by C. M. Sutter
“Looks like gang tats too. We’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.” Jack pointed to the arms and what was left of the man’s neck.
I stood and elbowed him in the ribs but had to agree. “Yeah, I saw the tats too. He’s likely from the city.” I looked toward Doug. “Did you find his ID?”
Doug was a large man, around six feet tall and husky. He wore his blond hair cropped short. At forty-three, he had been our county ME for longer than I could remember. Jason was fairly new. He started working with Doug a year ago. He was a nice guy, newly married and thirty-two. He had short brown hair and wore stylish tortoiseshell glasses. Jason was friendly, ambitious, and easy to like.
Doug turned his head and looked up at me. “Well, that’s going to be a problem, Sergeant. There wasn’t a cell phone or wallet in his pockets. We’ll pull his prints once we get him on the table.”
I thought out loud. “So possibly robbery and murder? The injury seems too extreme for that. What’s in the baggie next to the body?”
“Forensics will check it out, but I pulled it from his front left pocket when I was searching for identification. Not much left of whatever it was. I’m guessing some pills that dissolved in the water.”
“Anything else?”
“Yeah, his mouth was full of lake scum, and he had a dime in his pocket.”
“That’s it—one dime?”
Doug nodded. “Yep, just a dime.”
Jack glanced around our immediate area. “Who would even know of this lake if they didn’t live near here?”
“Good question, partner. What happened to the guys that called it in?” I asked.
Jason jerked his head to the left. “They’re over by the boat launch with Detective Clayton. The lieutenant sent him out along with a handful of deputies this morning before you two got in. They’re just a couple of retired guys looking to catch some bass this morning but found this guy instead. It’s a real shame.”
“Can we get a rough estimate of TOD?”
Doug swatted a fly away. “Hard to say. Rigor is just setting in. Being submerged in water makes a difference, Sergeant. I’ll know more after I get him on the table. If you want a rough estimate”—Doug pulled up his sleeve and glanced at his watch—“I’d say he’s been dead for six hours, maybe more.”
I buried my cold, wet hands in my pockets. “Okay, let’s keep moving. Has Kyle or Dan checked for footprints or tire tracks yet?”
“Kyle’s working on it. Once he clears the path, Jason can pull the van in, and we’ll get this guy loaded up,” Doug said.
Jack and I backtracked to where Kyle and Dan were taking pictures of the area and looking for tread marks on the path.
Kyle saw us approaching. “You’re good to go, guys. No tire marks or shoeprints in the gravel that we can see. We’ll keep looking for evidence in the brush and weeds too. I’m sure most of us will be out here all morning.”
Something was on my mind that I needed to ask Kyle. “One quick question before we go. Why don’t you think there were footprints leading to the site? It’s been raining, and the ground is soft.”
“There’s a lot of ways to enter this lake. My guess would be the perp walked through the shallow water with the body. He could have entered the lake anywhere and stayed along the shoreline. It depends on when the body was dumped too.”
“Meaning?”
“I don’t think it started raining until early this morning. We’ve got Donnelly, Silver, Ebert, and Lawrence searching everything that is cordoned off. They’ll do a thorough job.”
“Okay, thanks. We’re going to talk to the eyewitnesses now.” I pulled the hood of my rain jacket up as we walked to the boat launch. The mist was heavy enough to instantly turn my smooth black hair into frizz. “I’m going to give Clark a heads-up. What we found wasn’t the norm in this neck of the woods.” I dialed the lieutenant as we walked and turned left at the end of the gravel road. The boat launch with a small restaurant lay straight ahead. I noticed the lights were on in the restaurant, and a green neon Open sign hung slightly tilted from the window. “Hey, Lieutenant, I’m just calling to give you the initial update.”
“Go ahead, Jade. What have we got besides what Kyle told me earlier?”
“It certainly isn’t the typical drowning, but somehow I think you knew that. We have an African American male whose head was almost severed. That doesn’t fit the neighborhood, and I doubt if he lived around here.” I wiped my wet forehead. “We saw gang tats on the visible parts of his body too, and there could be more. I think we should keep the actual cause of death off the media’s radar, at least for now. In this quiet, upscale neighborhood, the residents will go into a tizzy if those details get out. There wasn’t a wallet or cell phone on the body either.”
