Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE
Katie and McGaven entered their office space to update the board. It was a quiet place to work and she knew the sheriff was going to ask for the report that she hadn’t submitted yet.
McGaven let out a breath as he set down a couple of bags of food and drinks. “I don’t know why we couldn’t stay and eat.”
She smiled at her partner. “Here we can work and eat at the same time.”
“Copy that.”
“So, what have we learned?” she said.
“I’m still waiting for some things to come back from forensics.”
Katie nodded.
“Partner?”
“Yeah?”
“I think it’s time you tell me what’s up with you,” he said gently.
“There’s nothing up with me.”
He huffed a laugh. “The brilliant Katie Scott… you don’t hide your feelings well. Most people may not notice, but… you and I have been through some serious stuff. I know you.”
She sighed. “I hear you, and yes…”
“Yes?” He sounded sterner now.
“Look. This case is different and kind of creepy. Why was the finger in my car? Why did Ames mock and ditch me.” She took a breath. “It’s like I’m being tested, or taunted.”
McGaven watched his partner for a moment. “If you are being tested—you’re not alone. We’ll figure this out. And we have a new detective recruit with Anderson.”
Katie forced a smile. “You’re right.” She said it to make McGaven feel better, but she wasn’t so sure. She pushed her thoughts and feelings aside and focused on the investigation.
“I’m adding to this,” she said, and reached for a marker to write on the board.
What we know:
Shelby had a boyfriend (Tyler) and a boss (Cindy), who rented an apartment to her.
A man wearing a leather jacket was seen from the coffee house watching the yoga studio.
He targeted Katie with the first dismembered appendage—finger.
Tyler said a man sometimes watched him and Shelby at the hotel—specific or random?
No indication of struggle or anything out of the ordinary at Shelby’s house. Any photos were gone.
Dismembered parts found at the home of a criminal in Rockview. Who left them there?
Katie then updated the map, adding the locations of Shelby’s house, Katie’s Jeep, the yoga studio, and the trailer in Rockview.
“All these areas have to connect. But how?”
McGaven studied the photos and maps on the wall. “It seems random.”
“It’s like a puzzle where the important main pieces haven’t been found.” She began a list of people of interest they had spoken to. “We have to look at everything. No matter how small.”
Persons of Interest:
Tyler Brandt (boyfriend)
Cindy Ware (boss/friend)
Unknown man outside the coffee house/hotel—could be same person.
Barista Mike at coffee house who gave information about man outside in leather jacket.
Katie hesitated, but she had to add him.
Luke Ames (arson investigator)
Katie stood back.
“Ames? Really?”
“It’s a working theory. We can’t overlook anyone.”
McGaven shrugged.
“We don’t have any camera footage from here or the coffee house,” she said.
“But we do have some reports and photos,” said McGaven. He pulled out images of the body parts from Rockview and from the two crime scenes in Pine Valley and started attaching them to the wall. “Here we go.”
Katie’s mind whirled with possibilities, but nothing she came up with seemed plausible. They were undoubtedly missing something.
The photos of the grisly evidence were some of the most morbid images Katie had seen. All together they were startling. She stepped closer to have a better look. “Has there been any identification on the parts found in the floor compartment?”
McGaven looked at the reports. “No, not yet. Some were too decomposed and there weren’t any fingers to retrieve prints.”
Katie decided to add more information to the board. They had to get as broad a picture as possible.
Places of Interest:
Katie’s Jeep
Yoga studio
Coffee house
Shelby’s residence
Tyler’s residence
Carriage House restaurant
Hotel adjacent to the restaurant
Rural crime scene where arm was found at Meridian Road near fire department
“Follow up with Detective Stern on the identifications,” she said.
“Copy that.”
“I’m going to have a chat with Ames.”
“Wait… I should go with you.”
“It’s okay. We need those backgrounds on Shelby and Tyler, and to see what I can dig up about the yoga studio. We need to divide and conquer.”
McGaven sighed. “Just no major conquering, okay?”
Katie giggled. “I promise I’ll behave.”
“Like that’s going to happen,” he muttered.