Fifty competitors stood near the start line, shifting their weight foot to foot, stretching or holding last-minute team strategy sessions. Matt, an older version of Billy with darker hair and similar build, waved them to the side.
“Thanks for getting our numbers and tags.” Ethan stepped forward to accept his numbered bib and team T-shirt before handing the rest to Billy.
“Rudolph’s Raiders? Another nose reference, seriously? C’mon guys. Give me a freakin’ break. What does that even mean, anyway?” Billy fumbled the bib twice in tying it to his shirt. He refused to wear the team garment.
“We figured you needed to blow off a little steam...or snort it. Either way is good.” Ethan dodged his brother’s half-hearted jab.
Turning to Remie, Matt addressed her with a formality not shared by his brothers. “Dr. Tallin, good to see you’re up for a little exercise.”
“Matt, Remie. Remie, Matt.” Billy’s simplification leapt over social awkwardness and pulled her into the familiarity of friendship. “We’re startin’ in the rear? You’ll be embarrassed when the good doctor leaves you in the dust.”
“Really? We’ll see.” Matt gave a quick nod to a shorter man with a military-type buzz cut. “We’re running as a team. Since we don’t know each other’s speed and endurance, I think it’s the best place to start.”
Chapter Twelve
“This pace is perfect for a grandmother who just tossed out her walker.” Remie darted ahead and around Matt. Either they were out of shape or thought her a piece of fluff, neither was tolerable.
“Hey, ease up, Remie.” Billy caught up and took position at her side. “You said you hadn’t run for a while. We were trying to give you a break.”
“Don’t need it, princess.” Needling a bear’s masculinity kept her focus off her own problems. She needed to see his smile.
Tree ladders, monkey bars, mud pits, and a horizontal stone wall challenged her to maintain a grueling pace. The McAllister brothers matched her stride through each trial. The race covered six miles, a distance she hadn’t run for over a year, but determination kept her stride. Aside from the sheen of perspiration covering her body and slightly labored breathing, she vowed to show no outward signs of stress and refused to slow down.
Her arms ached after climbing a pyramid wall but didn’t compare to the shock of the insane ice bath obstacle. When she came up gasping for air, of course there was a photographer waiting to snap the shot. No doubt Billy would download it and send the framed reminder to the ME’s office.
The long stretch through the woods offered a respite from climbing temps. The men barely strained with their breathing while her lungs burned with the air sawing in and out after jogging up a steep incline.
As with any distance run, the competitors stretched out, the stronger athletes in front increasing the gap. By her estimation, she ran slightly ahead of the pack’s middle.
A scream from deeper within the woods soon joined another, followed a man’s shout to get back. Ethan darted in front while Billy kept to her side, pulling her to a stop under the branches of a spreading oak. A man she hadn’t noticed scooted past and stopped half a dozen feet away. Each scanned the perimeter, alert and ready.
Matt moved up the slope to investigate, parting the small crowd with his sheer size. Darker shadows covered his expression when he turned and used a hand signal to communicate with his brothers.
She didn’t have to be a cop to understand. This type of scene was one she’d witnessed before. One woman gasped for breath while another turned to the side of the path and dry heaved. A taller runner dressed in the same colors denoting their team stood between and supported them both.
Ethan’s thinned lips and long blink foreshadowed the rest of the day’s activities. He scrubbed a hand through his hair as more runners stopped to investigate the commotion. Frantic murmurs and fearful expressions detailed the unusual finding.
“You’re not getting involved in this, Remie.” Billy’s scowl reinforced his demand. “Stay here. We may need—”
“Got it.” She understood the look and didn’t need the words. “Damn. One day. Not even one day.”
Participants continued to flow around the small knot gathered and squeezed to the side against the brush. Bleached expressions and hunched shoulders confirmed Remie’s suspicions. Her day just went to shit but wasn’t near as bad as the subject of the whispered horror.
