“Thanks.” She stood next to him and looked beyond the emergency vehicles. The lots were so large she couldn’t see another house. Trees were plentiful, even across the street. Meager and weak, the sun nonetheless lit the entire area even as it failed to cut the cold. “Was the subdivision gate open or closed when you arrived?”
“Closed,” Officer Zello said. “We used emergency protocol to open it and left it open after we entered.”
She scanned the area across the road, seeing large footsteps in the snow. “Did Captain Rivers go that way?”
“Affirmative.”
“If the gate was down, either the shooter had the code or came in on foot.”
The officer jerked his head toward Huck’s footsteps. “The dog went nuts going that way. My guess is the shooter was on foot. He’s the Witch Creek Killer?”
“I don’t know.” She didn’t want to make any assumptions. “Is that what the press is calling him? Even though only one victim was found by Witch Creek?”
“It’s catchy.”
Apparently. She turned and walked into the spacious home, careful to step over the blood. So much blood. “Could you tell how many times he’d been shot?” It was shocking her voice could remain steady.
“No. Sorry.”
She moved into the house. A laptop bag and overturned suitcase were next to the back of the sofa. She swallowed and then went room by room, not finding anything interesting. Loud voices had her pausing and hurrying out of the master bedroom to the door, where the Genesis Valley sheriff was yelling at his officer.
“Sheriff York?” She stretched to step over the visible blood and accepted Officer Zello’s hand as she did so. Regaining her balance, she looked up at the sheriff. “Why are you yelling?”
“I want inside,” he said, his eyes bulging and his bald head gleaming. “My officer just said that the FBI claimed jurisdiction and ordered him to keep everyone out.Myofficer.”
A gleaming white FBI technical van pulled into the driveway. The teens must have been nearby already.
Laurel removed her gloves. “The FBI crime scene techs out of Seattle are here. We’re using ours for this one. Nobody goes in until they’re finished.” She nodded at Officer Zello and then moved toward the techs, giving them instructions. Then she caught sight of Huck and Aeneas striding out of the trees. “Thanks.” Tucking her chin beneath her collar to warm up, she hurried down the driveway and met them in the middle of the road. “Any luck?”
Huck wiped snow off his shoulder. “Two tracks for about half an acre and then just one, when he must’ve started carrying her. Man’s foot size—I’d guess size eleven but we’ll have the techs take a mold. There was blood on the snow where the two tracks became one, which holds deeper imprints from an added weight.”
Laurel sucked in freezing air. “How much blood?”
“Just dots. My guess is he knocked her out and carried her to the road on the other side of the gate, where he must’ve had a vehicle waiting.” Huck patted the dog’s head. “He’s strong enough to carry her.”
That didn’t exclude any of the suspects in her mind, although she sensed she was missing something.
Huck tugged his phone from his pocket, his jaw tight and his pupils narrowed. “This guy has balls. I’m going up in the Huey to view the scene. You want to come?”
“Yes.” She pulled her keys from her jacket and called Nester. “Hi. Would you conduct a search for any real property owned by Dr. Christine Franklin and get right back to me?”
“Sure,” Nester said.
Huck nodded. “Smart. Just in case that’s part of his pattern. I’ll meet you at the Genesis Valley airport, and I’ll have the chopper pick us up there. We’ll find her, Laurel.”
Laurel nodded. “We have to.” She’d promised the woman she’d be safe. The wind picked up, scattering snow across her boots. She looked up to see dark clouds over the far mountains. “We’d better hurry.”
Chapter Twenty
They searched the surrounding area from the helicopter until darkness impaired their vision too much. Laurel climbed wearily into her SUV and waved to Huck before driving away. It was only seven at night, but the conditions had worsened, and they couldn’t see the ground any longer. According to the pilot, the winds were making it difficult to maneuver. The search team would meet at first light and commence the search again.
She called Nester, her body still vibrating from flying all afternoon into the evening. “Hi. I’m on the ground. What do you know?”
Nester sighed. “Not much. Walter is in a medically induced coma, and if his vitals improve, they want to perform surgery to remove the bullets. He was shot three times and there are two bullets still in his body. Kate has more of the details. I think she went home to see her kids and then is going back to the hospital.”
Snow started to dot her windshield, so Laurel flipped on the wipers. “What else?”
“I haven’t been able to locate Tommy Bearing. He skipped school today and his parents have no idea where he is right now.” Papers rustled. “I ran down to the school and talked to the principal, who was nice enough to call in some of Tommy’s friends. Nobody knew where he was. Or rather, nobody would say. I’m not certain.” The sound of typing now came over the line. “Dr. Joseph Keyes canceled his appointments today and also disappeared from the grid. He left his cell phone at his office, and his assistant wouldn’t tell me where he’d gone. We need a warrant.”
