by Geri Foster
He glanced up at the telephone wire. “I’m wondering if it would be beneficial to put a camera up there that lets us know if he returns. You know killers often do.”
Mia shook her head. “Could be a waste of time and effort. He knows we’ve already found this place. He isn’t about to show his face around here again.” She glanced toward the road. “He might drive by to get a trill, but he isn’t bringing another victim back to this location.”
“You’re absolutely right. He won’t come back here again. It’s amazing the body was found so soon after the murder.” Mia glanced up at him. “Don’t you think so? It took years to find his other burial site.”
Lincoln ran his fingers through his hair, trying to get into the mind of the killer, but he simply couldn’t. He tried reasoning it out. “Wasn’t this awfully careless? Wasn’t he afraid of being seen? Did he have help?” He touched her shoulder and she looked away. “He’s seriously changed his MO, hasn’t he?”
“Yes and no,” she replied softly. “It could be he’s been forced to move because we found his old burial grounds. He’s no doubt shocked we discovered the girl’s body so quickly.” She stared into the distance. “Like you said, it took years to find the old site. He’s not going to be as comfortable changing his routine and looking for a new disposal place.”
Lincoln jammed his hands on his hips, the cold blistering his face. “Any chance this is a copy-cat?”
She shook her head. “Not according to the ME. Same MO exactly. Even things we didn’t release had his signature all over it. Things like anal sex was always involved but never publicized.”
He blew out a tired breath. “It’s already frustrating, isn’t it?”
“Not to me,” she said confidently. “I’ve been waiting twenty years for this asshole to show up, and now that he’s back, I’m going to arrest him before he gets wind of us and crawls back under a rock.”
“Good thinking.” Lincoln’s voice matched her bravado. “I think the quicker we solve this case, the better.”
“Do you have a camera?” she asked.
Wrinkling his brow in confusion, Lincoln said, “Yeah, in the glove compartment, but there are several shots of the crime scene being sent to us right now.”
“I want pictures of what he saw when he came out here.”
Lincoln dashed to the car, anxious to get out of the biting cold. He came back with the camera and handed it to Mia. She took shots of the surrounding area, not stopping until she’d snapped at least fifteen pictures.
Lincoln blew into his cold hands. “I hope they reveal something.”
“They could be a complete waste of time, but I want to know what he saw. In his old burial ground, if you noticed, all the bodies were pointed East, but this body faced West. I wonder if it’s something he saw, or something he wanted the corpse to see.”
“You get creepier by the minute, Mia. Getting into the heads of these guys must give you nightmares.”
She turned to him with a stern expression. “It does, but it’s my job. You might be surprised what you can learn by interviewing a serial killer.”
Lincoln shook his head. “I don’t think I need to go that far. I just want the bad guys behind bars.”
“I have to know what causes them to kill. How they felt doing it, and what symbolisms it represents.”
Lincoln threw up his hands. “Too deep for me. I’m a simple kind of guy. I believe people break the law because of money, power, revenge, or sex. Those are the four biggest motivators.”
“Then why did this man kill all these girls?”
“My guess is power. He wanted to be in control and, like you said, children are easy to manipulate.”
“When we catch him, we’ll have to ask him. He might have something interesting to say,” Mia said assuredly.
“For now, let’s head back. I want to stop by and talk to Lucas Quinn.” They got in the car and he started the engine.
Mia glanced out the side window. “Gosh. We were just children.”
“Well, he’s all grown up and the Police Chief of Rainwater.”
Mia turned to him. “A police chief in a little place like that?”
Lincoln knew some people found that hard to believe, but the people of Rainwater believed in having a strong law enforcement department. Promoting Lucas to chief did just that. “It’s grown a lot since you left.”
“I noticed very little when I drove in last night because it was dark. This morning, all I wanted was coffee. I didn’t see much until I got to the bottom of the cup.”
“Lucas has offered to compile what he has on the case from the last sheriff.”
