by Anne Patrick
Jo watched as her sister-in-law gathered her children and left the outing. She pondered the excuse Mariah had given for her husband's behavior. It was spring; one of the best times of the year for construction work.
Slim joined them. "You'd think you two would have grown out of this stage by now."
"I'm sorry we ruined your cookout," Jo said, knowing most everyone there had heard the argument.
"Don't worry about it. It's not a party till there's at least one good fight."
Jo wondered if Billy was still sore from their argument at the restaurant, or if it was something more serious? "Are you aware of any problems Billy and Mariah are having, personal or otherwise?"
"No, none that I can recall. Janice attends the same church as Mariah, I can ask if you want?"
Not wanting to start any rumors she declined his offer. "No, that's okay. Mariah's probably right. He's just under a lot of stress."
"Well there's plenty more grub, so you two better get busy on seconds," Slim said before walking off.
"What did Slim mean about you and your brother? Have you two always fought like this?"
"No. We used to be very close when we were younger."
"What happened to change that?"
"I think he resents the fact that I got my act together in college and made it into medical school when he flunked out. You see I was always the screw up of the family and he was the smart one."
"Billy went to medical school?" Austin asked.
"Two years. He couldn't keep his mind on his studies, though. He's always been somewhat of a lady's man, and if my memory serves me correctly, there aren't too many women around here who turned him down."
"Do you think maybe your parents pressured him into settling down and getting married?"
"Probably. I just imagine as my parents were nearing retirement age they got to thinking about grandkids, and since their prodigal daughter lived on the other side of the country, well, I can only imagine the pressure they must have put on him to fulfill their wishes."
"Tell me something, Jo, I realize the main reason you came here is because it's your job, but are you also hoping to mend your relationship with your family?"
She met his gaze. "The thought had crossed my mind, but so far the reunion isn't turning out quite as I expected. I can't seem to find the nerve to go see my mother."
"I've met your mom, Jo, she doesn't appear all that intimidating."
She shrugged. "Pride, as well as forgiveness, is a tough medicine to swallow sometimes."
"I could go with you if you'd like, for moral support."
"I appreciate the offer, but if or when the time comes, I'll need to do it on my own."
"I understand." He took her hand and guided her to the buffet table. "So what happened in college to put you on the right path?"
She grinned. "Another time maybe."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jo was awakened Monday morning by the annoying ring of the telephone. It seemed as if she'd just gotten to sleep. She glanced at the red neon light of the bedside alarm clock, which read seven o'clock, and realized she wasn't far off in her assumption.
"Jo, its Walt. We've got another body in the woods northeast of town. The sheriff wants you there ASAP."
She gave a heavy sigh, glancing at her packed suitcase lying on the spare bed. "Will you do me a favor, and phone the airlines, and find out what the latest flight out to D.C. is?"
"You're not leaving us, are you?"
"I have to return to Quantico for a few days. I was supposed to fly out this morning." She figured with any luck she could catch a later flight and be there by nightfall.
"Will do," he promised.
Having spent the better part of the night and late into the morning going over the photos and autopsy reports, she knew two or three hours of sleep wasn't going to cut it. With an exhausted sigh, she rubbed her tired eyes, rose from the bed and headed to the shower, praying this body would be the last.
*****
The dismal day matching her mood, Jo didn't bother to dress in her usual blazer and slacks. Instead, she pulled on a white blouse over a pair of blue jeans and slipped on her hip holster. Her navy blue windbreaker with FBI stamped across the back in bright yellow letters completed her outfit.
The dump site had already been secured when Jo got there, and Slim had been quick to inform her that only he and the sheriff had viewed the body after a fisherman found it less than an hour and a half ago. "How far into the woods?" she asked.
"Less than fifty feet. The sheriff and I roped off the scene."
"Is he still with the body?"
He nodded, and she took a deep breath in preparation.
"We had a real gully washer last night so be careful where you step, it's awfully slick," Slim warned before she headed into the woods.
She followed a path that had been roped off and found Austin standing next to what appeared to be their fifth victim positioned against a tree.
"This guy is really starting to get on my nerves," Austin said as he started toward her.
"Not very courteous is he?" She grabbed the rope with a death grip as her feet began to shift in the mud on the descent.
"Be careful, it's slippery."
Jo took his hand and let him guide her further down the path. "I'd forgotten how bad the rains can be here. I'm glad I wore my jeans."
"I didn't think G-men or women were ever caught without their signature suits."
"What can I say? I never was one for rules and regulations. Besides, I hadn't been in bed long when Walt called. I'd stayed up late going over what we have so far."
"Well, we may have caught another break. We got a couple of good foot prints, and our victim has a tattoo and an appendix scar which should help identify her."
Again, the killer had chosen a tree in a clearing of the woods to position the body. Jo glanced down at the area around the headless body and noticed three sets of shoe tracks of varying sizes in the mud. Hopefully one of them belonged to the killer. Not wanting to add to the destruction of possible evidence she kept within several feet of the body.