A large cooler holding bottled water for the contestants sat on a boulder and blocked her view. But like rubberneckers at an auto accident, bystanders couldn’t avoid the furtive glances and whispered speculations.
A few minutes later, Ethan returned. His nod to her arched brow answered the obvious. “I think the victim is Gena’s roommate.”
“Let me see. If I recognize her, it’ll save time.” She knew the drill but wasn’t sure about the likelihood of facing Gena’s murdered friend. Billy’s supporting hand at her elbow meant more than she could articulate.
“Identification only,” Billy murmured.
Matt listened to the young woman who’d discovered the gruesome scene. “Th-the dead girl behind the boulders… I don’t know her. Jesus. I just wanted to sit down on a flat surface, take a break and get a few sips of water.” Dry heaves interrupted her speech. Tears tracked the woman’s cheeks before she swiped them away. “I saw her blonde hair snagged on a tangle of briars. Her skin is so blotchy.”
Remie pushed forward past the throng of gawkers. The amount of bile rising in her gorge could fill one of those damned pink basins. This is my job. It’s what I do. I can’t help the dead, but they’ll give me their secrets to save others.
Dense forest on either side hindered ground level air currents and nature’s ability to neutralize odor. She detected no telltale scent of death, which meant the girl hadn’t been dead for long.
On rounding the large rocks, she saw where a natural shelf made a good place for a runner to sit and take a breather. Off to the left, a familiar blonde bob forewarned of another tragedy hitting close to home, a life cut short with senseless violence. One sleeve of Wendy’s shirt had torn; half of it hiked up and ripped to expose defensive wounds. Bruises circled her wrists and marred one cheek, the opposite side pushed in the dirt.
“At least she put up a fight.” Ethan knelt beside the body, studying the surrounding area. “Probably DNA under her nails.”
“Jesus, wait. What the hell?” Remie turned away from Billy and hunched over with hands on her knees. Increased blood flow to her brain brought a semblance of calm and her work mindset to the fore. “Billy, tell me what you see.”
“Her left ear is intact.” Billy shook his head. “I thought for sure the taunt left in my truck...”
Myriad puzzle pieces swirled in her mind but wouldn’t find their place to form a coherent picture. A glance back at the body revealed nothing had changed. One arm jutted up from the ground, rigor mortis supporting her silent plea for help. The girl’s left face was intact, if bruised. If the tissue sample deposited in Billy’s truck wasn’t Wendy’s, then the ME’s office had made a mistake.
“I’d thought the same thing. Shit. This doesn’t make sense. They said the DNA was a match. Someone’s screwing up in the lab, big time.”
“We’ve done background checks on everyone there, just to make sure your secret admirer wasn’t in your own backyard, so to speak.” Billy urged the runners back.
“I trust my coworkers. Some may be a little squirrely, but I don’t suspect any of this type of shit.”
“Hell.” Ethan turned to his brother, full awareness written in the furrow of his brow.
“Yeah, either the lab made a mistake with the DNA, or someone’s fiddling with records.” Either scenario spelled trouble for Remie’s office. She’d recused herself from working on anything dealing with the case, but maybe that entailed another mistake.
“There’s another possibility.” The flatness in Billy’s words, monotone and as cold as the girl’s body, garnered the attention of b
oth brothers.
“Not here, Billy. We’ll deal with it. We did before, and we will now.” Ethan stood and gripped his brother’s shoulder.
“Jesus. Not again. I can’t do this again.” Billy’s face blanched as he surveyed the woods.
Nothing moved, no birdsong, no rustling of leaves from scurrying rodents. All of nature held its breath in respect for the monstrous act committed by one of its aberrancies.
“Billy. They’re gone. Dead or in solitary. This can’t be the same.”
The universal language spoken among siblings conveyed support and sympathy with a look. Remie offered her encouragement, stepping closer in a show of solidarity.
“How’d the killer know we’d be here? Matt didn’t register us until this morning.” The location of the body ensured her office would receive it for processing. It didn’t make sense to involve the McAllisters after the killer warned Billy away.
