by Stacy Green
A blue tarp stretched from the wobbly stairs to the new dig site, and a second tarp covered the skeleton’s grave. Jeb had told Landers to keep his people off the skeleton’s area, and from the pouting look on Landers’s fat face, Gina backed the coroner up.
Every person at the scene wore booties and latex gloves, and Jeb and Billy had donned blue Tyveck suits that made them look like rejects from the Blue-Man Group.
“How did you people not find this when you were digging up the skeleton?” Landers demanded.
“Because we weren’t digging in that area.” Disdain colored Jeb’s tone. “This body’s buried at least two feet deeper than the skeleton was–and obviously out of our original dig site. I’d bet my ’67 Mustang one doesn’t have anything to do with the other. The skeleton’s old, bones worn away from time and earth. Could have been here before the house was built.” Jeb gestured to the dead arm still sticking out of the ground. “That poor soul was buried here a lot more recently.”
“I agree,” Gina said. “It’s pretty obvious we’re looking at a murder. Let’s get started.”
Inch by inch, the two men carefully sifted through the earth, piling the dirt on a separate section of tarp. A dirt sample would be sent along with the body to the medical examiner’s office in Jackson in hopes of finding trace evidence. The raccoon had torn a pretty good sized hole in the plastic, and Jeb had tried to reseal the tear, but enough decomposition fluid had leaked out to make the smell strong enough to gag a maggot. A yellow-gray substance that was a stinking cross between wax and slick grease had formed over most of the body, and tears in the plastic provided an outlet for the smell and the fluid.
“What is that?” Cage spoke into the elbow he’d pressed against his nose.
“Adipocere,” Billy said. “Forms in damp conditions when the fatty tissues of the body undergo a chemical reaction. Suppose the humidity combined with the plastic is what did it here.”
“We’re not even attempting to unwrap,” Jeb said. “This is out of our league. We’re just liftin’ and shiftin’. The body is going straight to Erin at the state medical examiner’s office.”
Gina and Landers hovered over the bag, taking pictures and trying to stay out of the coroner’s light. “We need to get the body out of here as soon as possible,” Gina said. “Whatever’s left is going to decompose pretty damned quickly.”
With all the dirt removed, the plastic clung tight to the body’s face, revealing the head was at least partially intact.
Billy broke the sickened silence. “I think the plastic still has enough integrity that we might find the body fairly intact. Wish I could work with the medical examiner on this one.”
“Jesus, kid.” Cage coughed and tried not to gag. The smell grew worse by the minute. “What’s wrong with you?”
Billy hung his head. “I’m sorry. It’s awful, don’t get me wrong. But cases like this are the ones you learn from. They can really give you a leg up in the field.”
Landers raked his forearm across his mask-covered mouth and then started to dry heave. “I need air.” He thundered up the steps.
Gina closed her eyes, weaving back and forth on her heels. She shook her head. “Ready to move?”
Jeb jerked a nod and retrieved the body bag. He and Billy positioned themselves at either end, with Cage and Gina standing by in case they needed reinforcements. As Jeb and Billy lifted the body, Cage noticed duct tape around the ankles, torso, and neck. The killer had been smart enough to reinforce the plastic. And the corpse had been buried deep enough for the earth to hide the smell until the raccoon tore into the plastic.
“Christ,” Gina stepped back as the men deposited the body into the bag. Movement had sent a fresh wave of vomit-inducing odor into the humid air. The captain leaned against the wall, her green face dripping with sweat. “Zip it up.”
The contents of Cage’s stomach shot into his throat. He gritted his teeth and leaned forward. He rubbed his eyes, shook his head. Surely the heat and the smell were making him hallucinate.
Gina’s next words shattered that hope. “My God. Is that another one?”
