Black Orchid Girls (Detective Amanda Steele)

Amanda didn’t want to harp on the matter, but it was hard to believe Helen didn’t know the girl’s name, considering the frequency with which the victim had used her park pass. “And all these times you never noticed her name?”

“You can bet I’ll be paying better attention moving forward, but no, I just swiped her pass and off she went. Sometimes I’d see her down at the water and we’d chat. That’s how I knew where she went and why she came here.”

On second thought, Amanda could understand how the name could be lost to obscurity and the busyness of a day’s work. Monday was one of the girl’s regular days to visit, but what had dragged her out here before the park opened?

There was chatter going on around where the body had been, and CSI Donnelly was waving Amanda and Trent over. Malone was already there, and Todd Hampton was nowhere to be seen.

“Please call me if you think of anything else.” Amanda pulled out her card and handed it to Helen.

“I will.”

“You going to be all right?” She didn’t want to leave the ranger floundering in the aftermath, but she desperately wanted to see what had Donnelly so excited.

“I will be. Thank you.” She winked at Trent, an expression Amanda took as gratitude for the tissue.

They walked over to Malone, who directed their attention to CSI Blair. She was picking up something to put into a bag. “When the body was lifted, there was dried blood on her back, and some soaked into the soil beneath her. CSIs also found some blood spatter and cast-off in the area.”

“Obviously I missed seeing any of it,” Amanda said.

“On the leaves, just small amounts here and there,” Malone replied. “Hard to see unless one’s looking very closely.”

Amanda nodded and shuffled around to get a better look at what Blair was handling. A large snail. She pointed at it. “And him?” She intended the question for either CSI, but Malone answered.

“He’s got some blood spatter.” He wasn’t looking at her, but at the snail, while he spoke.

A mystery snail. Seemingly apt. They certainly had a mystery to solve, but one aspect was now clear: Jane Doe was killed right here. This wasn’t a dump site; it was a murder scene.