Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
Jackson’s headlights cut through the darkness. Rain battered against his windshield. Thick woods lined either side of the lonely, two-lane country road. In the passenger seat beside him, Piper was pale. Her mouth firmed into a hard line, and one hand gripped the door handle. They hadn’t said a word since getting in the SUV. By unspoken agreement, they’d put their personal conversation aside to focus on the horrible task ahead.
He was hurt though. The kiss they’d shared… it was like Jackson had been wearing foggy glasses, and in an instant, he could suddenly see clearly. What existed between them wasn’t a faded teenage love or a figment of their imaginations. It was real. Deep. Powerful. It was a bond that couldn’t be explained rationally.
On one hand, it was a relief. Jackson could finally understand why he hadn’t been able to forget her. Or move on. He’d tried. Dated some wonderful women with amazing qualities, but somewhere in the back of his mind, Piper lingered like a ghost he’d never been able to get rid of. So, yes, it was a relief to realize he wasn’t a commitment-phobe. Those woman, as great as they were, weren’t right for him.
Unfortunately, Piper’s reaction left him frustrated. Worse, Jackson felt alone. Alone in his feelings and alone in his desire to make their relationship work. Once again, she’d rejected and distanced herself from him. Jackson knew she cared about him. For a long time after she’d left, he’d questioned that, but after the kiss they’d shared, there was no doubt.
Nothing made sense. How could she ice him out so easily? Maybe Piper cared, but not to the same degree as he did. Or maybe it was just easier for her to shut down because of her childhood. Either way, the result was the same. Jackson was left struggling and uncertain. Emotions he abhorred.
God, I ’ m lost. I don ’ t know what to do.
Even now, Jackson wanted to reach across the distance between them and take her hand. Comfort her. Piper was distressed, and the tension pouring from her was nearly palpable. But he didn’t give in to the urge. In times of distress, she’d resisted any compassion.
The GPS indicated a turn up ahead, so Jackson eased up on the gas. Darkness pressed in, made worse by the raging thunderstorm, and he nearly missed the faint break in the trees.
“This isn’t anywhere close to where Elena was found.” Piper’s voice was hollow. “We’re on the opposite side of the nature preserve. This area is commonly used by families and other visitors.” She gestured to another road, this one bigger, leading to the west. “The information center is up there, near the main entrance.”
“Did Derek say how the victim was found?”
“A set of hikers found her on a commonly used trail. It doesn’t seem like the killer attempted to hide the body.”
The road narrowed, winding its way through the nature preserve. His tires rumbled as they crossed a rustic wooden bridge. Down below, the river was a dark slice through the trees. Another turn and they were in a parking lot full of official state and county vehicles. Red and blue lights strobed across the asphalt.
Jackson parked. Crisp air and raindrops whipped across his face when he opened the driver’s side door. He unfurled his umbrella. Lightning flashed, followed by a low rumble of thunder. The storm was far from over. It would wreak havoc on the crime scene. The investigators would do everything possible to preserve the evidence, but it was a fact that some would be destroyed by the rain.
Piper joined him, tucked under her own umbrella, and together, they made their way across the parking lot to the cordoned-off area. Derek spotted them from his place under a portable canopy on a nearby trail. He waved them forward. As Jackson drew closer, the victim came into view. His heart sank.
Piper gasped. “That’s Gerdie.”
The young woman was sprawled on the dirt trail as if she’d fallen. She was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, the same clothes she’d been wearing at the bar, but now they were stained with mud and blood. Her face was battered and bruised. Someone had beaten her.
“Two gunshot wound, likely to the back, judging from the exit and entrance wounds.” Derek looked mad enough to spit nails. “The coroner will have to confirm, of course, but from what I can gather, the killer shot her as she was running away.”
Jackson felt his own temper rise. “Wally?”
“He was the last one seen with her. She’s been beaten, like Elena was, before being shot. Her body was left in the nature preserve. The M.O. is similar enough to believe we’re looking at the same killer.”
“He shot her twice.” Piper’s voice was hollow. “This time he made sure she was dead.”
“Yes.”
“Do we have a time of death?” Jackson asked.
The coroner’s assistant glanced up from where she was bagging Gerdie’s hands to preserve any evidence under her fingernails. “She’s not in full rigor, so less than twelve hours. Based on her liver temperature, I’m guessing sometime well before that, say in the last six hours or so.”