Two bodies were buried beneath Ironwood. And skeletal remains. After the first had been loaded into the van, Jeb and Billy started the process all over again. The muggy night wore on into the pre-dawn hours, and the smell burned itself into Cage’s brain. Just before five a.m., with the dig site widened to encompass the entire earthen section of the basement, the second body was fully exposed. It lay mere feet away from the winter kitchen. Beside it was a third bag of what looked like personal effects. With any luck, closer inspection would result in identifying at least one of the victims.
“Thank God for the winter kitchen,” Gina said. “Otherwise we might be looking at more bodies.”
The second victim was wrapped exactly like the first, and to the naked eye, in a similar condition, leading Gina to estimate the murders happened around the same time.
“So where were they killed?” Gina stood aside as Jeb and Billy maneuvered the second bagged body up the narrow basement stairs. She glanced around the room. “I suppose they could have been killed in the basement and the evidence disposed of. But I don’t get that feeling.”
“Me either,” Cage said. “When I started working here last spring, everything looked pretty much like it did before I found the skull. There was plenty of junk over this area.” He cocked his head toward the winter kitchen. “We piled it all over there to start digging. I didn’t see anything that made me think it was a potential crime scene.”
Landers had returned looking pale and smelling faintly of vomit. “Convenient.”
“Excuse me?” Cage said.
“Let’s just address the elephant right now,” Landers said. “You’re the caretaker. Been living out here alone for more than a year. Church comes out what, once a month? And they don’t inspect the basement, either. And you would have had plenty of time to get this area ready for sale.” His jowls lifted into a cocky smile.
“You’re not seriously saying I’m a legitimate suspect.”
“We need to make sure we check everything out,” Gina said. “Clear you first and move on.”
“What’s the motive?”
“Twisted revenge for your sister’s murder. Way of taking out your anger. Maybe you couldn’t have the Ballard girl, so you found some substitutes.” Landers mean grin stretched wider. “Way you feel about her isn’t exactly a secret.”
Cage moved toward Landers, but Gina quickly stepped between them. “Don’t do something you’ll regret, Cage.”
She kept her hand on his chest. “Insults aside, we have to play this right. And even if I don’t think you’re capable, you are a logical suspect. Can’t afford to make rookie mistakes on this.”
Gritting his teeth, Cage tried not to argue. Gina was right. He looked at the two gaping holes. This was big. No doubt the discovery of the bodies would make headlines across the state. Maybe even national.
“So you need me to leave the scene.”
“Immediately,” she said.
“What about the carriage house?”
“Carriage house has to be searched,” Gina said. “Since Dani is the new owner of all this,” Gina cast a dark glance around the grizzly site, “we’ll need her permission to search the carriage house. She’s already given it for Ironwood, of course.”
“Or we can get a warrant,” Landers said. “If you’ve got something to hide.”
“I don’t have anything to hide,” Cage said. “I’ll break the news to her. Need to get my things, anyway.”
“I’ll come with you,” Gina said. “By the book, Cage.”
In other words, Gina would be shadowing his every move until he left the property.
“Yeah, whatever. Let’s go.”
10
The carriage house was small and quaint–a miniature of Ironwood in much better shape. The main living area was no more than fourteen by twelve, and it blended seamlessly into a kitchenette that was barely big
enough for a table for two. Upstairs was a one-bedroom loft, with the sole bathroom tucked neatly underneath the curled staircase. Although scuffed, the wood floors were refinished and in good condition, as was the woodwork. The transformation from stable to home had been simple and likely inexpensive, but the result was a comfy home.
A well-worn recliner sat in front of the large picture window that faced the main house, and Dani had sat in the chair all night, dozing off for a while only to wake up to see police traipse in and out of Ironwood, setting up lights and crime scene tape, and lugging bags of what she assumed was evidence. Her stomach rolled every time she saw a new bag.
She needed to take a shower. The carriage house was refreshingly cool, with the single window unit enough for the modest space. Dried sweat made her skin feel sticky and her fine hair heavy. Cage had brought her bags in from the main house, and they remained where he’d left them hours ago.
