They knew each other well and humor was a way for them to cope, a way for them to bring down the level of intensity and dread at a crime scene to a more relaxed level.
McGaven increased their speed with determination. The facility was located on the outer area of Pine Valley but would take care of all the needs for emergency services. Unfortunately, it had already divided the community, and with the discovery of bodies it would continue to be scrutinized by everyone.
Katie reflected on what the discovery of the skeletal remains would mean for her and McGaven. They were officially cold-case detectives, but sometimes new cases fell into their laps. She wondered if there had been missing persons reports filed.
“Now what are you thinking?” said McGaven with a grin on his face.
“Just the usual.”
“Right. You’re trying to figure out the who and why of the remains.”
“Yes.”
“John will probably already be there,” he said.
“Probably not.”
McGaven looked at Katie. “Oh?” His smile was even bigger.
“I don’t know what you’re insinuating.” She hid her smile.
“Yeah, right. You know where John might be right now?” He casually raised an eyebrow.
“I think we need to concentrate on the crime scene and what it means.”
“Copy that,” he said.
Up ahead were signs indicating that the new police and fire department training areas were going to have a new home.
“You know there’s going to be a K9 training area too,” he said.
“I know, it’s great. But… I think finding these bodies is going to add a lot of delays to the work schedule.”
McGaven drove past construction supplies and several backhoes, excavators, and dump trucks. There were piles of PVC pipes waiting to be installed, and numerous large metal boxes that would house electrical panels and various controls. An oversized metal building to house supplies and tools had large padlocks fastened to its sliding doors.
“What do you think?” said McGaven, studying the area.
“It’s going to be difficult.”
There were two police cars, fire trucks, and several unmarked official cars parked near several large mounds of dirt. The makeshift road with gravel layered to keep it somewhat level was now filled with deep grooves making it difficult for vehicles to come and go.
McGaven maneuvered their car to the side where it would be easy to stay out of the way of the others. Katie sighed and exited the truck. She stood a moment and surveyed the area.Tons of dirt had been removed and pushed into large hills. She realized the remains were going to take some time to excavate and worried any potential evidence might be contaminated or possibly lost.
“Coming?” said McGaven as he walked toward patrol officers running yellow crime scene tape in a large rectangle.
Katie saw the forensic van drive in. So John had also received the message of the skeletons found. She kept her subtle smile to herself, nodding to John as he eased the van into a parking place.
Detective Hamilton met the detectives. His usual grim expression was apparent and his demeanor unfriendly.
“What do we have?” said McGaven.
Katie was still observing the area and tried to imagine how and why bodies were buried there. Was there some significance to the site? She wondered how long they had been there.
“Two skeletal remains, one adult and one child,” said Hamilton.
“Did the equipment damage the bodies?” said Katie. She could see in her peripheral vision that John was walking toward the group.
“Some. But they had the sense to stop everything immediately.”