“Isn’t all that in the report?” Mia asked, her dark brows lifted. “That should’ve been turned over to the FBI.”
“I think most of it was, but the last sheriff had a bad relationship with the FBI, so Lucas prowled around until he found Sheriff Townson’s old notes.”
When they arrived at the police station, Lincoln put his hand lightly on Mia’s back and steered her up the stairs.
They entered the office and David met them at the door. “Hey, buddy. Where you off to?” Lincoln asked, grinning. “To check on your girls?”
David nodded. “You bet your ass I am.”
Lincoln put out his hand to stop him. “David, do you remember Mia Alverez? Her sister, Anita, was one of the Wise County Child Killer’s victims. She an FBI profiler now. The one Austin told us about.” He took her arm and pulled her closer. “She’s going to be working with us on the case.”
David narrowed his left eye suspiciously. “You one of those behavioral shrinks?”
Mia grinned daringly. “Yes, sir. That’s me all right.”
David’s face broke into a smile. “Good. I want us using every tool we have available until this guy is locked up behind bars or dead. Preferably dead.”
David and Mia shook hands, and Lincoln felt satisfied that his new partner would fit right in. He was glad David accepted Mia and her help. He wanted them all working together because that would up their odds of catching the guy.
They waved goodbye to David, and Lincoln asked Margaret, the police chief’s secretary, if Lucas had time to see them.
“How is Debbie working out?” Margaret asked. “I have my doubts about her.”
“She’s doing just fine as far as I can tell,” Lincoln replied with a positive nod. “Does everything she’s asked to do and more.”
Margaret crossed her arms and frowned. “Then you all need to take up a collection and buy her a darn dress. She looks like she just came in off the farm.”
Mia looked down at herself and shrugged. “I’m a comfort kind of gal, myself. I never know where a case will lead me. Dresses, high heels, and jewelry only get in the way.”
Margaret, seeing she wasn’t getting the response she wanted, nodded for them to go to Lucas’s office. Lincoln tapped once on the door then entered.
“Hi, Lucas. I wanted to bring Mia Alverez by and introduce you. As Austin said, she’s going to be working with us on the Wise County Child Killer.”
Lucas stood and held out his hand. “You the Mia I was in the second grade with?”
She smiled. “That was me, missing my two front teeth and all.”
“Have a seat,” he offered. “We’re glad to have your assistance.”
They all sat while Lucas took out a brown pocket expandable file that had seen better days. Lincoln wondered what mysteries that held.
* * *
Mia couldn’t believe she was actually reliving her childhood school days with Lucas Quinn. She had had the biggest crush on him as a kid. Of course, he never knew about her feelings and she planned to keep it that way. Even now, twenty years later, she wasn’t in the mood for a confessional.
Lucas took out everything in the expandable file and spread it out on his desk. “This is the stuff Townson kept for our office. He turned most of it over to the FBI, but he wanted to keep some for his own records.”
“The pictur
es are copies?” she asked, dread filling her chest. Catching this killer meant everyone had to work together.
“Yes. I checked. There’s nothing original in here. These are Townson’s extra notes on his own investigation.”
They separated the notes, the pictures, and the reports that came back from the ME and FBI.
“I have to ask.” Lucas paused with his hand on top of the file. “This isn’t a copy-cat, is it?”
Mia shook her head. “Not from where we’re standing. There were a couple of things never released to the press about the case. Those facts proved to us that the same person who killed the other girls twenty years ago committed this crime as well.”
“Hmm.” Lucas rubbed his chin. “I was hoping he was lying dead somewhere.”
“We all did,” Lincoln assured Lucas. “We’re just not that lucky, I guess.”
“I hope we find him.” Lucas shook his head and shoved his chair back a little. “I sent a warning to the schools today to notify parents. My phone has been ringing off the hook since then.”
“I can imagine,” Mia said. She knew once the citizens heard the Wise County Child Killer was back to his old habits, fear would settle in over the town. “People get really scared when you talk about their kids getting hurt.”