Her legs twitched with the need to be included, to have some control over what was happening inside Ironwood. An hour ago, Billy had rushed out of the mansion to dig something out of the white van. Dani’s stomach flipped. They’d already brought the body out. What else were they doing?
Cage and Regina emerged from Ironwood’s double doors. They walked side by side down the porch, heading for the carriage house.
The sticky hairs on the back of Dani’s neck stood up. Her fingers tingled. Both of the approaching faces were much grimmer than they’d been this afternoon. Things had somehow gotten worse.
Dani covered her mouth when Cage and Gina entered. “Oh God. That’s vile.”
“Sorry,” Cage said. “It’s in our clothes, I guess.”
“Won’t wash out any time soon,” Gina said. “You ought to just throw them out.”
Cage half-shrugged, gnawing on his bottom lip. His eyes never left Dani’s.
“What’s happened?” She asked.
“We found another body,” Cage said.
Dani grabbed the soft arm of the recliner to steady herself. “You what?”
“There are two people buried down there,” Gina said. “If not for what’s left of the winter kitchen, I suspect there might have been more.”
“Who are they? How long have they been there?”
“We don’t know. I’m driving them to Jackson this morning. The deputy state medical examiner is a friend, put this at the top of her priority list. She’s meeting me at the morgue.” Gina looked over at Cage.
He shook his head, the expression on his face sour. “I’m sorry Dani, but you’re not going to be able to stay here for a few days. The carriage house has to be searched.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m a suspect.”
The heavy pressure that had been building in Dani’s head all day threatened to burst. “I’m sorry?”
“Cage has lived on the property for the past year, with minimal supervision,” Gina said. “I don’t believe it, but we have to handle this right. Hopefully time of death will rule him out and we can move on, but until then–”
“I’m out of here,” Cage said. “And they want to search this place. Because after all, this could be the crime scene. Maybe I killed them in the loft and then dragged them all the way to the big house.” His dark eyes matched the anger in his voice.
“Cage, I’m sorry,” Gina said.
“No, I get it. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” He finally met Dani’s gaze again. “If you want, I can take you with me. To my friend’s. She’s got a big, new place. Well, it’s not new. New to her.”
“He’s talking about Magnolia House. Cage’s friend inherited it and is turning it into a bed and breakfast. She’s got the space.”
“Magnolia House?” Dani repeated. “It’s on the National Registrar of Historic Places. One of Roselea’s oldest antebellums.”
“Of course you’ve heard of it,” Cage said. “Anyway, if you want, I can take you. Or there is Annabelle’s–”
“Magnolia House would be fine, thank you.”
“Right,” Cage said. “Well, we need to get out of here and let Gina do her thing. I’ve just got to pack a bag.” He headed up the stairs with Gina following. Dani wondered why and then realization hit her: Gina was making sure Cage wasn’t covering up evidence.
Did she really think he could have killed two people and buried them below Ironwood?
A chill slithered down her spine and spiderwebbed across her body. Dani hugged herself and then immediately felt foolish. If Cage were the killer, he’d have dug up the bodies as soon as he heard Ironwood had been sold. And he certainly wouldn’t have called the police when he found the skull’s burial ground if he’d killed two people. Then again, he’d been with the electrician. Hadn’t exactly had a choice.
He and Gina came back downstairs. Cage had a heavy, green duffle bag slung over his shoulder. “They’ll search the carriage house as soon as possible,” he said. “Hopefully you can come back in a day or two.”
Dani picked up one of her own bags, and Cage grabbed the other.
“What about Ironwood? How long is the house off limits?”
“Hard to say,” Gina said. “We’ve got to search every inch of the place. Which reminds me–we need the keys to the locked rooms. Has the church given them to you?”
“No,” Dani said. “But I’m supposed to pick them up today.”
“Do that. And then bring them out here. I’ll still be in Jackson, but you can give them to Landers.”
Dani tried not to make a face. “Whatever you say.”
Cage turned over the carriage house to Gina, and Dani followed him outside. His back was rigid, his broad shoulders stiff. His grip on Dani’s bag was so tight his knuckles were white. He stopped at her car and whipped around to face her.