“Anybody who knows us would’ve guessed some of us would enter,” Matt suggested.
“What about Remie? She didn’t start running these things until after she left for college, so if it’s aimed at her it has to be someone who was acquainted with her during that time frame.” Billy’s words prompted all three McAllisters’ gaze to reevaluate her.
“I won’t sign off on collecting her.” Following procedure to avoid a killer escaping justice didn’t mean she wouldn’t shadow her colleagues’ work.
“But you’ll be shoulder surfing every step of the way,” Ethan suggested.
“And I’ll figure out what the hell’s going on in my office. I can’t see anyone there forging documents.”
“If we don’t follow the usual protocols, whoever it is will figure we’re on to them and switch things up or stop.” Ethan gestured for Billy to head back. “There’s a check station at the last obstacle. Why don’t you and Remie get on the horn and get the lab up here. Matt and I will protect the scene.” The lines separating homicide and criminal divisions blurred on a regular basis when it came to the McAllisters’ working relationships, yet Ethan took the lead as he turned to speak to the runner who discovered the body.
Katt slowed her pace after rounding the curve sloping the route upward in a twisted path. Despite her youth, lack of endurance prevented her from keeping up.
A small throng of racers huddled together, some gesturing toward an object hidden by the hill’s crest and a few boulders.
Standing on the top, Mathew McAllister held a tactical advantage while studying each person on approach.
His gaze locked onto her like a heat-seeking missile, too late for her to duck behind the trees and retreat. I’m just another runner out for some fun and exercise.
He smiled. The lion had caught wind of its prey and waited to pick its bones clean.
Inside, she cringed but determined to show no fear. After enduring his close scrutiny and ducking him at the funeral, she had to not only face him but also persuade him she was just another college kid.
Unless she slipped up, he couldn’t get a warrant to view the university’s records where tuition and fees had been too steep for her to attend. He couldn’t prove her a liar.
Unlike others who slowed near the top to decipher the unfolding scene, she averted her eyes as she neared, intending to ignore the hubbub and clear the area. Exhaling several labored breaths kept her in character.
“Not so fast, youngin’. I want to talk to you.” The force of the detective’s hand snatching her upper arm in passing jerked her off balance.
“Hey, pervert. Let go or I’ll scream rape.”
“I don’t rape children. I’m a cop. And I have some questions for you.” Matt pulled her forward to tower over her smaller frame before withdrawing his hand.
“So, that means if you thought I was older, I’d be fair game, old man?” Watching the muscle tic in his jaw offered a perverse satisfaction. It wasn’t that she hated cops; she just liked irritating this one.
“Show me some ID.”
“Back at ya.”
Sure enough, he lifted his shirt to reveal a badge pinned to the holster at his waist. “Now, show me yours.”
“Seriously? During the middle of an obstacle race, you think I carry my driver’s license?” The slightest of smirks hiked one corner of her mouth.
Instead of continuing the pissing contest, he hauled her aside, so others could pass. “This is a crime scene. The fact you attended Gena’s funeral and your association here is too much of a coincidence.”
“What?” As if just noticing the knot of gawkers standing nearby, she scanned the perimeter. “What’s happened?” It wasn’t difficult to act innocent when she had no clue what had transpired. If there was some type of assault, a discreet picture taken would go a long way to convince her anonymous boss of her presence and competence.
“Someone’s been murdered.” Matt’s low baritone could send chills up anyone’s spine.
“What?” She felt heat bleaching from her face, something she couldn’t control. A slight wobble in her stance accompanied the quick inhalation. The strong hand at her elbow provided support. “Who? Another coed?”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because, like you said, I attended Gena’s funeral.”
“How did you know Gena?”
“Class.”
“How about we check on that.” Matt tapped the cell case strapped to her other arm. “And how were you planning on this staying dry?”
“They’ve developed waterproof technology in the twenty-first century. You should try reading to catch up.”
“Let’s take a look.”
