Page 8 of Her Baby, Her Badge

“The killer seemed to know the location of the security camera,” Grace pointed out.

Dutton’s quick agreement let her know he’d already considered that, and he took out his phone. “I’m forwarding you the contact info of the security company I used in case an employee there is the killer. Not likely since the employees are heavily vetted.” He fired off the text to her and started another one. “I’m also sending you a list of all my ranch hands. Again, they’re heavily vetted.”

She doubted they’d find the killer’s name on the lists, but again, she’d check. “How many people knew you had the cameras installed?” she asked.

“Plenty,” he admitted. “The security company had a big truck with their logo, and the installers would have parked in that part of the pasture. So basically, anyone driving by could have seen it.”

True, and gossip about the cameras would have gotten around. It hadn’t gotten back to Grace, but then people usually shied away from talking to her about Dutton.

“Are the cameras visible from the road during the day?” she asked.

His forehead bunched up while he gave that question some thought. “Probably. The idea wasn’t to conceal them. It was to record the killer if there was a return visit.”

Which there obviously had been. And maybe the killer had worn that bulky raincoat because of the storm, but it had served double duty of concealing the killer’s body and face.

“There has to be a reason the killer threw that bag onto the ranch,” Dutton said a moment later. “Maybe to extend the crime scene? To put you in the position of having to deal with my dad and question us about it?”

Grace had already gone there and had to agree it was a possibility. A way of adding one more thing to an already complex situation. And part of that complexity was she wouldindeed have to investigate Dutton and his family. Heck, she already had after the first murder.

“Still,” Dutton went on, “the bodies were practically on the ranch grounds, anyway.”

“Yes,” she agreed. “But there’s a subtle difference between practically and actually on it. This is an escalation of sorts.”

She tapped a name that had been crossed off on the board. The name of the person who actually owned the land where the bodies had been dragged and staged. Elmer Dawson. He was in his nineties and in assisted living. Grace suspected that once Elmer passed away, his next of kin would be selling the acres, and Dutton would buy them.

“I couldn’t find a single connection between Elmer Dawson and the first murdered woman,” Grace revealed. “And I suspect there won’t be one between him and the second woman, either. Still, I’ll check,” she added on a heavy sigh.

Before she could add more to that, her phone rang. “It’s the CSIs,” she announced and immediately answered it. She didn’t put the call on speaker, but she figured Dutton was standing close enough to her that he could hear Larry Crandall’s voice.

“We got the bag,” Larry said. “It took us a while to find it because the rain had caused some mud and grass to cover it.” He paused. “It’s a knife, and there’s some blood on the blade and in the bag itself.”

Grace drew in a sharp breath. “The murder weapon.”

“Possibly,” Larry admitted. “We’ve got it bagged, but I’ll take a picture of it and send it to you. It’s not an ordinary knife. It’s got some fancy carvings on the handle.”

Maybe that meant it’d be easier to trace. But if so, Grace had to wonder why the killer would have left it behind. This could be part of the cat-and-mouse game that the killer seemed to be playing.

“I’ll send you a picture in a couple of minutes,” Larry added, then ended the call.

Grace didn’t even have time to put her phone in her pocket before someone stepped into her office doorway, and it wasn’t one of her deputies. However, it was a familiar face.

Cassie Darnell.

Not exactly a welcome visitor. Along with owning several businesses, including the town’s only fitness center, she was also on the town council. The very council that had considered trying to oust Grace when word had gotten around that she was pregnant with Dutton’s baby. But Cassie was more than that.

The woman was also Dutton’s ex-girlfriend.

Even though Dutton and Cassie had broken up nearly a year ago, months before Grace had gotten pregnant, it was still awkward for Grace to be around her. It was probably the same for Dutton, too, since Grace had heard the breakup hadn’t been Cassie’s idea.

Cassie had already opened her mouth to say something, but she froze in the doorway with her gaze fixed on Dutton and Grace. And Cassie had no doubt noticed that the two of them were standing close, arm to arm. Grace refrained from stepping away from him. It would only make them look even more guilty of some PDA at the police station.

“Oh,” Cassie said, her voice filled with the surprise already on her face.

A classically beautiful face, Grace noted, to go along with her golden blond hair and blue eyes. A striking set of features that explained why Dutton had likely been attracted to the woman in the first place. That and Cassie’s perfectly toned, athletic body. Cassie looked as if she could have been a model for the posters hanging in the fitness center.

“Dutton,” Cassie began, “I didn’t know you’d be here.”

Now Grace did move, but it was to cover the board. Cassie might be on the town council, but that didn’t make her privy to the details of an investigation. The same could be said for Dutton even though he did have more than a personal interest in this case.

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