobs, grill those instead.”
Eastlyn ended her call and joined the two men. “Linus. How’s it going?”
“Good. You?”
Before answering, she pivoted toward Cooper and said, “You won’t believe this, but Kaeden is leaving the Army. He’s been stateside for a week and coming to Pelican Pointe.”
“When?”
“He’ll be here this weekend.”
“We should turn the cookout into a party,” Cooper suggested. “We’ll show Kaeden how welcoming the town is to military personnel.”
“Lake and I wouldn’t think of intruding on your brother’s visit,” Linus said. “We could always make it another time.”
Eastlyn narrowed her eyes toward Linus. “Don’t be silly. The more, the merrier. Besides, Kaeden scored a second interview with the Santa Cruz PD as a helicopter pilot. He’s over the moon. It’s cause for celebration.”
“Two pilots in one family,” Linus reasoned. “You must be overjoyed that he’ll be living closer.”
“I’m pretty pumped about it. Hence, the cookout turns into a party for Kaeden.” Eastlyn glanced at her watch. “I need to get going before the Chief fires me.”
“What’s up with the serial killer thing? Any news?” The words were out of Linus’s mouth before he could stop them.
Cooper shook his head. “So that’s why you stopped in here?”
Linus’s face took on a sheepish look. “Yeah. I saw Eastlyn’s cruiser.”
Eastlyn rolled her eyes. “Walk me out, and I’ll dish the dirt.”
Linus waved to Cooper as he walked Eastlyn to her patrol car. “What’s happening with the second victim?”
“You didn’t hear this from me,” Eastlyn stated as she leaned against the cruiser, her expression turning serious. “This morning, a surfer found another body, female, approximately twenty to thirty-five years old, about fifty yards from where you discovered Gabby’s skull.”
“And you think this one is also a victim of the same killer?”
“Why not? It makes sense, doesn’t it? This time, we think she’s only been dead for less than a month. But this victim was probably from out of town because don’t have any other missing women who match her description. Everybody’s on edge. The Chief is ramping up the investigation into Gabby. We’re looking into possible connections between the victims, trying to piece together where our killer could’ve crossed paths with his victims.”
Linus clenched his jaw, worry flashing in his eyes. “This guy’s staking out that bridge. I’m sure of it. But he’s not gonna stop any time soon, is he?”
“No way. Not until we catch him. Don’t tell anyone what I told you, not even Lake. I’m sure by this afternoon, the media will be all over the story. But until then, you go back to work like nothing’s wrong. Keep your mouth shut. You understand? We’re doing everything we can to help the sheriff’s department find this loser,” Eastlyn replied, her voice firm. “We want to catch this guy before he strikes again.”
“I get it. All the victims are technically in their jurisdiction. Pelican Pointe PD is only involved because Gabby was from here.”
“Exactly. The Chief took flak because he took over the dig on Sunday. But no one else was doing anything. Once we uncovered that dump site, the sheriff’s department jumped in and took over. No one from the county believes our department can add anything of value. We’re determined to show them different.”
“Any leads?”
“You know that’s one thing I can’t discuss with you.”
As she turned to get into the cruiser, Linus touched her arm. “Be careful out there, Eastlyn.”
She offered him a small smile before getting behind the wheel. “Always am. You make sure that also applies to Lake. This last victim might’ve been pushing thirty-five. I don’t think our killer is choosy when it comes to targeting a lone female.”
Watching the patrol car drive off, Linus felt a weight settle in his chest. Their quiet town was now overshadowed by fear and uncertainty.
He crawled back into his truck, determined to do something about it.
By the time her workday ended, Lake had heard every possible theory into who the killer could be. Gossip practically bounced off the bookshelves. Everybody had their own suspect. From the reclusive next-door neighbor who rarely showed his face to the eccentric glass artist who lived down the street, Lake had heard them all. Speculation about the murderer had reached a fever pitch.
As she walked to her VW Bug, the thought of a neighbor being a killer gave her goosebumps.
She couldn’t picture Mr. Prentiss two doors down or Mr. Tufts across the street as a serial killer. But one theory held more weight than the others. After lunch, Abby Anderson had taken her aside to relate an incident that had happened two weeks earlier.
The marine biologist had confided in Lake about a chilling encounter with Derrick Kingsley, a carpenter by trade, who lived in her neighborhood and was renovating his mid-century home. She described how she had caught him digging a large hole in his backyard under the cover of darkness, muttering to himself in a weird voice. The memory had given Abby nightmares, especially since Sunday when she’d learned about the serial killer.
Lake had urged Abby to go to the police, something Abby did not want to do for fear she might be overreacting.
As Lake sat in her car, her hands gripping the steering wheel, she wondered what to do. Deep down, she knew she needed to tell someone. Without wasting another minute, she decided to report the incident. But as she was about to turn down Main Street to the police station, it clicked in her brain. What was she thinking? She could share this with Linus at home and get his take. She smiled at the idea of that—Linus Canfield, the hunky paramedic—waited for her at home. How had he not been her first thought?
