The Bone Harvest

by Stacy M Jones

  After Luke had called his father and Riley, while standing outside of the police department, he had come directly to this spot. He wasn’t sure why. He had been there before. It’s not like there would be evidence this many years later. Luke felt connected to his sister in the place where she had been found. Maybe it was because it was so close to the anniversary of when Lily went missing. No one knew Lily’s date of death. They had no idea when she had been killed. Luke speculated it was probably immediately after she was taken, but with so few details, he couldn’t know for sure.

  Lily had been found in woods near the freshman dorms. There was a path that cut through the woods, made by students over time who walked from the dorms to the main campus buildings. It was a shortcut. Luke had walked the worn path himself countless times when he was a freshman.

  Lily was found about thirty feet off the main path. Because of the dense tree coverage, it was impossible to see the spot from the path itself. Luke had checked that countless times. It was secluded enough that if Lily had been killed there, no one would have seen. They might have heard her scream, if she had, but not have been able to see her from the path.

  Luke took a moment and said a silent prayer. When he was done, Luke walked back to the main part of campus and placed a call to Gabe. When he answered, Luke quickly explained the new letter and told Gabe to call the university to set up a meeting with the administration. Gabe promised he was on it.

  Luke then placed a call to the local FBI field office in Fayetteville. He was eventually routed to an FBI agent. Luke explained who he was, detailed the letters, facts about his sister’s murder, and the current threat. He was about to tell the man about asking for a meeting at the university but was abruptly cut off.

  With a sarcastic tone of voice, the agent barked, “You don’t even know if this is credible, Detective Morgan. This could be an incredible waste of FBI resources.”

  “If it’s not,” Luke countered, “are you willing to risk a young woman’s life on that?”

  “Let’s not be dramatic,” the agent said condescendingly, “I think you’re a bit compromised and lacking perspective given your close connection to the case.”

  Luke sighed. He hated the feds sometimes. “I don’t have any time to go around and around with you on this…”

  The FBI agent attempted to interrupt, but Luke cut him off. “No, now you listen to me. Bottom line it. Do you want to take a look at what we have? Do you want to meet with us to properly assess this potential threat?”

  “No, we are going to decline at this time. If you find something credible that connects these cases across state lines, call us back. We are sure you and the local authorities can handle it.”

  Luke hung up without even saying goodbye. He couldn’t be bothered with them. Luke had assumed back in Little Rock that’s what the FBI would be like so he didn’t rush to call them in. They had way too many political hoops to jump through to get involved in cases. To be fair, Luke couldn’t give them the hands-down credible proof they were after. For Luke, there was more than enough to go on.

  While Luke was on the call with the FBI, he’d received a text from Gabe letting him know that the university president would meet with them as soon as Luke could make it to the building. Gabe had assured them they were both on their way.

  Luke made his way to the administration building, dodging students as he moved. Luke couldn’t remember a time he’d been in the building as a student. He couldn’t even recall if there had been any meetings there after his sister went missing, or her body was found. There had to have been.

  As Luke climbed the steps and opened the front door, he noticed a parking lot off to the left. It was filled with news vans. He hoped whatever was happening wouldn’t interrupt his meeting with the president.

  Luke entered the building and was immediately overwhelmed by the news media stationed in the lobby. He wasn’t sure which way to turn. Luke caught sight of an opening and made his way to the stairs. He flashed his badge to the campus security blocking off the stairs and was admitted only after giving his name.

  Luke climbed the stairs quickly, not looking back. Once upstairs, university personnel was in a panic, moving back and forth in the hallways in and out of offices. Luke moved down the hall and found the president’s office. He pulled open the wide double doors and was immediately met with a secretary and the head of campus security, Mitchell Lake. They made quick introductions all around and then ushered Luke into the president’s office.

  Upon entering, University President Louis Kane came around his desk and gripped Luke’s hand. “We were glad Det. Barry called for a meeting. Our next call was to law enforcement, and you saved us time.”

  “I’m not quite sure what you mean,” Luke said, confused. “I was calling for a meeting…”

  Kane interrupted, thrusting a bagged letter in Luke’s direction. “We received that today. It says one of our female freshmen will be taken Friday night. To stop him, we’d need to contact you. My secretary was trying to find you when Det. Barry called. The media received a similar letter, which is why they are camped out in our lobby.”

  Luke staggered back, trying to adjust his eyes to the words in the letter, but he never got the chance to read it.

  Kane demanded, “Who is he and how do we stop him?”

  Luke held up his hand. “Give me a minute. This wasn’t why we called you.”

  He carefully looked over the letter and was at a loss for words.

  “On Friday, I will harvest my next bride from your selection of beautiful freshmen. You can’t stop me. Call Detective Lucas Morgan from Little Rock. It’s time the chase commenced.”

  As Luke finished reading the last word, Gabe entered the room, identifying himself quickly. Luke handed Gabe the letter and watched his face as he read. When Gabe was done, he raised his eyes. He and Luke shared a knowing glance.

  “Well,” Kane demanded again. “How do we stop him?”