Austin moved to her side. "Are you picking up anything?"
"No." She knelt for a better view of the body. Its position, the way her hands were turned palms down at her sides, and the string tied to her toes was identical to the others.
"You're not getting anything at all?" he asked, his voice taking on an edge.
"The position of the body is identical to the others."
"That isn't what I was talking about."
"I don't want to get any closer until the body's been photographed and examined for trace evidence."
"Neither of us touched her."
"Good. Who does your casting?"
"Either Pendergrass or Wilson. Why do you think he would take the chance of dumping her here after the rain?"
"I don't know, but the body looks relatively fresh, except for exposure. My guess is she hasn't been here more than eight or nine hours. We may be able to get more from her than the others." No more had she gotten the words out, she heard the arrival of more cars. She sighed in aggravation. "Then again, maybe not."
"What's wrong?" he asked, turning in the direction she'd been looking.
"It's nothing. Forget it," Jo dismissed the idea that had come to mind.
"Look, Jo, it's obvious I'm way out of my league here, so if you have any suggestions as to how I can better handle this case, I want to hear it."
"It's liable to upset a lot of people, including Brad."
"We've got five dead women in a time span of only two and a half weeks. I don't care who I upset, as long as we can put a stop to the killing."
"Okay. I'd like to call in one of our evidence response teams."
"How long will it take to get them here?"
"There's one in Salt Lake City, so three or four hours maybe. We'll have to keep the scene secure until they arrive. No one else should be allowed down here."
Austin sighed as he ran
a hand through his sandy blond hair.
"What do you want to do?"
"Call 'um." He then turned and walked away from her, stopping at the edge of the lake.
She was tempted to remind him to be careful where he walked, but figured she had already overstepped her bounds with him. Instead she turned and made her way back up the hill.
As she approached the top she found Slim visiting with a couple of the younger deputies. She took his arm and pulled him to one side. "Sheriff Garrett and I have decided to call in some additional help from the bureau. We need you to see that no one else is allowed down to the dumpsite."
"What about the medical examiner? Cartwright's due any minute."
"Including him. I'm calling in my request now. An evidence response team should arrive within a few hours. Until then its imperative we keep the site secure."
"Cartwright isn't going to like this, Jo."
"You let me worry about Brad. Just make sure no one is allowed down there until we say otherwise."
"You're the boss."
"No, Sheriff Garrett is. He's only doing this on my recommendation. Please see that his men understand that." Hopefully they wouldn't take their anger out on him. She reached for her cell phone and suddenly realized she'd left it in her motel room.
With a heavy sigh, she started back down the hill.
*****
Austin stared out over the lake, his mind struggling to sort through the events of the past few weeks. During his career, he'd come across some pretty sick individuals, but this one took the prize. It wasn't so much the condition of the bodies that disturbed him as much as his thoroughness in carrying out the crime.
He knew he was doing the right thing by calling in reinforcements, but he also knew a lot of people were going to be upset. He didn't see he had any other choice, though.
Jo joined him at the water's edge. "You okay?"
Austin cleared his throat as he turned to her. "Yeah. Did you get a hold of them?"
"Not yet. I seem to have left my cell phone in my motel room. Can I borrow yours?"
He removed the phone from his shirt pocket and handed it to her.
"I'm going back up. I doubt I'll be able to get out down here. Are you going to be all right?"
"I'm okay."
"If you'd rather I didn't make the call—"
"I want you to make the call, Jo. We have no choice. We have to stop this guy."
She placed her hand on his forearm. "We're going to catch him, Austin. It's just a matter of time."
He covered her hand with his and met her gaze. "I know we will, Jo. Now go make the call."
*****
Jo had barely clicked the phone off when her driver's side door was yanked open. Alarmed, she immediately reached inside her windbreaker for the 9mm strapped to her side.
"What's going on here?"
She turned at the familiar voice and met the glare of Brad Cartwright. Withdrawing her hand from her jacket she grabbed her keys and pushed past him. "Good morning to you, too, Brad."
"Never mind the pleasantries, Jo. Slim tells me the scene has been restricted to only you and Garrett."
She shoved her hands into her pockets and met his glare. "That's right. I'm sorry you had to waste a trip down here."
"What, are you bringing in your own forensic team now?"
"Sheriff Garrett and I both felt it was the wisest thing to do."
"You're sleeping with him, aren't you?"
"Excuse me!" her eyes narrowed as anger grew at his accusation.
"I should have known something was going on between you two. Garrett isn't the type of sheriff to just let the FBI come in and take over his investigation."
"She hasn't taken over anything."
Jo and Brad both turned to see Austin standing only a few feet away from them, and judging from his taunt expression, he'd heard every word of what Brad had said to her.
"And I strongly suggest that you refrain from any further insults to Agent McDaniels," Austin advised, confirming Jo's fears.