“Our guy is into stalking women near that bridge,” Linus pointed out over fish tacos, chips, and guacamole. Surrounded by dogs, they ate dinner, hoping to catch up on the day’s events. While Jack and Scout lounged under the table at Lake’s feet, Farley stayed glued to Linus, hoping to gobble up whatever crumbs fell on the floor.
Lake had been detailing Abby’s story but was surprised to learn that Linus felt like digging a hole in the backyard was far from definitive proof of anything sinister. “Burying a body in the backyard isn’t exactly our serial killer’s MO. I actually know Derrick. He works with Troy and his crew over at Tradewinds Construction. Seems to be a good worker, reliable, shows up on time, and knows how to use a drill. Maybe before we take this to Brent, I should talk with Derrick, like tonight.”
“You’re not going over there alone. I’m going with you.”
“But if he is our killer, I don’t want him anywhere near you.”
“And if he is the killer, what makes you think he won’t murder you on the spot? So, you’re just gonna walk up to the door and say, what? ‘Are you the guy who’s been dumping bodies under the bridge for the last decade? How old is Derrick?”
“Thirty-five or so. Why?”
“Does he have a girlfriend? A wife?”
“I don’t know. Last I heard, he was living off and on with Fiona Fowler, a dispatcher working for the county.”
“Would that imply that Derrick could keep tabs on law enforcement through Fiona?”
“He could if he bombarded her with questions or had a police scanner.”
“What harm would it do to mention this incident to Eastlyn? We have no experience investigating homicides.”
“That’s why you should stay here.”
“I’m not staying here, Linus. That’s final. I’m the one Abby told. Let’s just take this down a notch, shall we? Let’s think rationally. What would be a legitimate reason for Derrick to dig a hole in his backyard?”
“Maybe his dog died. Or maybe a cat? Maybe he decided to plant a tree, a big one. Maybe he was looking for buried treasure. I don’t know.”
“I thought you’d take this seriously. Maybe he was hiding evidence. With the case heating up, maybe he decided to bury his trophies from all his victims and get them out of the house.”
“Okay, we definitely need to either check him out ourselves or tell Eastlyn.”
“But we need a story if we’re the ones who knock on his door. It needs to be good. It’s too late for Girl Scout cookie season, so that’s out. We can’t pretend to be selling magazines. He’s not gonna buy that. So what does that leave?”
Linus snapped his fingers. “I’ve got it. Solar panels.”
“Too cheesy.”
“No, really. You said he was renovating his house. I’ll make a pitch for putting solar panels on the roof to save on his utility bills.”
“If that’s the best we can come up with, I guess so. Do you know anything about solar panels?”
“Most companies that peddle solar door-to-door are scam artists. They don’t know much about solar panels either.”
“You said he knows you. Doesn’t that mean he knows you’re a paramedic?”
“Maybe selling solar panels is my side hustle.”
Lake lifted a shoulder. “Sure. He’s your friend. You’d know best how to approach him.”
“He’s not exactly my friend. I mean, we’re not buddies or anything. I just don’t see Derrick as a serial killer. Before I forget to mention it, Cooper invited us over to his house for a cookout this weekend.”
Lake smiled. “Dating you has doubled my social life for sure. Many more of these invitations, and I’ll need a calendar just for my extracurricular activities.”
“You really don’t get out much, do you?”
She lifted her shoulder and got up to clear the table. “What can I say? I’m a nerdy, book-loving homebody.”
“Is that a yes to the cookout?”
“Absolutely,” she said, bending at the waist to scratch Jack’s ears. “If we go to Derrick’s place, we should take the dogs. They could use a walk on the beach.”
Linus shoved from the table, causing Farley and Scout to snap to their feet. He ruffled their fur as he walked over to help Lake clean up. “I’m all for taking the dogs out. But do you really think we should make a big deal out of Derrick digging a hole on his own property?”
“It sounds like you’re having second thoughts.”
“I guess I am,” Linus replied. “Ten minutes ago, you didn’t think it was a good idea to go charging over there. How would you feel if someone showed up here and wanted to tear up your backyard looking for a body?”
Lake held up her hands. “Fine. We won’t go. We won’t mention this to anyone. We’ll keep this to ourselves.”
She tried to dash past Linus, but he managed to snag her hand. “Don’t be mad.”
“I’m not. I’m frustrated and grasping at straws. You’re the one who insisted you wanted to play detective and find the killer. I was simply trying to funnel a lead to you. That’s all.”
“I’m just not convinced that we have enough proof Derrick did anything but dig a hole in the ground. I mean, it’s Derrick.”
“What does that mean? Abby said he acted creepy, talking to himself in a weird voice.”
“Was he wearing headphones at the time? Could he have been listening to music and trying to sing along?”
“It’s possible. I didn’t grill Abby about it.”
“Maybe you should have.”
“Well, excuse me if I’m not using the proper investigative skills to your liking,” Lake fumed. “I didn’t set out to become a web sleuth or an armchair detective.”
“Look, how about we sleep on it before we do something stupid that will irritate Brent Cody and have him laughing at us or, worse, get in our face?”
Lake was far from satisfied or appeased. But she knew there was no need to argue about it. She had another way to find out if Derrick might be involved in the murders. If Linus didn’t want to help, she’d take care of the problem herself. Until then, she would play it his way.