She let him slip the phone out but snatched it from him. “Not without a warrant, you don’t. And you don’t have any evidence to get one.”
“Ah, from which school did we get the online law degree?” A tsking sound signaled his disbelief. “Who are you following, Billy or Dr. Tallin?”
“Never heard of either. Now let me pass before I press assault charges. For all I know you got that badge from a cereal box.”
“Let’s go check out your story.” Matt had released her arm but blocked her exit. “You’re coming to the station to answer some questions.”
“Not unless you haul everyone else in this race down there, too.”
He couldn’t prove she was more than a passing witness and figured he wouldn’t risk alienating her without evidence to the contrary. If he assumed her involvement ran deeper, he’d be ill advised to tip his hand.
On closer inspection, she realized he was much bigger than previously thought, his presence outdistancing the sinewy chest and strong grip. The phrase, spiritual gangster came to mind. Despite the sweat dampening his T-shirt and the mud clinging to his sneakers, he encompassed a worldly sophistication for which she couldn’t root out the source.
“What’s your name?” Shadows crossed his penetrating gaze yet didn’t alleviate the intensity.
“Kathryne Nugle, and you’re prolonging my race time.”
“I think I’ll just call you nugget. Seems more fitting. How old are you?”
“Why? You the type that’s into little girls?” Goading him was a pastime she could grow to love.
A suggestive waggle of her eyebrows and Ethan’s throat clearing preceded the younger McAllister shaking his head as if he couldn’t quite pinpoint what character aspect prevented Matt from strangling her on the spot.
“Maybe we got off on the wrong foot. I’m Detective McAllister. There’s been a terrible tragedy here, and I’d appreciate your cooperation.”
A little warmth nudged her cheeks as she averted her gaze. “Yeah, all right. Sorry for the lip.” A soft-step to her right and she padded closer to the body. She still had her phone in hand, silenced, and hoped the shots taken would lead to identification. It seemed she’d become embroiled in a mess warranting deeper investigation.
Matt kept pace, keeping her face in sight. She was careful to angle her phone to prevent him viewing the screen and kept her expression bland until seeing
the dead body. It was the first time she’d seen one.
“Oh my God. Who is she? If…” Katt’s gaze slid to the racers passing their position.
“If what?” Doubt and uncertainty filled Matt’s eyes.
He knew she withheld something. His instincts were too good to miss it. “What’s warping through your thoughts?”
“I-if I hear anything—through the college grapevine, I’ll let you know.”
“Are you staying on campus?”
He’d probably never heard of the band whose logo covered his shirtfront. The electric guitar and keyboard symbolic of the mind-numbing rhythm that would burst eardrums. Not a fan of loud music or fancy logos, she’d worn older workout clothes that had seen better days to corroborate her story of college kid. Maintain character and give away nothing.
“Nah, can’t afford it.” The quaver in her voice was real, allowing her to cover the fact she suspected everything yet knew nothing.
Further questions yielded little information except her certainty that his gut prodded him hard. She kept her answers short and direct, her body still, her mind focused. As much as she’d read about the art of detecting lies, she knew she couldn’t control every aspect of her being and hoped she displayed no tells.
He was obviously loathe to let her go, but in the end, would have no choice. A quick gesture to Ethan verified their close relationship and easy nonverbal communication. According to her mentor, only partners or family, felt to be the same, could accomplish so much with little effort.
After the funeral, she’d been both fascinated and leery of the dark-haired devil scrutinizing her every breath. It didn’t take long to dig up more information on him since he was active in several charity organizations.
“I realize you want to finish the race. Since there’s not too much farther to go, I’ll accompany you. You look like you could use an escort to your car seeing’s how you’re a bit pale. I’d hate to see you injured from passing out.”
With a long-suffering sigh, she closed her eyes. “All right. I’ll show you my ID when we get there. Just keep your hands to yourself in the meantime.” The warning came with a pointed glare.
McAllister Justice Series Box Set Volume Two Page 37