The relief he felt at seeing nothing said something. He just wasn’t inclined to dwell on what that something was right now. Bailey Joe was known to be more dedicated to his health than to his job, and there were no wads of tissue in the garbage bin near his nightstand. No medicines or teas. Nothing, not in the bedroom, study, or any other room in the house indicated that he’d been sick as the text sent to Van may have implied.
Everything in the house was neat and organized, almost compulsively so. Everything except the office. But where was his cell phone?
“Hey League, we’ve got a problem,” Roan said from the doorway. “I found Dottie down by the stream. Dead. Her neck was broken.”
The sinking sensation in Santiago’s gut told him Dottie hadn’t died from natural predators on the mountain, but he had to ask. “Wild animal?”
“No external wounds. And there’s not a non-human predator I know that would take the time to bury the body so efficiently. If the rains had come as hard as they were forecast to, there’s no way I would’ve found that grave until the stream waters receded.”
Santiago couldn’t avoid thinking about the amount of death and conflict that seemed concentrated to Lauren’s arrival, and his gut told him that was no coincidence. Her presence seemed to shake the foundation of living people’s lives, while simultaneously reaching through the veil just enough to touch Shrouded Lake’s dead and make a way for voices long silenced. It was as if she walked into his life, stomped her foot on this land, and beckoned those who had a grievance to heed her call.
“Until we know otherwise, this is a crime scene,” Santiago informed Roan.
“Two dead bodies in this short of time…it’s a concerning thing. The folks here are going to be even more on edge.”
Santiago looked around the space, gaze focusing on the body.
“It’s only a mystery until we find the answers, so let’s find them. Don’t mention anything about Dottie’s circumstances yet. Gather all the evidence you can down there, then leave the body where it rests. We’re gonna play this close to the vest, because if somebody killed Bailey Joe, and it’s the same person that killed Mrs. Willoby, we want them to believe that here at least, they’ve successfully left no evidence of foul play.”
“I’ll have Derry contact Audrey; notify her that the mayor and city council will have to postpone the council meeting on account of Bailey Joe’s passing.”
“Thanks Roan.”
With Roan taking lead on everything outside, Santiago retraced his steps and began videoing and taking pictures upstairs and down. Derry soon joined him stating he was ready to get to work. Together they dusted for fingerprints, starting around the door, alarm, and light switch that usually remained on, and systematically began to gather evidence, Santiago leaning into Derry’s insight on what else looked unusual or out of place. Derry took fiber samples around the area of Bailey Joe’s desk and carted off Bailey Joe’s paper files and electronics— minus the still missing cell phone.
After Doc Cleveland and his assistant took the body away, Santiago and Derry did a final walk through. Santiago planned to return tomorrow, but until then made sure to lock the doors and reset the alarm, ordering that none of the family return to the house until they had a cause of death.
Outside, the trio of neighbors had returned to their homes. Santiago looked in the direction of Landry’s house and saw the front room curtain close quickly. He checked his watch. It was after five o’clock in the evening, but he’d still reach out to Judge Jackson to request a warrant for Bailey Joe’s security footage as well as a warrant to search both Bailey Joe’s work and home computers.
He hadn’t eaten since this morning, and both his spirit and his body were exhausted, but before he headed home, he’d make sure Bailey Joe’s office in city hall was sealed off. Even though the offices were cleaned daily, he felt it was necessary to do so.
CHAPTER 16
Dammit Lauren,you gotta snap out of this shit, she thought, tucked once again within the weight of blankets on Santi’s bed. Julian had come by to tell her that the council meeting had been rescheduled to next week due to the death of the city controller.
She would’ve forced herself to attend despite her lack of motivation; she’d already organized all the information she was going to present this evening. After learning there wasn’t going to be a meeting, she went to the kitchen and began baking to distract herself from what took place in her home.
Santiago had called when she was baking. He was about to leave the department and had ordered her to get out of his kitchen and do what he told her to do when he left her there, which was to rest. “I’ll bring you some shrew-approved food for dinner,ifyou follow orders,” he’d said.
“Screw your orders, Stillwater. I will fuck you up if you walk in here with food and try to stop me from eating,” she’d threatened, as she fought back a smile. “And what even is a shrew?” she’d asked knowing full well what a shrew was; but she was starting to feel more like herself, and when she was herself, she liked messing with him. “I need to know so I can determine if I’m actually shrew-like based on their eating patterns.”
He laughed, sounding less tired. “Woman, I have never not seen you eat anything put in front of you. But for future reference, a shrew is a wild animal that can only be tamed by a strong steady hand; if not, they will use their cute, perfectly formed mouth to rip into anything they deem a threat.”
“Sounds appropriately bloodthirsty. I’ll be your shrew, Santi, but you better make sure you move in ways that I don’t deem a threat.”
“Some shrews,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken. His voiced dipping into a lower octave. “The more violent and reckless ones, talk about fucking people up as a part of their mating ritual. Those shrews fuck around and end up on the fun end of a dick. Be careful that you don’t become one of those types of shrews Ms. Green. Now,” he said, his tone becoming insufferably highhanded again. “Get in bed, lick your wounds, and do whatever you need to do to relax before I walk into my house.”
“You’re talking real slick there, Stillwater, but I think I have something that will humble you.”
She’d hung up the phone, but she’d returned to his bed as ordered.
Why had she felt aroused talking to Santiago-freaking-Stillwater?
Her body…it wanted her to do nasty things to it in his bed. She wouldn’t follow through with the urge, but she had a strange feeling that he’d have gladly given her permission.
The last time she was intimate with a man, Derrick had?—
His image passed through her mind, and she instantly felt like throwing something and throwing up. It was infuriating the way she’d think about him, about home, and temporarily lose grip of her emotions. But not uncontrollably so anymore.