Lucas sat up straight. “Well, today is different. Parents don’t let kids run around like our parents used to. I remember as long as I came in by supper, I was good.”
Mia nibbled her bottom lip. “The world used to be a lot safer back then, and parents didn’t have to worry so much. Or maybe it’s the media. There’s nothing that happens today that doesn’t end up on Facebook or Google.”
“Agreed,” Lucas said. “And I’m hoping that will work to our advantage this time. If people know danger is out there and they keep their cell phones handy, maybe we can make real progress now.”
Lincoln looked at the evidence on Lucas’s desk. “Were you able to find anything in that file that we don’t already know?”
“I did learn something I don’t think we knew before. Mia, you were supposed to pick your sister up from school, right?”
Pain, hot and shattering, shot through her body like a busted dam. She struggled to answer. “Yes. Right outside the front door.”
“We had a citizen sign an affidavit saying he saw Anita walking toward home. So, she couldn’t have been abducted at the school yard.”
Stunned at the new revelation, Mia said, “That’s news to me, but it doesn’t make a lot of difference.”
“It did to Sheriff Townson. He had a fit because he thought none of the teachers were keeping an eye on the kids after school. Teachers rotated staying late to keep an eye on the playground for the children’s safety. He didn’t think that procedure had been followed. When Henry Monroe claimed he didn’t see Anita near the school, no one believed him, and he almost lost his job until someone came forward.”
“I see,” Lincoln said, his brows wrinkled. “So, where was she?”
“Near the fire station. So, technically, she was only a few blocks from home when she was taken.”
So close and yet so far, Mia thought, her heart breaking all over again. If only Anita had stayed at school, perhaps Mr. Monroe would’ve called her parents to pick her up. No doubt Mia would have been in trouble, but Anita might still be alive if things had worked out differently.
“I’m surprised Theo Anderson didn’t notice something.” Lincoln straightened in his chair. “He’s was a pretty sharp fire chief.”
“Thank about it,” Lucas advised. “Back then, it wasn’t unusual to see a child walking home from school alone.”
Mia swallowed hard. “You’re right, but the abductor had to have been pretty crafty to get her between the fire station and home.”
Lucas shook his head in disgust. “Sometimes the bad guys get lucky.”
“I guess so.” Mia placed her trembling hand on her forehead. “I just wish it hadn’t happened.”
“We all do,” Lucas said, his face sad and apologetic. “But if it hadn’t been Anita, I’m sure the killer would’ve picked up another little girl in Rainwater. He was on a hunting expedition. He wanted prey and he probably wouldn’t have stopped until he found someone.”
“You’re right, of course.” Mia uncurled her frame. “I guess my family drew the short straw.”
Lucas stared at her, his gaze unflinching. “The town did launch a huge search and rescue effort. They combed every inch of this town and all the surrounding areas. It was Anita’s body that led us to the burial site. Had we not been so diligent, that dreadful place might not have ever been found.”
“We also think Anita’s discovery so soon after her abduction is the reason the perp decided to leave the area,” Lincoln added.
Lucas nodded. “And when that happened, we searched every house to see if anyone left town. Sheriff Townson wanted that killer bad. No sheriff likes to think a murderer can stroll into his town, kill a child, and get away with it. I damn sure won’t tolerate it.”
Lincoln stood and Mia followed his lead. “We’re going to go to Ft. Worth and visit with the ME. Mia has already questioned her, but I want to see for myself. One never knows.”
“Okay, keep me posted. Just so you know, I’ve put on two extra deputies just to patrol the neighborhoods.”
Lincoln winked. “Good idea.”
Outside the station, Mia said, “He’s changed a lot since grade school. He’s a lot taller.”
Lincoln chuckled. “We all are. I remember when you lost your front teeth. Made you cute as a button.”
She deliberately gave him a deadpan look. “Is that why you teased me so much?”
