Page 9 of Good Girls Don't Cry

“Unfortunately, I guess we won’t know unless he murders another victim.” Kane observed her over the rim of his coffee cup.

“We can’t assume the mutilation is the same killer.” Wolfe swallowed half his coffee and then looked at Jenna. “There could be significant clues all over the body parts, for all we know. Although, it would be very unusual for someone to have an argument with his wife or girlfriend and then cut them up and hang them from a tree.”

“Where are the energy bars?” Kane’s teeth chattered as he hunted through one of the backpacks. “I packed a ton of them.”

Unable to believe he had an appetite after what he’d just witnessed, Jenna raised one eyebrow and reached for the bag resting beside the rock. “The energy bars are in the Beast. Sit down. I have enough sandwiches here to feed an army.”

“From Aunt Betty’s Café?” Kane peered into the bag and smiled at her. “You amaze me.” He gave her a long look. “I know you want to get to the next crime scene but I’m cold. I need to eat and so do the others. It’s a necessity to survive after being in freezing temperatures. Get warm first and then eat.”

“I agree. We need the calories and then we’ll carry the bodies back to my van. I’ll be able to fit them all inside. Although we’ll have to make a couple of trips.” Wolfe reached for a sandwich and then looked at Jenna. “I’m guessing it will be a waste of time asking you to return to the office and leave the rest of us to deal with the other crime scene?”

Rolling her eyes, Jenna stared at him. “An absolute waste of time. I’m not leaving Dave’s side. If I do, I’ll end up having our baby without him and that’s not going to happen.” She sighed. “I’m happy for the team to deal with the day-to-day running of the office, but I’ll handle the serial killer cases. I’m feeling fine, and trust me, you’ll be the first one to know if I’m not.”

“What’s up?” Norrell came over and sat beside Wolfe. “Mmm, coffee and sandwiches. I’m starving.” She glanced at Jenna and read her mind. “I’m afraid that if dealing with corpses affected my appetite, I’d be dead by now. I know it seems insensitive, but like they say, someone has to do it.”

Understanding, Jenna looked from one to the other. “I know none of you are heartless, far from it, but it breaks my heart seeing those young boys like that. I’m the sheriff and I’m responsible for taking care of the people in my town. They voted for me, trusted me”—she poked at her chest —“to keep them safe. How am I going to tell these people that their sons are dead and victims of a mass murderer?”

“No one will blame you, Jenna.” Kane put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. “They’ll expect you to bring their killer to justice.”

Jenna leaned into him. Determination surged through her. She suddenly understood why the notorious and almost mythical Tarot Killer delivered their own brand of justice to unstoppable serial killers. She’d come across the Tarot Killer by chance when her prime suspects in unsolvable crimes had been found dead with a tarot card beside their bodies. The Tarot Killer’s vigilante form of justice had removed some of the most horrendous serial killers from existence. Jenna didn’t agree with vigilante justice but she understood the reasons why some people were pushed to find justice in any way possible. Right now, she’d been pushed to the edge and needed justice for these young men. “Oh, I’ll catch him, but deep down I’ll be hoping the Tarot Killer gets to him first.”

Ten

Glacial Heights

As Raven approached the two hikers, they ran to meet him, both talking at the same time so fast he couldn’t understand either of them. He held up a hand. “Okay, slow down. I’ll talk to you one at a time. Who would like to go first? How about we start with your names?”

“Michelle Holland and this is my dog, Moxie. I’m at 8 Aspen Grove.” She indicated to her friend. “This is Vilma Chancy and her dog, KC, out of 11 Glacier Point.”

Raven made notes. “Okay, and do you often come here to walk your dogs?”

“Yeah, it’s a beautiful place in summer.” Michelle shuddered. “Until now. We’ve seen hunters’ kills strung up in trees but not around here. We didn’t go close, but when I noticed the hair I figured something was up. I called 911 right away.”

“I said we should wait here.” Vilma opened her jacket to display a shoulder holster. “We both carry protection here in the forest. You never know who is lurking about.”

Nodding, Raven looked from one to the other. “Did you happen to see or hear anyone?”

“No.” Vilma pointed to the trees. “I noticed the crows, so we took this trail, but we can see right across to the body. We both listened and kept moving until we were undercover here in the trees. That poor woman. Who would do such a thing?” She rubbed her arms. “I can’t stop shaking. Do you figure the killer is hanging around?”

Folding his notebook and pushing it into his pocket, he looked from one to the other. “I doubt it, but would you like me to give you a ride home?”

“Nope, we’re fine. Our vehicles are parked at the ski resort. It’s only a short walk from here.” Michelle’s mouth turned down. “Whoever did that won’t dare to come near us. We’re armed and the dogs will alert us if anyone is near.” She looked at Ben. “That’s a mighty fine dog you have there. I’ve never been this close to a K-9. He seems placid. I figured they were on attack mode twenty-four/seven.”

Raven rubbed Ben’s ears. “No, only when he meets the bad guys. They react to orders, and the rest of the time they’re normal super-intelligent dogs.” He heard Emily clear her throat and flicked her a glance. “Okay, I’ll call if I need anything else.” He handed them a card each. “If you see anyone suspicious on your way home, call me.”

“We will.” Vilma headed along the trail with Michelle close behind.

“Those women are braver than I am.” Emily scanned the forest. “I’m seeing men behind every darn tree.”

Raven shook his head. “If anything moves out there, Ben will bark. He can hear much better than we can, so don’t worry.” He led the way through the trail to the tree decorated with body parts.

The stench of death reached him on the usually fresh alpine breeze along with a high humming sound. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled and he glanced at Ben. The feeling of being watched concerned him but the dog hadn’t reacted. Perhaps it was the barbaric murder that was getting under his skin. He scanned the area for the umpteenth time and then reached into his pocket for a face mask. He noted that Emily had already covered her face and was keeping close behind him. He stopped a few yards away from the carnage and grimaced. The blackened body parts appeared to be moving in undulating waves and then a crow dived down to hang on one of the ropes sideways to peck at the rotting flesh. A black mass of angry flies rose up in a swarm. Raven took a few steps back as they flew into him. “Ugh, that’s disgusting.”

“They’re just flies.” Emily marched past him. “Dead bodies always have flies on them in summer, some are crawling with maggots. You’ll get used to it.”

Shaking his head and waving the flies away, he stared after her as she marched in, boots and all, without a moment’s hesitation. He admired her attitude, she had grit. “No, I won’t, and I’m not sure I want to.”

He stood back, intending to watch her do her work and assist if required. She walked around the scene in a businesslike manner, taking photographs from every angle and then swabbing the open mouth of the victim. The horrific scene didn’t faze her at all. “You handle death very well. I admit seeing this poor woman brings back memories I’d rather forget.”

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