  CHAPTER 20

  “I don’t know,” Luke responded honestly, feeling foolish and completely powerless not having a better answer. He was the lead detective in the detective’s bureau in the state’s capital city – he needed a better answer than he was giving, but Luke simply didn’t have one.

  Looking around the room at Kane, Gabe, and Mitchell, Luke said, “I think you should sit. I can tell y’all what I know, so far.”

  For the second time that day, Luke detailed the entire story from his sister’s disappearance to the letters that arrived yesterday and the one they received today. He went into some detail about Riley and Cooper’s assistance looking at similar cases, but Luke didn’t go in-depth. As far as Luke was concerned, he didn’t trust the people in front of him. While President Kane and the head of campus security seemed like they were playing for the same team, years of investigative work taught Luke to take nothing for granted.

  When Luke was done catching everyone up to the most recent letter the university received, Mitchell asked, “You’re really taking this guy seriously?”

  “I am,” Luke said straight-faced. “Even if we’re wrong, what’s the worst that will happen?”

  “We overreact and make complete fools of ourselves, panic parents and students, and potentially ruin our reputation,” Mitchell speculated. He sat slouched in the chair with his arms folded over his chest.

  Luke guessed Mitchell was probably in his mid-fifties. He had told Luke that he’d been in charge of campus security at the university for the last eight years. Before that, Mitchell had said he was in charge of security at a local medical center. Luke didn’t question the man’s ability to provide security, what he questioned was the man’s investigative background.

  Luke leveled a look at him. “I can appreciate that, but what happens if you don’t take it seriously and a freshman girl is kidnapped and murdered? How do parents and the media react then?”

  Kane waved the conversation off. He pointed towards the door. “The story is already public. This isn’t something we
can hide. We have to make a statement and make it now. To do that, I need to know what law enforcement and campus security will be doing to protect us.”

  Turning to Mitchell, Kane said, “I strongly suggest you let these men take the lead. They are obviously knowledgeable about this case and have far more resources than your office.”

  Duly chastised, Mitchell muttered, “Fine. What’s the plan?”

  Luke explained, “I called the FBI. They weren’t interested. Maybe a call from the university might help, but I doubt it. Det. Barry, what resources can we count on from your office?”

  Det. Gabe Barry assured, “The police department is fully committed to anything this operation needs. We are calling in all the manpower we have over the next few days. The first thing I think we need to do is put out a warning from the university to students and parents.”

  To President Kane, Gabe asked directly, “Are you able to close the school this weekend and encourage students to go home?”

  “I don’t see how that would be possible. Not to mention we have even more students headed this way. The Razorbacks have a game against LSU on Saturday at two. We will have even more students and parents here than normal this weekend. Canceling the game is not an option for us.”

  Luke closed his eyes, rubbed them with his fingers. He had forgotten they were in the middle of football season. This brought a whole host of other complications he hadn’t even been considering. They’d have far more people in the city, easier for a killer to blend in, and more students to worry about.

  “I think we still need to give a stern warning that we have received this letter, that we consider it credible, and then people can decide on their own the course of action,” Luke said. An idea struck him all at once. He added, “Let’s also pull in student leadership to help. Let’s go to the sororities and fraternities and student body leadership councils and explain. The more eyes and ears we have out there on our side, keeping watch, paying attention, will make all the difference.”

  President Kane nodded. “That’s a good idea. Let me pull in my public affairs department to craft the message to the media and let me round up other staff to pull these student groups together. Let’s say we will meet tomorrow at one o’clock in the auditorium.”

  He picked up his office phone and began making calls.

  Mitchell rolled his eyes and shifted in his chair.

  Luke cleared his throat. “Is there something you’d like to say?”

  “I’m not even saying I think this is credible,” Mitchell started, “but if it is, why do you want to alert the whole world of your plan? Won’t this drive him underground and then you won’t catch him?”

  Luke had thought about that. But more important to Luke was keeping the students safe. “Safety is my only priority. If I have to alert the whole school to do that, I will.”

  Gabe added, “These kids need to be more alert anyway. All we are asking from them is to watch out for each other. Our plan, where we will have law enforcement stationed, and what we will be doing won’t be made public. I agree with Luke, the more we can have people stay alert, the safer everyone will be.”

  There was no more debate. Luke worked with President Kane and his public affairs staff to craft the perfect message to the public – one that expressed concern but wasn’t so alarming they’d look foolish for panicking the city. They kept a nice even tone and left it up to students and parents if they remained on campus. Classes were not canceled, but if students felt safer leaving, the university would give them a pass for their absence on Friday. The statement assured the public that law enforcement was doing everything to run down leads in advance of Friday and would be out in full force from now through the weekend.

  Luke hoped they were able to live up to the promise.

  CHAPTER 21

  Later that evening, after Cooper left Riley’s house, he stopped for a drink at a bar in the River Market. He grabbed dinner and relaxed before heading to Fayetteville. Tyler was already on his way up to see Luke. Cooper was supposed to pick up Riley in the morning, but that’s what was hanging him up. Cooper didn’t think Riley should go.