Derek nodded. “The hikers who found her entered the trail at four and then exited using the same path around seven. My guess is, the killer brought her sometimes between four and seven. Probably right before the storm.”
Jackson did a quick calculation. “So around six. Risky, but calculated. He was hoping the storm would cover his tracks and destroy any evidence. He probably intended for her to be found tomorrow morning, or maybe the day after.”
“That’s what I think too.” Derek glanced at the sky. “It’ll be raining off and on for the next two days. Few hikers would venture out in this weather.” He gestured to the parking lot. “He brought her here, walked her up the path, and likely told her to run.”
“You think he beat her someplace else?”
“Bruises are in layers.” The coroner’s assistant piped up. “Looks like she was beaten over the course of a couple of days.”
Piper growled. “Wally and Gerdie left the bar on Wednesday. That means he held her, and beat her, for two days.” She gripped her folded umbrella with enough force to cause her knuckles to whiten. “Wally must’ve used Gerdie to lure Elena to the woods. It would be difficult to control both women, so maybe he left Gerdie tied up in the car while he killed Elena in the field. Then he kept Gerdie somewhere and continued to beat her until it stopped being fun. Finally, he brings her here. He tells Gerdie to run, and when she does, shoots her in the back twice.”
Jackson’s stomach swirled as a fresh wave of anger crashed over him. The terror Gerdie had suffered… “We need to find Wally Hutchinson. Based on these two murders, he’s likely to kill again.”
Piper’s cell phone rang. She pulled it from her back pocket and her eyes widened. She tilted the phone so Jackson could view the screen. “Isn’t that the same number as the burner phone? The one the killer used to call Elena?”
He nodded, shock sending a shiver of apprehension down his spine.
“Answer it,” Derek ordered. “Put the call on speaker.”
Piper did as her boss said. The three of them huddled together. Derek was texting on his own device, likely asking headquarters to trace the call. If Piper kept the killer on long enough, they could get a location based on the cell towers the burner phone pinged off.
“Hello, Piper. It’s been a long time since we last saw each other.”
The words came out distorted, as if the caller was using a voice modulator. For some reason, that only made the call creepier. Jackson scanned the nearby area, searching for any sign of the killer. The trees were thick, and with the storm still raging, it was difficult to discern anything in the dark.
Was he close by? Could he see them?
“Who is this?” Piper’s tone was sharp and authoritative.
“Oh, that hurts. You don’t remember me? I find that hard to believe after the special moments we shared.” Even with the voice modulator, his pitch turned hard and mean. “I taught you a lesson about men, you stupid cow. You were so haughty. Thought you were better than the rest of us. I had to show you with my fists just how weak you actually were. Too bad I didn’t put a bullet through you like I did with Gerdie, but there’s always next time. ”
With a sudden jolt, Jackson realized just what the killer was alluding to.
The attack. He was responsible for beating and nearly shooting Piper ten years ago.
Jackson balled his hands into fists as a rage unlike any he’d ever experienced coursed through his veins. It took all his self-control to resist ripping the phone away from Piper and telling the man on the other end just what he was going to do to him.
She gritted her teeth. “You’re lying, Wally.”
“This isn’t Wally. I’ve got you chasing your tail, don’t I, Piper?”
Jackson frowned. The caller could be lying, saying he wasn’t Wally when he actually was. Then again, there were so many layers to this case, nothing could be what it seemed. Wally could be stone-cold dead, just like Gerdie.
Piper gripped the phone. “The man who attacked me is dead.”
Laughter came from the speaker. “Lionel Islip was a weakling and a coward. He barely had the nerve to break into people’s houses. You think he was powerful enough to take you down? No, you needed a real man to teach you how the world works.”
Her complexion paled. She swayed. Jackson wrapped an arm around her waist to prevent her from collapsing. He would’ve also taken the phone from her hand, but Piper jerked it away from him. “Prove you’re telling the truth.”
“Your hair was in a braid, the kitchen floor was yellow with a green floral design, and when I approached, you were putting milk in the fridge.”
Jackson’s gaze shot to Derek. The sheriff’s eyes were wide, his teeth bared. Based on his reaction, those details were true.
“I ripped off your necklace,” the killer continued. “Gave that to Lionel. I wasn’t ready for anyone to know who I truly was.”
Bright red spots appeared on Piper’s cheeks. She shook. “I’m going to hunt you to the ends of the earth, and when I catch you, you’re going to wish you’d never met me.”
He laughed again. “Not if I catch you first. See you soon, Piper.”