Refuge Cove (New Americana 2)

Knowing what it was from the shape, they photographed it where it lay, then spread out the body bag. Gently they eased the bundle out of the earth and laid it, quilt and all, in the open bag. Before closing the zipper, Pete peeled back a fold of the quilt for a final photo. Looking down, John saw brutally smashed bones, dark hair, and the tiny gold locket he remembered from the missing persons file photo.

He couldn’t hold back the moisture that blurred his eyes. “Hello at last, Bethany Ann,” he said.

CHAPTER 14

By the time they’d shed their gear and finished reloading the van, everyone on the team was sweaty, smelly, and exhausted. They’d brought sandwiches in the cooler, but nobody felt like eating.

Ted and Reuben promptly fell asleep in the backseat, leaving Pete and John awake in the front. It was slow going over the network of rutted logging roads. They drove with the windows down, the cool, fresh air flowing into the cab.

“So what’s next?” John asked, though he pretty much knew.

“We’ll process the evidence here. The body will go to the lab in Juneau to establish the official cause of death.”

“You saw the skull. Wouldn’t you assume blunt force trauma?”

“Probably,” Pete said. “But at this point, we can’t rule out anything.”

“So how soon can you arrest Boone for murder?”

As soon as the words were out of John’s mouth, he knew he’d asked a useless question. The team had found Bethany Ann’s body, but it had yet to be determined how she’d died, let alone that Boone had killed her. They’d found no fingerprints and no murder weapon at the scene. He checked the urge to grind his teeth in frustration. All he wanted was for this to be over so that he and Emma could get on with their lives.

“If we had a reliable witness come forward, like maybe a family member, we could issue an arrest warrant,” Pete said. “Otherwise, we’ll have to sift through the evidence, which may or may not tell us anything.”

“Hell, he married her in that fake ceremony. He took her to the trailer and probably took all her money. He was there—and as far as we know, he was the only one there.”

“It’s all circumstantial. Not enough for a conviction.” Pete braked the van as two deer bounded across the road. “Traverton said you knew the family. What about the brother, the one who shot the dog? He was hanging around today, like he knew where the grave was and was trying to keep Daisy from finding it. He’s the one we need to talk to.”

“You could try. I could show you the family homestead on a map. But Ezra was born mentally disabled. Talking to him is like talking to a nine-year-old.”

“Probably not a great bet on the witness stand. But we need to interview him all the same.” Pete swung the van onto the asphalt highway and hit the gas pedal. The van shot ahead at a speed that would guarantee a record time back to the station.

* * *

John called Emma from the Jeep, parked next to the trooper station. He knew she’d be working, but he was about to head home to the cabin and would soon lose cell service.

“John?” She sounded shaken.

“Are you all right?” he asked. “Can you talk now?”

“Yes to both. The place isn’t busy now. Let me step back into the hall.” There was a pause. He could hear her ragged breathing. Something was wrong. “Did you find anything?” she asked.

“We found what was left of Boone’s other bride. But not enough evidence to charge Boone. Not yet, at least. What is it, Emma? What’s the matter?”

There was another pause. Maybe she was checking to make sure she wasn’t needed in the restaurant. “Boone came into my room,” she said. “He was dressed like one of the workmen, pushed his way in. I held him off with the pistol.”

John’s pulse lurched. “Did he hurt you?”

“No. He didn’t touch me. I made him leave. But here’s the thing. I to

ld him I knew he’d murdered that woman. He swore he didn’t do it. He said it was Ezra who killed her because she tried to fight him off.” She took a deep breath, like someone gasping for air. “I called the police as soon as he left. Detective Traverton was there. I told him.”

“But they didn’t catch Boone?”

“I don’t think so. Otherwise I’d have heard. I’m not sure anybody can catch Boone. He’s like a ghost.”

“That’s what he wants you to believe. Don’t let him reel you in.”

After warning her to switch rooms, and promising to see her soon, John ended the call. For what seemed like a long time, he sat staring out the window of the Jeep, watching the play of low sunlight through the trees.