NINE
BLACK ROCK FALLS
After entering all the images he’d taken at the scene into evidence and emailing a copy of the files to all concerned, Zac Rio stood at the whiteboard in Jenna’s office and made notes for others involved in the investigation. All the information he’d gathered remained in his head. Having a retentive memory was good for him, but he sometimes forgot others couldn’t read what was in his mind. The procedure for processing a homicide scene and running an investigation was virtually the same for all areas of law enforcement, but being first responder had its obligations. As Jenna had given him the lead, he’d play it by the book. His files were complete, but he transferred his observations of the crime scene to the whiteboard for everyone to see. He included the time he’d arrived and where Mr. Brinks was located. He’d secured the scene and made sure there wasn’t a physical threat to his witness. He could plainly see the victim was dead, but he’d checked the body for life signs and then called it in before validating Mr. Brinks’ identity and taking a statement. He’d taken images of Brinks’ truck, tires, and driver’s license for the record.
He’d made a note of the weather and temperature, listed the other officers on scene, and made a note about Carter smelling formaldehyde. After stepping back and looking at his work, he started another heading for possible uses of formaldehyde and the people who used it regularly. They’d need a checklist to work through during the investigation.
He moved his attention from his list and over to the one Jenna had started on the first victim. Beside her list, he added a heading for victim two and noted the comparison between both victims:
Caucasian
Female
Blonde hair
Naked apart from a thin negligee
Mask
Glue
Meat skewers inserted along spine
Ligature marks
Bruising
Clean feet
Number cut into back
As he finished writing, Carter and Jo walked into the office after their round trip to Snakeskin Gully and back. Rowley followed close behind them. Rio waved a hand toward the coffee machines. “There’s plenty of coffee if you need it. While you were away, I updated your files. I figure we need to explore the formaldehyde angle as it’s all we have right now.”
“Not so fast.” Jo folded her hands in her lap and stared at him. “Two murders, same MO. Both dumped in town and we have no missing persons fitting their descriptions. This is like waving a red flag at me, Rio.”
Interested, Rio dropped into Jenna’s office chair and looked at her. “How so?”
“This screams of an organized serial killer.” Jo stood and went to the counter to pour a cup of coffee. “There is symbolism here and we need to look more closely at it. The mask and the skewers mean something to this man.” She turned and leaned against the counter, cup in hand. “This isn’t his first dance, and from the crime scene images, we need to be looking at other murder victims. Carter has seen something like this before, so that’s another angle to investigate.”
Nodding, Rio cleared his throat. “I agree but we need to find suspects, and if this man is in town and has access to formaldehyde, that will give us a lead to follow. I mean how many people in Black Rock Falls could that be?”
“Maybe more than you think.” Rowley looked up from his tablet. “Oh boy, it’s used in a ton of things. We figured a mortuary and a taxidermist, but it’s used in manufacturing. The recycling plant that takes wood from the landfill and makes it into composite wood products uses formaldehyde-based resins.” He scrolled through a page. “And we have a factory on the outskirts of town that makes resins.” He sighed. “It’s used as a preservative and a disinfectant, so it’s just about everywhere.”
“I’m sure Wolfe will be able to narrow down what type was used on the body.” Carter shook his head. “It wasn’t a resin. It smelled like an undertaker’s preparation room, or a specimen kept in a jar in a laboratory. That type, strength, or whatever has to be available to a few, not a vast majority. As far as I know, chemicals like that have restricted distribution. We should be able to track down a local supplier once we know what specific one we’re tracking. We’ll have more leads after the autopsies.”
Rio stood and added Jo’s observations to the whiteboard. “Okay, so we maybe add schools and colleges to the list? I recall specimens being preserved in formaldehyde or alcohol. It’s worth looking into. I mean, even a janitor could have access to a supply.”
“So, we work on tracking the formaldehyde until Wolfe has completed the autopsies?” Rowley glanced up from his tablet.
“Something else.” Carter tossed a toothpick into his mouth. “The skewers. We’ll need to see if they’re the same on each victim. We’ll need a supplier of these in bulk as well. The killer used a ton of them and, if he purchased them locally, someone would have noticed a guy buying that number of skewers.”
“Okay.” Rio made more notes. “Anything else?”
“We have zip reports of missing women, here or from the surrounding counties.” Jo went back to her seat and placed her cup on the desk. “If these women are out-of-towners or from out of the state, which seems reasonable at this point in time, you won’t have jurisdiction to investigate the case. You’ll need cooperation from the law enforcement in whatever county or state these women hail from.” She spread her hands wide. “This case isn’t going to be easy. From what I’ve seen so far, if this killer is bringing bodies here, he’s not just using Black Rock Falls as a dumping ground. He’s trying to prove a point. We need to find out what that reason is—and fast. It’s obvious he has an ax to grind with someone, and what is more disturbing is that if he has multiple comfort zones and is moving between them, this case could stretch across states.”
Considering the ramifications of her statement, Rio dropped into his chair. “Right. Carter mentioned a similar case some time ago. We should pull that up and compare the murders to our victims. Maybe this guy has been in jail and that put a stop to his killing spree for a time. It protected him from being caught if he is moving from state to state.” He leaned back, running ideas through his mind. “We’ll need to look at offenders released from jail in the last say…year? Also, occupations that would give a killer multiple comfort zones. In my opinion, we’re looking for a person who travels around and maybe stays in different places for a short time but knows the location well.”
“I agree.” Jo sipped her coffee and sighed. “So what occupations are we looking at here?”
Standing and moving to the whiteboard, Rio searched his mind. “Long-distance truck driver, a businessman who moves around within his businesses and has apartments in different counties and states.”
“Drillers spend time in different places, especially the offshore rigs.” Rowley looked animated. “The oil business employs a ton of people and they move around everywhere.”
“Man, this is getting complicated. We’re still assuming the victims have been moved, so whoever is doing this is driving, not moving around by air, unless they have their own aircraft or chopper. Around here, there are many cattlemen with their own choppers. It could be anyone from the suggested occupations or just someone on vacation with their own cabin.” Carter removed his hat and ruffled his blond hair before replacing the Stetson on his head. “I figure Monday won’t come soon enough. Jenna will need all the help she can get, and I’m darn sure we’re not going anywhere. She’ll need all hands on deck for this homicide.”
Allowing the information to settle into place, Rio sat back down. He must take charge and delegate. “Okay, Rowley, you hunt down suppliers of formaldehyde, get a list, call them, and ask them if they’ll give us a list of people and places they sell to. That should cut down the grunt work of tracing the chemical.”
“I’m on it.” Rowley stood and headed out the door.
Dealing with the FBI was surreal, and Rio looked at Carter. “Would you mind hunting down the case files you mentioned so we can compare them?”
“Sure, I’ll use Kane’s desk.” Carter stood and went to the counter to fill a cup with coffee before he slipped from the room.
“What have you got for me to do?” Jo’s face brightened. “I can do grunt work.”
Rio nodded. “Would you help me hunt down anyone with offenses against women who was released from jail over the last two or three years? Maybe one of them will fit your profile.” He leaned forward in his chair with his hands linked on the desk. “When I’m done, I’ll head on over to the county records office before they close for the weekend. I’ll hunt down the names of out-of-towners who own cabins or weekenders in Black Rock Falls.”
“You might need Bobby Kalo to help you with that task.” Jo smiled. “He’s superfast.”
Picking up the phone and calling Kalo’s number, Rio nodded. “Good thinking.” He frowned. “When I arrived, I had aspirations of being sheriff, and after working here in Serial Killer Central, I don’t know how Jenna keeps up the pace.”