“That creates a problem.”
“The only thing we can hope for is fingerprints, if he’s in the system.”
“Okay, so the witnesses?”
“Jack and I are walking up to them as we speak. I’ll catch up with you later, Lieutenant.” I hung up, put my phone on vibrate, and zipped it into my jacket pocket as we introduced ourselves to the two older men talking to Clayton.
Chad Clayton was another daytime detective that was usually partnered with Adam Billings, but Billings had stayed back to handle things in the bull pen.
Clayton had dark blond hair and a neatly trimmed mustache. He could use a little more time at the gym, but all in all, he was a great guy. He had been with the sheriff’s department for nine years and was a happily married man. His eleven-year-old twins, Megan and Matt, were his pride and joy.
“Clayton.” I nodded in his direction. “Gentlemen.” I extended my hand, and Jack did the same. “We’re investigators with the sheriff’s department. I’m Sergeant Jade Monroe”—I pointed to Jack—“and this is my partner, Detective Jack Steele.”
The men introduced themselves as Bob Shultz and Leo Moroni. They both appeared to be a little shaken. They looked to be in their late sixties and the type of guys who lived the comfortable, retired lifestyle. Abruptly, their idyllic fishing excursion that morning had turned into something not easily forgotten. I gave them each the once-over after the initial introductions. Bob was short and pudgy, with chafed, windburned cheeks and short white hair. His plaid shirt and fishing hat reminded me of the typical Wisconsin retiree. I assumed Leo was Italian because of his last name, Moroni. He had a large nose, dark eyes, and olive skin. The hairline at his temples showed a tint of gray, but most of his hair was still wavy and a beautiful shade of black.
“How about we grab a coffee inside where it’s dry? I’m sure we could all use a cup about now.” I smiled to put them at ease. “We have the usual questions to go over with you. I hope we can wrap this up within a half hour or so and let you get on with your day.”
We entered the warm, cozy restaurant. A long lunch counter was directly ahead of us with ten stools against it. A few were occupied. Five tables were scattered throughout the room, and four booths lined the wall. I motioned toward a booth. Jack and I took one side and faced Bob and Leo on the other. A waitress approached with a welcoming smile, apparently unaware of what had taken place just across the lake from the restaurant. We ordered a carafe of coffee, and I began the questions. Jack pulled out his notepad and pen.
“What time did you gentlemen get out here this morning?” I asked.
Bob looked at Leo and shrugged. “About six thirty. Right, Leo?”
“Yeah. We launched the boat right as the sun cleared the tree line around the lake. It clouded up almost immediately and started misting. I’m thinking we fished for forty-five minutes or so before we discovered the body.”
“And can you explain that to me?” I asked.
“Well, ma’am, I cast close to shore.” Bob rubbed his forehead, took a sip of coffee, then continued, “That’s where the bass usually hit. Lines tend to get tangled in the weeds in the shallow water, you know.”
I nodded.
“We rowed in closer so I could pu
ll my lure out of the weeds. That’s when we saw him. I swear we almost capsized the boat. I’ve never seen a sight like that, not even in Nam.”
“I’m sure you haven’t, Bob. Did either of you touch the body?”
“No, ma’am,” Leo said. He shook his head. “I’ll admit, I upchucked right there in the water.”
I frowned at his distress. “I understand.”
Jack filled each cup with more of the hot brew and continued with his notes.
“Was there anything besides the obvious neck wound that stood out? Can you think of something that our officers wouldn’t have noticed from your point of view, being on the water side of the scene?”
Leo added as he scratched his chin, “I’m sure he was placed there. Bodies don’t float across a lake and put themselves halfway up on dry land. The man was in the water up to his chest, but his shoulders and what was left of his head were on the bank. It appeared like he was dumped there. There’s no vehicle unaccounted for near the boat launch. The guy didn’t drive himself here in that condition and throw himself in the lake.”