Dani stopped short, nearly running into his chest. She stepped back. “Sorry.”
Dawn crept over the eastern horizon, turning the night sky into shades of deep purple and emerging pink. In the meager light, Dani could see the tense set of his jaw.
“It would be easier if you rode with me. But I understand if you don’t want to.”
“I don’t mind. But I need my car. To head to the church later.”
“Right.” He moved towards the rental, his long strides too much for Dani to match. She jogged to catch up with him.
“Hey.” She caught him by the elbow and tugged hard. He probably outweighed her by ninety pounds, but Cage stopped.
“What?”
“I don’t think you’re a suspect, you know.”
“Why not? After all, it is the logical thing.” A muscle in his jaw twitched, his chin jutting out. The worry lines in his forehead betrayed his stress.
“Come on.” Dani stared up at him in the moonlight. “You’re a cop. Do I really have to point out the obvious?”
“Enlighten me.”
“Well, unless you’re a moron, if you were the killer, first thing you would have done when you heard I bought Ironwood was move the bodies. And unless you’re really mentally challenged–or a bored psychopath–you wouldn’t have called the police when you found the skull. You’d have found a way to convince the electrician you’d handle it.”
Cage leaned down so that their faces were merely inches apart. “What if I am a psychopath instead of a good old Southern boy?”
Her heart shuddered, but not from fear. His eyes shined, his tenor voice husky with sarcasm. She swallowed, trying to find words.
“After all, Landers seemed to think I might have killed those two people.”
“Landers is a toe-rag.”
Cage’s laughter broke the tension. He stood up straight, running his free hand through his hair. “That’s true.”
“And Gina’s just doing her job,” Dani said. “So you follow the rules, and soon as they give you the go-ahead, you’re right back in the game.”
“The game?”
“Taking care of my house, of course. Landers is going to be bumbling around in Ironwood with no supervision.” She felt ill. �
��Just think about all the damage he’ll do.”
“Aren’t you going to be working for the historical society?” Cage asked.
“Yeah. Start next month. Why?”
She nodded, still confused.
“Have Lee talk to Gina. I know he wants to get Ironwood on the National Historic Register, which means every original piece of the house counts. See if he can convince Gina to let one of you come on as an official preservation expert, some sort of independent contractor. Might have to do it pro bono, but at least Ironwood would be protected.”
Dani felt like an idiot yet again. The Mississippi humidity was screwing with her brain. “I knew that.”
“Sure you did.” Cage stopped at her rental. “Only takes about ten minutes to get to Magnolia House. Try and keep up.”
11
Cage drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, the beat matching his rapid pulse. Guided by police experience, his practical side understood why he needed to be ruled out as a suspect. The less rational side of his brain seethed.
Five years he’d been a deputy with Adams County. His record was stellar. He’d grown up here, been a high school athletic standout, knew everyone in town. His being a suspect was no more than a waste of time. But Landers was a hardheaded bastard. He’d milk the idea bone-dry.
Headlights shined in his rearview mirror. Dani. She had known him all of a day. She should be avoiding him, not following him on a dark road in an unfamiliar town. Didn’t she have any survival skills? Growing up in a city like Indianapolis ought to have taught her something.
Still, he was grateful to have her trust. The idea of her looking at him like he was a killer didn’t sit well. In fact, it made his stomach turn. He just wasn’t sure why.
Turning onto Rosaire Drive, Cage drove past Evaline sitting high on the hill. The full moon was so bright, the top of the massive house was easily seen. Dani was probably craning her neck to get a better view. The town’s oldest pre-Civil war home, Evaline was beautifully restored and a mecca for tourists. Two months ago, a scandal at the mansion changed his friend Jaymee’s life. After the dust settled, Jaymee inherited one of the town’s other flagship antebellum homes, Magnolia House. He didn’t want to discuss the circumstances with Dani and hoped she didn’t ask.