Divine Trilogy

by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

  "This seems to be the swimming area," Jasi said. "If Amanda is washing clothes, she's probably downstream. When we find her, let me do the talking, okay?"

  "You think I can't talk to a teenage girl? You've wounded me." Brandon placed a hand on his chest. "Don't forget, I have an eighteen-year-old sister."

  "I know, but Sierra is different from these kids. She wasn't isolated like they are. She trusts adults and authority figures."

  He scratched his chin. "You're right. You ask the questions."

  They trudged along the shore, rounded the bend and almost knocked over a stocky, dark-haired girl carrying a basket of laundry.

  "Amanda?" Jasi said softly.

  The girl eyed them with suspicion. "Who're you?"

  "I'm Jasi and this is Brandon. We're with the CFBI."

  "Police?"

  "Kind of. We spoke with your mother and she told us you were here."

  Amanda lugged the basket to one hip. "I have chores to do."

  "Your mom said you could talk to us for a minute."

  "I don't know anything about the dead person." Amanda set the basket on the damp grass. "Except she got burned real bad."

  Jasi set her data-com to record. "How old are you, Amanda?"

  "Thirteen."

  "How long have you lived at Sanctuary?"

  "I dunno. Like forever."

  "Do you like it here?"

  The girl shrugged. "It's okay. Most of the time."

  "You go to school here?"

  "Yeah."

  "Do you know everyone who lives here?"

  "Most of 'em."

  "Do you know if anyone has left Sanctuary in the past week? Anyone missing?"

  They were interrupted by a tanned, lanky boy of about fifteen dressed in a T-shirt and coveralls, the legs rolled to his knees and his feet bare. He stomped toward them with purpose. "Hey, these people bugging you, Amanda?"

  Something akin to fear emanated from the girl. "No, Eric. It's okay. They're police."

  Eric's eyes narrowed. "Want me to stay with you?"

  Amanda covered her mouth. "No! Go home!"

  He seemed surprised by her outburst, but he turned and walked away, leaving behind a familiar waft of tobacco.

  Amanda turned to Jasi. "Please don't tell my mom Eric was here. He's supposed to be working in the field."

  "My lips are sealed. Is he your boyfriend?"

  Amanda's face turned twenty shades of red. "No. I'm too young to have a boyfriend."

  "Who are your best friends here?"

  The girl hesitated. "I thought you wanted to know about the deadie in the 'cinerator."

  "You know something about that?"

  The girl blinked. "I…uh…no."

  Jasi exchanged a knowing look with Brandon.

  "If you know something, you really should tell us. You can trust me."

  The girl sneered. "Can't trust anyone 'cept myself."

  "Why is that?"

  Amanda's face grew dark. "Because bad things happen to people who talk about things they shouldn't." She picked up the basket and made her way to the path.

  "What kind of bad things?" Jasi called after her.

  "Stay here long enough and you'll probably find out."

  Amanda vanished into the trees.

  "Well, that was cryptic," Brandon said. "Did you notice her hair and dress were dry?"

  Jasi nodded. "Eric's too."

  "If they'd been caught in the rain down by the river, they'd be soaked."

  "So maybe they were doing something more than laundry."

  "I don't know about that, but I do know Amanda is afraid of something. We need Natassia."

  If Amanda had experienced any kind of trauma, especially if she'd witnessed the death of Sheral Downham, then Natassia might be able to read the girl.

  "We'll proceed with caution here," she said. "I don't want to scare Amanda off. If we can get her to trust us, then maybe she'll share what she knows."

  "Or you could pull the boyfriend card and threaten to tell her mother about that Eric kid."

  Jasi shook her head. "No. These people think very differently. I don't want two kids to get punished for something as innocent as a crush."

  "Seems like there's more than just a crush going on here."

  "Smoking, you mean? Yeah, I smelled it too. But only on Eric." She grabbed his arm. "You can't say anything about that to Christiansen or Hannah."

  "Wasn't planning on it."

  They followed the path back to the cabins, every now and then passing some of the residents. A few smiled, but most turned their backs and ignored them.

