Chapter Twenty-One
“It’s not her.” Maeve’s voice almost gutted him, but it was her struggle to stay standing beside the examination table that had Callen moving.
She grabbed backward for the nearest chair, barely catching herself as he settled her in her seat.
She’d lost more color from her face and neck.
Whether from the realization they were no closer to finding her missing forensic analyst or from her wound, he didn’t know. “It’s not Iliana Meyer.”
“Ms. Perry is right. These remains belong to a male victim.” The ME, Dr. Yarrow, his name tag said, came around the end of the stainless steel table.
Callen had never been in a morgue, but the forensic pathologist had taken a cold, uninviting refrigerated room and turned it into something worthy of the families who came to identify their loved ones.
The older man cast a glance toward Maeve, then cut his gaze back to the second ranger in the room.
“I had patrols spiral out from where the first set of remains were left over the past few days.” Ranger Murray Simpson folded his arms across his broad chest, unnecessarily exaggerating his size.
The former Salt Lake police officer was easily a foot taller and a foot broader than Callen and Dr. Yarrow, stretching his Zion National Park uniform almost to its breaking point.
“These were recovered a few hundred meters from Kolob Arch about four hours ago. As you can see, they’re more worn, been exposed to the elements for far longer and broken in some places compared to the ones you found.
We brought back as many pieces as we could find, but animals and weather did a number on what was left. ”
“They don’t smell like bleach, and they’re definitely not as white as…
” Callen swallowed back the dryness in this throat.
“As Lauren’s remains.” He didn’t know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing.
Whether so many differences between the two sets of remains told them anything, or they’d come across something entirely unconnected to his sister’s investigation.
He also didn’t know whether Lauren was being kept in this exact room or she’d been moved somewhere else, considering they now had an ID.
He squeezed Maeve’s shoulder, feeling her pulse ratchet higher under his hand.
For the longest time, he’d assumed she didn’t allow herself to feel anything—the abandonment of her mother, the loss of her father, her feelings toward him after the breakup—but the utter devastation etched into her expression told him she felt it all.
That she felt too much. “Do you have an ID?”
“I took dental scans as soon as rangers brought him in. I’m just waiting for confirmation.
He’s male, so it can’t be your missing victim as Ms. Perry noted.
” Dr. Yarrow made another pass along the examination table, once again studying Maeve from where he stood, and Callen’s hackles rose.
That was the second time the medical examiner had referred to her as Ms. instead of Agent.
The doctor slid aged hands into his slacks, pressing his white lab coat back from a lean frame.
“From what little time I’ve had to examine the bones, I’ve been able to fill in some blanks.
Late twenties, maybe edging into his thirties.
I can’t tell you how long he’s been out there under the extreme conditions of the park for sure, but I can tell you there are several breaks in his legs that are consistent with a fall from a great height.
I have little hope this set of bones is connected to your current missing person investigation.
Not only from the difference in victimology but also the condition of the remains.
These bones weren’t presented as a statement.
I think they were just in the vicinity.”
Simpson seemed to stiffen at Callen’s side, drawing himself taller. His voice dropped an octave. “You said you’re waiting for confirmation on his identity. Do you have a suspicion of who he might be?”
“There have only been a handful of missing persons reported in Zion, Ranger Simpson.” A knowing expression turned down the corners of the ME’s eyes, but he held himself confident. “Only two in the last five years. One of those being your brother.”
The air seemed to suction out of the room.
Simpson’s brother had gone missing? All this time Callen had been collaborating with the law enforcement ranger to find Lauren, and the man standing next to him had lost his own sibling in this damn park?
“You think this is Jackson?”
“His height, age markers and bearing match those of Jackson Simpson, yes. As I said, I was able to gather X-rays before your arrival. Our best shot of identifying him is to compare these teeth to your brother’s dental records.
I should have confirmation within a couple of days.
” Dr. Yarrow really did look sympathetic then.
It wasn’t the automated response of a man who worked solely with the dead and their families armed with unending questions, a man just doing his job to move on to the next case.
Real sympathy laced his tone. “I’m sorry, Ranger Simpson. I wish I had better news.”
Simpson scrubbed one hand down his face, his eyes glued to the bones spread in a broken puzzle across the table. “I’ve got to make a call. Excuse me.”
A tingling sensation built in Callen’s toes and fingers, similar to the lack of oxygen he’d felt while fighting for his life in the Virgin River, and all he could think to do was cut his attention to Maeve.
To feel her grounding presence as his own grief charged forward.
A reminder that while he’d spent an entire year searching for some sign his sister was still alive, he’d gotten what he’d wanted in the end: to bring Lauren home.
Callen cleared his throat. “You wouldn’t happen to have confirmation on the identity of the first set of remains, would you, Dr. Yarrow? ”
“I do. It seems whoever tried to kill you and shot your partner here was telling the truth. Dental records were a one hundred percent match as the bones had been well taken care of. She is Lauren Russell.” The medical examiner’s lips pursed as he considered Maeve.
