They worked methodically. Katie snapped shots and he bagged and made notes, until his three deputies arrived, and with them came the undertaker who doubled as the coroner when needed, and Dr. McBride, Jr.
“Sheriff.” Niles Bechamp nodded, his face looking solemn. Average height, he had short gray hair, dressed neat and tidy, and had been the undertaker for as long as Cubby could remember.
“Tank told us it’s Jilly,” Jake said, looking at the body. “Jesus, Cub, what the hell?”
“Don’t know yet, bud, so we need to get as much information as we can now, to help us find the bastard.”
“You okay, sis?”
“It’s Jilly, Jake.” She bit her lip.
“I know it, and we’re going to find who did this.” Jake wrapped an arm around his sister’s neck, like Cubby should have, giving her a quick hug before releasing her. “Let’s get this done.”
Jake snapped on gloves and inspected Jilly’s body thoroughly while Katie continued to snap pictures and Cubby took notes. He set his three deputies to scouring the area for any sign of a weapon or anything that may help them find Jilly’s killer.
“She was strangled, but my guess is it was the bullet that killed her.” Jake looked grim at his findings. “But we’ll need to get Dr. Krawoski over from Brook to do an autopsy to finalize that. I’ll call him in when I get home.”
Once they were finished, Cubby helped Niles put Jilly’s body in a bag, and then he and Jake carried her to his vehicle.
“I’ll look after her until Krawoski gets here, Cubby.”
“Thanks, Niles.”
They all stood silently and watched him drive away.
“I need to head over now and notify Jilly’s folks,” Cubby said, knowing the task would be hell.
“You want me to come?”
The fact Katie asked made him respect her even more, but Cubby shook his head. “No, you go on with Jake and I’ll do it, then come back here.” He made for the back of his cruiser and Jake followed.
“Jilly never hurt anyone, Cub. I don’t get this.”
“Me either.” Cubby opened the back and went to throw in his bag; too late, he saw the bottles of bourbon he’d put in there.
“You planning on a party, Sheriff?”
“Just stocking up,” Cubby said, slamming it shut.
“You don’t like the taste of bourbon,” Jake said, giving him a look that would shrivel any man’s balls. “We got drunk on it one night at the old Heller place, and you puked up your guts for days after, told me you’d never touch a drop again.”
“Been reacquiring the taste for it lately,” Cubby said calmly.
“It’s mine.”
Cubby watched Jake’s eyes close briefly before he turned to face his sister.
“You lied to me.”
“Yes, I did.”
Katie’s eyes were cool now, and Cubby realized this was the look she adopted when her back was against the wall, when emotions got too much for her. The look she probably wore every day on the job in LA.
“You’ve never lied to me before.” Jake looked like he’d been sucker punched.
Her smile was small and sad. “Not that you know of, anyway.”
“Katie—”