"Our decision to call in more help is no reflection on you, Brad," Jo assured, hoping to defuse the situation. "It's just that we don't want to miss anything else."
"I haven't missed anything, Jo. I performed a thorough autopsy on all four of those women."
"Yes, you did, and I'm not questioning that. But according to the lab results I received from our Washington lab, the presence of Pavulon and Dalmane were found in the urine sample I sent."
"Both of those drugs are practically undetectable unless you're looking for them."
"I realize that. Which is why I recommended we call in an evidence response team. They have more experience in cases like this and they have the means and equipment to gather and process the evidence more quickly. We don't want to take any more chances."
"Have you given any thought to how the sheriff's men are going to react to this transgression?" Brad asked, and before she even had a chance to answer, he added, "I should have known your coming back here meant nothing but trouble."
It took every ounce of her restraint not to retaliate. "I'm only doing my job, Brad."
"Yeah right. You may be able to fool the sheriff here, but I know you better than anyone else around here."
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"You haven't changed, Jo. You still need to be the one always running the show."
She stepped forward, her face within inches of his. "If you have a problem with my conduct on this investigation, I suggest you call my supervisor. I'd be more than happy to give you his number."
He silently turned and stomped off.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Austin watched as the black sport utility vehicle, pulling a fourteen-foot trailer, rolled to a stop near the entrance of the forest. A half dozen men and women climbed from the Suburban and went to the back of the trailer, while another, an older, redheaded man approached Jo. They greeted one another with guarded smiles and handshakes, visited for a few seconds then came toward him.
"Sheriff, I'd like you to meet Special Agent Andrew Drake," Jo introduced the man. "Agent Drake is a forensic pathologist out of Salt Lake City."
Austin shook the hand he offered. "Nice to meet you. Thanks for coming."
"Agent McDaniels tells me you're in charge of the investigation?"
"That's right."
"Great, you can fill me in on the logistics on our way down to see the latest victim."
After briefing the agent on the other victims, Austin and his men watched as the team went right to work. While the pathologist worked with the headless corpse, the other agents went about searching the area. Broken branches, pieces of paper, even mud was collected as possible evidence.
"Aren't they amazing," Jo said as she joined them.
Everyone but Slim and Austin quickly disappeared.
"I see I'm not a very popular person right now."
"Did you really expect to be?" Austin asked his tone sharper than intended. He could tell by the look that she tossed him that his words had struck a nerve.
"Put yourself in their position, Jo. How do you think you'd feel?" Slim asked.
"I have been in their position, Slim. I was an investigator with the M.E.'s office, remember? Instead of feeling threatened by them, though, I admired their precision and dedication. But then I don't have the ego that some of these guys do."
"That's arguable," Austin teased, only to regret his actions when she shot him another icy glare. He seemed to be batting zero.
"I believe my experience more than justifies my arrogance."
Austin stared on in mild amusement as she walked off, still mumbling under her breath. He blamed her foul mood on her run-in with Brad earlier and smiled at the mere memory of it.
"She's a real spitfire, ain't she?" Slim was quick to comment.
"Yeah, she is." One he'd love to get to know better.
He thought briefly of the vulnerability he'd seen in her the night she shared her past with him, or when he'd
watched her with the victims. And the compassion he'd seen earlier when she gently touched his arm. He'd known right then and there, her brother was dead wrong about her. She wasn't the cold-hearted woman he described. Jo McDaniels was perhaps the most caring and selfless woman he'd ever met. True she had an edge to her, but what person wouldn't, having seen the things she had.
Two hours later, Austin found Jo in the back of the trailer helping to label some of the evidence collected from the scene. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he offered.
"They'll need to be setting up lights soon if your guys want to give them a hand with the cables and generators." Jo wrote something in the logbook in front of her.
Her confrontation with Brad played again in his mind. The way she got right up in his face. A lot of guys were intimidated by women like Jo. Not Austin. He admired and respected a woman who wasn't afraid to stand up for herself. They made life a lot more interesting. He appreciated Jo's gentle side, as well. Actually, he hadn't found anything he didn't like about her.
Jo turned and looked at him. "Did you hear what I said?"
"I'm sorry?" 'Get a grip, man. Stay focused.'
"As soon as I'm finished here I'm going to run into town for burgers and drinks. I asked if you wanted anything."
"You can get me a Cheeseburger if you want," he said, avoiding her gaze. He'd never had a woman's presence affect him like this.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier."
"I'm sorry, too. Guess, we're all a little on edge around here."
"Well, maybe my news will help to cheer you up." She stepped out of the trailer.
"What news?"
"Your cell phone rang a while ago and I took the liberty of answering it." She gave him a breath-taking smile. "My friend in Washington called to let us know that Jane Doe's one, two and four have been positively identified."
Without thinking, he leaped forward, grabbed her by the waist, and lifted her into his arms.
Jo squealed in surprise as her arms clasped around his neck. "We've an audience," she announced moments later, loosening her grip on his shoulders.