  "I'm going to talk to Christiansen," Brandon said.

  "Go ahead. I want to look over the files."

  It wasn't until Jasi was sitting on the bed in their assigned cabin that she realized that Amanda had never answered her question about anyone leaving or missing.

  What exactly do you know, Amanda?

  "We've been summoned to a barbecue tonight," Brandon said when he returned a half hour later. "Apparently Father Jeremiah is holding it in memory of the victim, though he says he has no idea who she may be."

  "How caring of him," Jasi said with derision.

  "And later they're having a sweat lodge, and we're invited to attend."

  She squinted up at him, wondering if he'd forgotten who he was talking to. "Are you kidding me? You want me to sit in a room filled with smoke and get all sweaty?"

  "Well, I do like the latter. And there's no smoke, so you won't have to worry about triggering a vision."

  "How can it be a sweat lodge then?"

  "It's more like a sauna. Christiansen said they use hot stones and water for steam. Supposed to cleanse you of all toxins and free your mind…and all that."

  She gaped at him. "Oh…my…God."

  "What?"

  "You are drinking the damned Kool-Aid!"

  He laughed. "Relax. I simply thought this would give us an opportunity to meet more of his flock. If they see us fitting in, they'll be more inclined to open up."

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips. "Some days you are so darned smart."

  He pouted. "What about the other days?"

  "Let's just say it's a good thing you're incredibly attractive and sexy."

  Brandon playfully swatted her rear end. "Back atcha, babe."

  "Fine, dinner and a sweat lodge. Sounds like fun."

  His eyes narrowed. "Okay, what are you planning?"

  "I think it may be time to mention Sheral's alias, Nancy Davison. We can see what the reaction is, especially with Christiansen and Amanda."

  "What about Ben and Natassia?"

  "They're going to stay out of sight in the van for now. We can bring Natassia in tomorrow. See if she gets anything from Amanda."

  "Ben still hasn't found the bracelet."

  "I know."

  "You think we'll find it?"

  "Either it's an honest mistake and it was sent in with some of the other evidence—"

  "Or someone with an ulterior motive has taken it," he finished.

  "And if that's the case, we may have to do a cabin-to-cabin sweep and search every inch of this place."

  "That could take weeks."

  "We don't have weeks. There's a murderer walking around free. And he or she is either connected to Sanctuary and someone here, or still on the grounds."

  "You think Sheral found something incriminating and that's why she was killed?"

  "Maybe. That's why at dinner I want to pass her photo around. If everyone denies she was here, we'll know they're lying and covering something up."

  "And if someone says they know her?"

  "We'll find out which cabin she stayed in, who she spoke with and who might have had a beef with her. Cameron said Sheral had a recording device with a camera. Since it wasn't found with the body, it has to be around here somewhere."

  "I doubt she kept it in her cabin," Brandon said. "She had roommates."

  Jasi paced the room,
stopping every now and then to stare out one of the windows. "Where would she hide it?" She caught sight of a barn roof. "She wouldn't keep it in any of the buildings. The risk of being caught would've been too great." She gazed beyond the buildings to the dense forest. "Somewhere in the woods or by the river."

  Brandon grunted. "That's a lot of land to cover."

  The trees outside rustled as if in agreement.

  9

  "Whatever you do, Jay, don't drop anything," Natassia said as they walked toward the surveillance van. "Or Ben will have your head on a silver platter. You can't mess with the man's food."

  Jay's arms were loaded down precariously with two piping hot pizza boxes, a tray with two extra-large coffees and a family-sized box of Timbits, but Natassia had to give the kid credit. He didn't say a word as he dodged the potholes. She'd never seen him move so fast.

  She reached for the side door of the van and hauled it open.

  "Put everything inside," she said.

  "Evening, Agent Roberts," Jay said as he set the food on the small table in the back.

  Ben gave a nod, towering over the kid.

  "This is Jay," Natassia said, stepping inside.

  "Agent Jason Anthony, actually," came the quiet reply.