I paused, waiting for Jack to catch up with his notes. “Good point, Leo. Do you two fish here often?”
Bob answered, “Yep, several times a week. There’s nobody that knows this lake like we do. Only guys fishing for bass go back near that shoreline. It’s too easy to lose your bait. This is a large lake, and we know the prime spots. There aren’t a lot of people that go back to the holes we fish at.”
“Okay. I think that’s all we need for now. We appreciate your help. Please call us if either of you think of something else, no matter how trivial it might seem. If you wouldn’t mind, we’d like to keep the gruesome details quiet. I’d hate to have this incident start a countywide panic.” I gave the waitress a ten and told her to keep the change.
Jack wrote down their full names, phone numbers, and addresses. We stood, gave them our cards, shook their hands, and left.
“What do you think?” Jack asked as we walked back to the scene.
“I think this entire area needs a thorough going-over, even beyond the police tape. I’m going to talk to Kyle some more.”
The coroner’s van was backed to the water’s edge. Doug and Jason zipped the young man into a body bag, placed him on a backboard, and carried him to the van.
“Kyle, got a minute?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Do you really think this was the actual dump site? There’s no way the guy floated along the bank to this spot?”
“I doubt it. His body was partially on the shore, which doesn’t happen naturally when one drowns. I’m pretty certain this was the site. We’ve searched for trampled grass and any evidence that a body was dragged to the water, but everything looks normal. The grass is too short to fold over, but the deputies will keep looking. Lieutenant Clark told them to stay out here all day.”
I remembered Leo’s statement being almost verbatim to what Kyle had just said. “Would it be possible for somebody to carry a body from the road? It’s a quarter mile back to the water.”
“He’d have to be big and strong, but it’s certainly doable. Like I said before, he could have entered anywhere along the lake and walked the shoreline. Keep in mind, Jade, that there are numerous short streets that take you to the cottages along the lake. The killer could have parked anywhere, not just at the main road.”
“Yeah, I know, just thinking out loud. How long before we can print the body?”
“We’ll do that first when we get back to the station. I’ll give you a call if we get a hit.”
“Thanks, Kyle. Jack and I are going to knock on a few doors around the lake. Maybe somebody saw a car parked out here last night. We’ll catch up with you at the station later.”
Chapter 3
We spoke to four homeowners on the west side of the lake and five from the area nearest where the body was found. Six other homes looked to be weekend retreats or rental cottages. We saw no signs of anyone at those residences. The curtains were drawn, and the driveways were void of cars, boats, or Jet Skis. We kept our conversations short and vague, hoping somebody had information for us, but nobody did. Not one person had seen an unfamiliar car, or any car for that matter, parked along the road or in the parking lot of the boat launch last night. We thanked the people we spoke to and left.
“Three hours of asking questions and we have zilch,” I grumbled as we climbed back into the car and headed out. “In all honesty, I wasn’t expecting much given the remote area and likelihood of this being a late-night dump. I guess hoping for anyone that could ID an unfamiliar car was wishful thinking on my part considering how dark it must be out here at night.”
Jack wiped his forehead with his wet jacket sleeve. “Remind me to carry a few towels when we go door to door in this kind of weather.”
I nodded.
“Anyway, I bet a good number of these folks turn in right after the ten o’clock news. Still, it seems like the perp would have to be familiar with the area. It isn’t like there’s a sign advertising Cedar Lake off the interstate, you know,” Jack said.
I looked out the car window as Jack drove back toward town. Around us were neat, clean houses sprinkled a half mile apart with a lot of farm fields in between. Parents raised their kids there. School buses picked up those same youngsters at the end of the driveway. Violent crime was uncommon in Washburn County. North Bend, the largest city in the immediate area—and the county seat—was still considered primarily a rural, folksy town. Maybe that was what the killer was counting on.
We drove in silence for a few minutes. Different scenarios popped in and out of my mind, and I felt a headache coming on. My temples began to pound.
“Are there any aspirin in the car?” I opened the glove box and began a fruitless search.
“Doubt it.”
