Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 108849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 544(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 363(@300wpm)
“I’ve just started a background check on Tim Kohnex. Everything he told you so far checks out. He was a basketball coach after he played for Alabama. The guy was pretty good, then blew out his knee. During his time in Arizona, he notified police about crimes several times, but it was all kind of floofy.”
“I need clarification on the word ‘floofy.’”
Nester sneezed. “Floofy—meaning it’s like he knew stuff afterwards. You know, like when he came in and told you that another blonde would be murdered by the river. Anybody who’s watched a show about a serial killer pretty much knows if two blondes have been found killed in a ritualistic manner, a third will be found soon. That kind of thing. Where he could claim he had a vision, but also where most people could have guessed at it.”
“That was my insight when I spoke with him.” Even though his apparent intensity had given her pause. She wasn’t an imaginative person, but anybody could get caught up once in a while. “Keep researching him. I’d like to know his movements around both murders. See if we can tie him to Delta Rivers or at least to the crime scene by the Iceberg River.”
“You’ve got it,” Nester said. “Also, the toxicology reports came back on both victims.”
Laurel rubbed a knot in her neck. “Were drugs discovered in their systems?”
“No drugs. They were both clean of drugs other than the alcohol in Mrs. Bearing’s system. She was over the limit to drive safely but not to the point where she would’ve lost consciousness.”
Laurel relived the scenes in her mind. “So the killer either had the ice already prepared or subdued the victims and cut a hole in it without allowing them to escape.”
“My guess is he scoped the places out in advance.”
“Agreed,” Laurel said. “Which gives us another chance to place the perpetrator at the scenes. He would’ve had to have been there at least once before. No doubt he scouted the areas several times.”
Nester hummed softly. “The church is an odd choice, isn’t it? People come and go from there a lot. Do you think this guy has a problem with religion?”
“I don’t know,” Laurel said. “The only tie we have between the two crime scenes is that we had earlier crime scenes in the same vicinities.”
“That’s creepy as hell,” Nester muttered.
He wasn’t wrong.
She sighed. “Maybe we need to speak to the public again. What have you discovered about Delta Rivers?”
“Fascinating woman. I traced her most recent location to a commune in Santa Fe. It’s a place called Trust the Land, and according to the woman I spoke with, Delta Rivers lived there for the last fifteen years.”
How intriguing. “That’s a long time. It’s a commune?”
“Yes. The commune is a cohousing community that exists on the precepts of sustainability, cooperative living, and family creation. I think by that they mean you choose your family. There’s a common house, kitchen, all that stuff, and they grow their own food. It sounds like they’re a bunch of artists as well, and Delta was one of them.”
Laurel rearranged her schedule in her mind. “How well did this woman with whom you spoke know Delta?”
“Extremely well. Her name is Opal Garcia, and she’s the current president of the commune. I’m running a background check on her now. It should be completed in about an hour.”
“Excellent,” Laurel said. “Did she say she’d meet with me?”
Nester chuckled. “I figured you’d ask, and she said she would be happy to see you on Saturday. They have some ritual deal going on this week that has something to do with Delta River’s death, and the co-op is closed to the public, so she won’t see you till then.”
Finally they’d found a lead Laurel could pursue. “Would you make flight arrangements for me?”
“I already did,” Nester said.
Huck would want to accompany her, and he absolutely could not.
She dreaded that fight.
Chapter 23
Laurel wearily climbed the stairs to her mother’s house and unlocked the door, stepping inside and nodding to the two patrol officers in their car by the fence. They’d watch the house all night. “Mom,” she called out, kicking off her boots and outerwear. Fred rushed up and rubbed against her legs, and she leaned down to pet him.
“I’m in the kitchen.” Deidre peered around the corner. “I made spaghetti. It’s pretty simple. I didn’t even put anything interesting in the sauce.”
Laurel walked that way, rolling her shoulders. “That sounds delicious.” She couldn’t remember ever being this tired. She’d fought off serial killers before, and she’d run through woods and icy snow while being shot at, but pregnancy . . . That took a toll. She reached the kitchen and sank onto one of the wooden chairs. “How are you?”
“I’m much better. I just wish I could’ve told you who drove that darn truck.” Deidre dished up two plates to bring to the table. “I’ve decided to concentrate on work. Our preorders for the spring and summer blends are way up. When I say ‘way up,’ I mean you’d better find somewhere to invest the earnings.”