“I teased you because I liked you.”
Mia rolled her eyes. “Little boys sure are strange.”
“We don’t change a lot after we grow up, either.”
They both laughed.
On the way to Ft. Worth, they stopped at a local barbecue restaurant to grab lunch. They carried their trays to a picnic table with a plastic red and white checkered tablecloth over it and sat across from each other while they ate.
Mia took a sip on her straw. “Isn’t it strange to you that not a single person was ever brought in for questioning?”
“I noticed that too. And yes, it concerns me, but you can’t go around harassing people, either.”
“But we both know this guy operated within a five-mile radius. Doesn’t that tell you he lives around here?”
Lincoln swallowed and then picked up his paper cup of iced tea. “No, it doesn’t. If I were a serial killer, or any kind of criminal, I’d go far away from where I lived to do my dirty work.”
Mia blinked several times. “But you don’t think like someone who breaks the law. Usually crimes are a matter of convenience and opportunity. People like to stay where they’re familiar with the area in case they have to run or hide.”
Lincoln took a scoop of his potato salad and held it to his mouth. “That also leaves them open for someone to recognize them.”
“True, but in my gut, I’ve always thought the man who killed Anita lived right in this area.”
Lincoln put down his fork and stared, surprise widening his eyes. “You mean Rainwater?”
She nodded, holding his gaze. Why did they all assume the man was from Denton, or Dallas, or Ft. Worth? They never once considered he lived nearby. “I’ve gone over the notes from the previous investigators and they claim there wasn’t a description to go by. Sexual predators weren’t even identified at the time. They had no place to start because no one ever caught as much as a glance of the killer.”
“Today, things are different, Mia. We know most of these men drive a van. Usually they fit well into their environment. I think this guy is a day laborer, or a plumber, or maybe he works outside in construction.”
“Why not a lawyer or a doctor?” she asked, curious that he’d come to the same conclusion she had.
“Back when all this was going on, the area was cattle country. Most m
en walked around in blue jeans or khaki pants and plaid shirts. It was unusual to see a man in a suit.”
She leaned closer, challenging him. “He could’ve gone home and changed into his hunting clothes.”
“He could, but I think he was a predator, out looking for an opportunity. Driving a van, traveling around neighborhoods and blending in like green in springtime.”
“Since learning that Anita was taken away from the school, that means all the children were abducted in their neighborhoods. Not at parks, nor school, nor at the lake, nor in the downtown shopping areas. That has to say something.”
“I agree.” He tightened his mouth. “I just don’t know what.”
She grew desperate. “But see, back then, one looking for the killer went door to door, asking if they saw a van, or a man driving around looking suspicious.”
“I’m sure they may not have mentioned the van,” Lincoln assured her. “But they were looking for a person out of place and driving a strange vehicle.” Lincoln took another sip of tea. “That’s just it. He wasn’t strange. He fit right in.”
Chapter 3
Lincoln and Mia entered Ft. Worth General Hospital and headed toward the morgue. Lincoln hated that place. Not only had he seen his share of dead people there as a detective, he also identified his wife’s body in that very room.
Marilyn had been on her way from Houston to Ft. Worth for her sister’s baby shower. She never made it. He still remembered the mile marker on 35W.
The medical examiner met them since Mia called and announced their arrival. The ME had the young body lying on a white sheet-covered gurney where the victim looked way too small. Another sheet was draped up to her narrow shoulders.
“You might as well go through all of it,” Lincoln said, taking a deep breath. “Don’t hold anything back.”
Dr. Abbott gave him a stern look that Lincoln had grown accustomed to. While he was all for women getting equal pay and good jobs, he couldn’t understand how a woman could do this job. They had seen severed heads, gutted bodies, limbs missing, and bodies riddled with bullets. None of it seemed to faze the medium height, medium weight, five foot six Dr. Abbott, with her plain Jane appearance and bedazzled sneakers.