  While Cooper played it cool, he worried about sending Riley into a full-blown anxiety attack, if things got tense. Riley had assured him the symptoms had passed, but Cooper had watched what she had gone through. The last thing they needed in Fayetteville was a repeat. With everything Luke had to worry about in Fayetteville, Cooper didn’t think any of them needed one more complication. Not that Riley was a complication. Luke had so much to focus on, and Fayetteville would be a highly tense situation. Cooper was concerned about Luke’s focus, and his own, would be on making sure Riley was okay, rather than the task at hand.

  The problem was, Cooper didn’t know how to explain that without sounding insensitive. Cooper tossed the words around in his head, but nothing sounded right. He got a reprieve when the bartender slid his burger in front of him. Cooper took a satisfying bite, still distracted by his thoughts when a finger ran down his back making him sit up straighter.

  He nearly choked on his food. Cooper turned to see Holly standing there with a broad smile on her face.

  She took the seat next to him. “Where are you taking me this Friday?”

  Cooper chewed and washed his food down with some beer. “I was going to text you,” Cooper fibbed – he had completely forgotten. “I can’t take you out Friday night. I have to travel for a case this weekend. I’m leaving tomorrow.”

  Holly withdrew her hand but looked at him defiantly. “Cancel it. I’m worth it.”

  “I can’t cancel. That’s not how my job works. I don’t get a lot of say in my schedule. That’s just how it goes.” Cooper went back to eating, hoping she’d go away.

  “I want you to cancel,” Holly demanded, clearly not giving up. “I always get what I want.”

  Cooper nearly got his burger lodged in his throat. He took another drink and turned to her. “I can appreciate that, but that doesn’t work with me. I have a complicated job so maybe I’m just not the guy for you.” He turned back to his food.

  Holly started to argue, but Cooper was saved by his ringing cellphone. It was Riley. He picked up his phone and stepped away from the bar. “Everything okay?” Cooper asked.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” Riley said hesitantly. “I wanted to ask you a question though. I know you and Luke need me, but I don’t know if going to Fayetteville with you is the best idea.”

  Feeling relieved but wanting to make sure he understood, Cooper clarified, “Do you mean you wouldn’t go at all?”

  “I have so many things to follow up on with these other cases, it might be best if I was here doing that. I just don’t want to bail on Luke or let him down. Do you think he’ll be angry with me?”

  “No, not at all,” Cooper replied, feeling let off the hook. “I was going to suggest that to you, but didn’t want to hurt your feelings, or say the wrong thing. Actually, following up on all the rest would be a huge help. That way, we aren’t letting anything fall through the cracks. I’m sure Luke will understand, and there will be enough people helping him up there. Do you want me to tell him?”

  “I can tell him. You never got to those calls in Virginia, did you?

  “No, Tyler interrupted that,” Cooper noted. As Riley went over some case information, Holly got up from the bar. She walked off, shooting Cooper a dirty look over her shoulder. Cooper really hoped that the situation wasn’t going to come back to bite him.

  “Cooper, are you there?” Riley asked impatiently.

  “Yeah, sorry,” Cooper responded.

  “Do you know the medical examiner, or have any law enforcement connections in Virginia?”

  Cooper thought over the people he knew, but he was coming up blank on Virginia connections. “I’d just call whoever was in charge of the investigation and tell them what Luke said – that we are working on some research for the Little Rock police.”

  “That’s what I’ll do, just wanted to rule out if you had someone
specific you were calling. I’m hoping since they had a body, we will have some leads.”

  “We definitely could use them. Are you sure you’re going to be okay there alone? I can always send my stalker over?” Cooper teased.

  Riley laughed. “You have a stalker?”

  “That girl you met yesterday morning. She’s now shown up when I was having lunch and she just showed up here at the bar while I was having dinner. You think that’s a coincidence, right?”

  “Stop being a player and you won’t have so much trouble in your life,” Riley barked and then hung up on him.

  Riley was right. He made his way back to the bar. The bartender grabbed his empty glass and refilled his beer. Sitting it down in front of Cooper, he said, “You need to watch your back with that one. She’s persistent.”

  “That bad?” Cooper asked, mentally cringing.

  “She keyed a friend’s car when he didn’t ask her on a second date. It might be nothing, but just watch your back.”

  CHAPTER 22

  Luke finished his third cup of coffee as he stood in the conference room at the Fayetteville Police Department. He held the cup, looked over the freshly made coffee, and debated if one more was needed. Luke hadn’t slept much the night before. He and Gabe worked long into the night, coming up with a strategy for campus security. Mitchell had proven useless so they had to work around him. Luke was happy with their plan. He couldn’t guarantee everyone’s safety by any stretch, but they’d have a uniformed police presence and plainclothes officers working undercover.

  They’d also have some younger female cops working as decoys. Luke had no idea if the killer stalked his victims ahead of time, so he couldn’t be sure how useful that idea would bear out, but it was worth a shot.

  He wished Riley was there, but he understood why she had stayed back. She had called him the night before, just as he was getting ready for bed, and asked if he minded if she stayed in Little Rock and worked on the other cases. Luke didn’t mind, it was actually a good idea. There wasn’t much she could do with him right now, anyway. Cooper was on his way. Tyler was running down some leads, and Gabe was calling other local, smaller, police departments to see how much manpower they could secure.