I groaned and rubbed my damp head. “Does Doug seem off to you lately?”
“You mean more than usual? Like how exactly?” Jack glanced in my direction, his right eyebrow raised.
“I can’t put my finger on it, just more matter-of-fact, I guess, and since when does he call me Sergeant instead of Jade?”
“Yeah, that’s a recent change, but you were just promoted.”
“I think he’s still humiliated that I turned down his dinner invitation. I mean, for God’s sake, two days after Lance moved out, he asked me on a date. I’m so over men… nothing personal.”
Jack laughed. “I’m not taking it personally, but now that you mention it, you could be right. Don’t forget, it was his wife who climbed the corporate ladder and divorced him. Doug makes good money, but Linda’s income dwarfed his. I think he was actually envious of her, then she moved on without him. I bet he thought he’d have a shot with you.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I don’t think so. According to what everyone said, Doug and Linda weren’t the best match anyway.”
“Right, but maybe he feels you knocked him down a few pegs by dismissing his dinner invite.”
I gave Jack a stare. “Coworkers shouldn’t fraternize anyway. I just wish he’d go back to calling me Jade like he used to.”
“You might be overthinking this, partner. Doug’s an all-right guy. He’s probably getting tired of the daily grind.”
“But he’s been the ME forever.”
“Exactly. Speaking of Lance, how’s it going with him anyway?”
I smirked. “Were we?”
“His name came up ten minutes ago. Anyway, what’s going on with him?”
“He drives me nuts. He calls or texts almost daily to see if I’ve set up an appointment with a Realtor yet. He can’t wait to get the house sold so he has his half of the money. I’m sure his little girlfriend is anxious for him to propose so they can start a family. He’s a pain in my butt.”
“You still sound bitter.”
I jerked my head to the left and stared at Jack again. “Seriously? Our divorce was just finalized two months ago. I actually thought I was going to be married to that man fo
r life. I think I’m allowed to be bitter, at least for a few more months. There isn’t a handbook for the way to feel after a betrayal, you know.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to be insensitive.”
“I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to bite your head off. How’s the Internet dating going? Find any hot babes yet?” I laughed when I noticed Jack blush.
“It’s going…very slowly.” He shrugged. “I never knew how much people exaggerate until after I met a few gals. They say they’re single yet somehow forget to mention they have four kids under the age of ten.” He shook his head and smirked. “So far, I’ve struck out in the romance department. For now, the online dating is getting shelved. It looks like we might be busy with this case anyway.”
“You’ll find the right girl when you least expect it. So the saying goes.”
I gave Jack a thoughtful gaze. At thirty-five, he was a handsome man and a really good friend. Short, nicely styled black hair and dark eyes mixed with that dimpled grin made him more than appealing. His muscular body and six-foot frame always made me feel safe in his presence. I was thankful to have Jack as my partner. He had two fun-loving brothers and really sweet parents. We knew each other’s families well, as close as we were. Someday, he’d make a good husband for a lucky lady.
We turned left onto Schmidt Road and pulled into the sheriff’s department parking lot. Jack killed the engine, and we exited the car. The sheriff’s department was located in a tan stucco building. Located on the east side of the city, our part of the government complex included the sheriff’s department, jail, morgue, ME’s office, forensics lab, and the technical department. The impound lot sat within a chain-link fence behind our building. The large county courthouse with all the annexes faced south on Washington Street.
We shook out our wet jackets as we entered the vestibule through the heavy glass double doors. We hung them on the few available hooks just beyond the front reception counter. The glassed-off dispatch area was directly behind that, with a security door leading to the bull pen and our lieutenant’s office. Anyone wanting to visit inmates would sign in at reception and be taken down a hallway to the right and up a flight of stairs to the jail. A visitation room resembling a cafeteria was available for inmates and their guests to spend an hour at a time together, twice a week. Turning left from the reception counter led down a narrow hallway to the stairs. Pictures of previous sheriffs going back to 1922 lined the walls on either side of the hallway. The ME’s office, morgue, crime lab, and tech department were located on the lower level of the building.