  She gave him a saccharine smile. "I'll call you if we need your services again."

  "Oh," Jay said, shuffling his feet. "I, uh, was hoping I could stay and help out with the investigation." He eyed the pizza boxes as though he hadn't eaten in a week.

  She flicked a look over her shoulder. "We need another body tonight?"

  "Nope," Ben said.

  "You heard the man," she said.

  The look of sheer disappointment on Jay's face made her think of a child getting socks for Christmas instead of the toy train he'd begged Santa for. She almost changed her mind. Almost.

  "Okay then," Jay mumbled. "You have my number?"

  "Yes, Matthew gave it to me earlier." She patted his arm. "Don't worry. I'll call if we need you."

  She hovered in the van's doorway and watched as he strolled to his car and climbed inside. The SUV grumbled when the kid shifted to the wrong gear, then it spit up some rocks and lurched down the road—at the speed of sloth.

  "Seems you made the right decision to do the driving," Ben observed.

  "Let's hope no one gives the kid a gun."

  Sliding the door shut, she sank into a chair at the back of the van and gratefully accepted a cup of coffee. She took a few sips before filling him in on her visit to the morgue.

  "My vision was a bit vague," she said, sighing. "I didn't really get anything new, just confirmation that the victim was shot by a rifle." She told him everything she'd seen.

  "But you did get more, Natassia. We now know for sure she was shot somewhere in the woods and brought back to the incinerator. By an unknown subject, a man. And we know the unsub considered his actions as a bet, a game."

  She looked up. "What?"

  "You said he told her, 'I win, you lose.' Perhaps he found out what she was up to and decided to stop her. Only he enjoyed it a bit too much."

  "I think you're right. It doesn't sound like a random kill."

  "No. He didn't just stumble upon the victim. It sounds…personal, like he knew her. Or spent some time with her. Perhaps at Sanctuary."

  "And he could still be there."

  "That's a definite possibility. If he thinks he's disposed of any traces of his crime, he'd have a false sense of security. Why leave? Sanctuary might be his only home."

  "So we have a sick bastard running loose who hunted her down in cold blood and then burned her alive."

  "I doubt this was his first victim. I'm running background checks on everyone currently living at Sanctuary. RCMP took photos of everyone on the property when the body was discovered. We should have the results in by tomorrow evening."

  "Have you heard from Jasi and Brandon?"

  "Yes. They're staying in one of the cabins."

  "Overnight?"

  "Christiansen persuaded them to stay."

  "The proverbial leader in every way," she said with disdain.

  "Makes sense though. Jasi and Brandon are gaining his trust. And they have free access to the grounds. Christiansen's not hindering the investigation so far."

  "Maybe he's confident they'll find nothing because he's destroyed all the evidence."

  Ben stared at her for a moment. "You really dislike this guy."

  "Years ago, back in Russia, we had many persuasive leaders like Christiansen. Some of them were in government. My country suffered for it. So did my people."

  "I guess there are cults in every country."

  Her lips thinned. "The strong preying on the weak."

  "Tomorrow I'll shake hands with him, gloves off."

  Natassia arched a brow. "Reading him probably won't be easy."

  "Maybe not. But we need to find out what he's hiding." Ben's data-com buzzed. "Jasi?" He listened, mumbled a few indecipherable comments, then hung up. Glancing at Natassia, he said, "I think we drew the short end of the straw."

  "Why?"

  "Jasi and Brandon will be feasting at a barbecue tonight, followed by relaxation in a sweat lodge."

  Natassia's gaze swept across the cramped quarters of the van. "And we're stuck in here."

  "Listening to them eating and sweating."

  "Yeah, we got shafted."

  "On a positive note, they will be working tonight. Jasi plans to show the photo of our missing 'hooker' to everyone at the barbecue."

  "That should spark some interesting dinner conversation."

  "Jasi said Sheral hid a data-com somewhere on the grounds. She thinks it's in the woods."

  She raised her brows. "No one said we have to stay in here all night."

  "What have you got in mind?"