She hadn’t moved, didn’t even seem to breathe under his assessment.
“When will her remains be released?” Callen licked dry lips, dreading all the little conversations and details he’d have to discuss with his parents. “My family… They’re in town. They’ll want to take her home to Salt Lake, have an official funeral, say goodbye.”
The missing piece to their family had been recovered, but Callen didn’t feel any more whole.
There were still too many questions unanswered.
Too many possibilities of another threat.
To him. To Maeve. The killer had accused Callen of standing in his way of what he wanted, but Callen had no intention of letting the bastard through.
Maeve reached for his hand, smoothing circles into the space between his thumb and index finger as he had the night she’d woken from her nightmare, and the muscles along his shoulders loosened.
She’d done that. Chased back the tension he’d held on to for months in searching for Lauren, interviewing everyone who’d ever come in contact with his sister, going through her personal things and her apartment.
She grounded him in a way no one else could, and he loved her for it.
Hell. Was still in love with her.
His body temperature hiked up a few more degrees as the truth settled in his gut.
From the moment she’d set foot on that trail, he’d been drawn in.
By her. The care she’d shown his parents, the dedication and loyalty she’d proven to have for Lauren, the personal sacrifice she’d made to come here to Zion and fix what had become broken.
He had no reason to believe she’d want anything to do with him after this investigation concluded, but Callen wasn’t selfless enough to let her walk out of his life again without facing this familiar pull between them.
He didn’t know what it would take, but he wasn’t willing to give up this time.
Not after everything they’d been through.
“As much as I want to be able to tell you I can release your sister’s remains now, I understand there’s another missing young woman you’re searching for in connection to her death.” The ME rose onto his toes, then rocked back on his heels as though they were talking about the damn weather.
Maeve raised those dark eyes to the forensic pathologist, seemingly coming back into the moment.
She moved to stand, and Callen was right there, his hands beneath one arm.
“Her name is Iliana Meyer. She’s a forensic analyst out of Vegas.
We believe she was abducted by the same person responsible for Lauren’s disappearance. ”
“Right. Iliana Meyer. You mentioned her last time we talked, but I haven’t seen any updates from her investigation come through.
” The medical examiner crossed toward his desk, pulling a pair of glasses from his lab coat front pocket and setting them on his nose.
Glancing over the brim, he tapped in his password on one of the oldest desktop computers Callen had ever seen.
“This is a current case Springdale PD is working, right? Who is the detective who asked you to consult?”
“I don’t remember his name.” Maeve’s hand clamped around his, her mouth flattening into a straight line.
She wasn’t supposed to leave the hospital for a few more days.
She’d most likely overdone it and was paying the price every minute her stubbornness won.
A thin film of sweat sheened along her temple.
He had to get her back to the hospital. “Iliana’s vehicle was recovered last week, but there wasn’t any DNA or prints left in the car, from what I understand.
Police have already released the scene, and without any significant leads, it’s possible Springdale PD has shuffled the case to the bottom of their priority list. The victims disappeared over a year apart.
They might not have made the connection at all. ”
“Oh, I imagine they did if they asked you to join the investigation. Let’s take a look.
” Shaking his head, Dr. Yarrow pinched his eyebrows together as he read the screen from a standing position.
“Looks like Detective Ike is the lead, but that’s odd.
I don’t see the Taser you brought in to fingerprint cataloged in the evidence section of the file. ”
Maeve shuffled away from her chair, heading for the door. “Ike. That’s right. I remember now. Things have been a bit fuzzy the past few days.”
“In case you haven’t heard, Agent Perry was shot four days ago.
” Callen tightened his hold on Maeve’s hand, helping her toward the door.
Her pulse pounded into the palm of his hand.
She was overexerting herself, but he’d known trying to keep her from coming to the morgue would’ve only ended in her sneaking out of the hospital alone. Wounded. Vulnerable.
“Well, now that we suspect these newest remains don’t have anything to do with your investigation into your missing person, I’ll reach out to Captain Hendricks at Springdale PD and let him know.
” The ME drew his glasses from his face, biting the end of one earpiece.
“Can I also assume you’ll be filing the evidence with him once you’re recovered? ”
Maeve’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Of course.”
“One more thing, Ms. Perry. I understand you’ve been through a trauma these past few days, so I don’t want you to worry about the fingerprint results you ran the other day.
” Dr. Yarrow pointed the tip of his glasses at Maeve.
“I took the liberty of forwarding them Springdale PD. In fact, both Detective Ike and the captain are very interested in discussing why you’re working the Iliana Meyer case. ”
Maeve’s grip tightened on his hand, just slightly.
What the hell? Callen didn’t understand. “What are you talking about? Springdale PD invited her to consult because of her connection to the original investigation last year.”
“Did they? Because I reached out to the FBI’s Las Vegas office and spoke with the special agent in charge there.” Dr. Yarrow shifted his gaze to the woman at Callen’s side. “And he told me Maeve Perry is not one of their agents.”