  "There's no better time to search the woods than when everyone at Sanctuary is otherwise engaged. We can take the X-Disc Pro. It's more efficient than the RCMP model."

  Ben reached for the X-Disc and removed it from its wall mount. "Let's go."

  Outside, the sky had brightened and the wind had died down.

  "We have a few hours of daylight left," she said. "Tonight we can process the feed from the X-Disc."

  "Let's hope we find something. We're running out of leads here. We don't want to come up empty."

  The thought left a bad taste in her mouth. Last thing she wanted to tell Jasi was that they'd hit a brick wall. Something had to break in this case soon.

  With a black CFBI pack slung over one shoulder, she followed Ben down the road. After twenty yards, it curved past the gate to Sanctuary and veered off away from the fence. Ben ignored the gate and kept walking.

  "Shouldn't we be inside the fenced area?" she asked.

  Ben studied the land. "No, it would be better if we circle around the fence line outside the property. We can activate the X-Disc and send it inside from there. Plus, the gate is monitored. If we enter, they'll know."

  "Good idea."

  Side by side they trudged through knee-high scrub grass, making their way toward the trees. Every now and then, she glanced toward various outbuildings on the other side of the fence. There was no one in sight.

  "They must be getting ready for dinner," Ben said.

  "As long as Jasi and Brandon aren't on the menu, all is well."

  "They're mindless cult members, not cannibals."

  But Natassia wasn't too sure that was true.

  A few yards from the tree line, Ben drew to a halt. "Since the forest is so profuse up ahead, I'll set it to hover as close to the treetops as possible."

  Opening his pack, he withdrew the X-Disc and set it on the ground. Flicking the activation switch, he used his data-com to program the drone. A minute later, the X-Disc whirred and beeped. They watched as it gradually rose from the ground, navigated a path upward and sped off above the trees.

  "I've set it to alert us if foreign matter is found," he said.

  They approached the backwoo
ds of Sanctuary, the overgrown shrubs and imposing trees growing denser the farther they ventured in. Overhead, a waning sun struggled to reach them, narrow wisps of light filtering in like ethereal fingers caressing their hair. The air had grown cooler. Night would be upon them in a few short hours.

  "You have the flashlights?" Ben asked.

  "Yeah. Hold on a sec." Natassia stopped and set her pack on the ground. Unzipping a side section, she pulled out two small but powerful flashlights and handed him one. "Think we'll find anything?"

  "Let's hope so. Otherwise this will become a lengthy case."

  "And we'll run the risk that the RCMP will want to take over."

  "Yeah, there's that."

  As Natassia trekked on, she swept her flashlight across the forest floor, praying they'd discover something.

  Minutes later, Ben's data-com beeped.

  "The X-Disc has finished scanning inside the grounds."

  "It find anything?"

  Ben shook his head. "Sanctuary appears to be clean. No blood, no bodies. I'll program the X-Disc to continue with a scan back here, all along the fence and a hundred yards out."

  While the drone did its thing, they pushed through the brush, looking for footprints, breakage in the underbrush or anything else suspicious. They stopped once and ate the sandwiches Natassia had procured earlier.

  After nearly an hour of foraging through the woods, Ben's data-com beeped again. "The X-Disc found something. This way!"

  He led her through the trees, following an invisible pathway indicated by the X-Disc's GPS. "Over here!" He pointed to a thick-trunked cedar. "Bullets."

  Natassia rushed over, dropped her pack and retrieved an evidence bag from a side pocket. With tweezers, she cautiously extracted three bullets from the cedar. "Large caliber. My guess? A rifle."

  "There are more," Ben said, a grim expression on his face.

  Within twenty minutes they had recovered over two dozen bullets and twice as many casings. And on one tree they found something else. Blood.

  "This is where it happened," Natassia said. "Sheral died here. I saw it in my vision."

  "I'm not sure this is Sanctuary property," Ben replied. He dialed a number on his data-com. "Hey, Ron, can you check these GPS coordinates and tell me who the property is registered to?"