“Yeah,” Monty said. “FBI has primary because the body was found on federal land, but we’ll correspond and assist since Fish and Wildlife knows the area the best. We’re coordinating now with the locals to tie them in.”
“Good.” In Washington State, Fish and Wildlife were fully commissioned officers. “I have a second crime scene I need processed, as well as an entire subdivision to canvass. Please have the state process and the locals canvass.” She started her engine, her gaze still caught by her sister’s. “Let’s also see if we can get Dr. Ortega to conduct the autopsy and hopefully identify the victim. He did a good job last time.”
“You’ve got it. Also, you should know, I’m having Huck take the lead on this for Fish and Wildlife. I have radiation treatments every day and might not be up to par.”
Laurel paused. She’d learned weeks ago that Monty had prostate cancer. “I hope you feel better. If I can do anything, let me know.”
“Just catch this psycho before he kills anybody else,” Monty said grimly. “Unless you think this was a one-time thing and the guy was just after this poor woman?”
Laurel tore her gaze free to look at the frozen black dahlias beneath the ice. “No. This is just the beginning.”
Chapter Three
Shaking off the odd interaction with Abigail, Laurel arrived at her office and slid into a parking spot, impacting the curb with her front tires. Sighing, she backed up so she wouldn’t block any part of the sidewalk. A large sign, partially covered with snow, read STAGGERS ICE CREAMERY across the front of the entire building. The ice cream shop took up the center of the first floor with the FBI office above it. Fish and Wildlife encompassed the two floors to the right, and a beauty school took residence to the left.
She jumped out of the Nissan and made her way to open a thick wooden door, which led to a small vestibule. To her right, a sign above the door to the Fish and Wildlife office said PARK ANDWILDLIFE.It was handmade and rough, and she’d never asked about the mistake. Obviously sentimentality trumped fact.
Shrugging off snow, she stomped her boots across the rubber mat to clear the ice before pulling open a door that revealed stairs to the second floor. She climbed the steps, no longer noticing the wallpaper featuring half-naked dancers on the walls. At the top, she pushed her damp hair away from her face as she was greeted by her assistant from behind a glass pastry display case, angled against the far right corner of the landing area.
“Howdy,” Kate Vuittron said, shuffling piles of papers into place on the glass.
“Hi. I thought you were acquiring a new desk.” Laurel noted that Kate had placed file folders inside the case. They’d most likely smell like cinnamon cones for the next month.
Kate shrugged. “Since we might be temporary, no desk for me.” She smiled, her unlined skin and shoulder-length, sandy-blond hair making her look much younger than her early forties. “The only furniture we’ve been able to secure so far is that awesome FBI-confiscated conference table and chairs from a government auction in Seattle. That stuff looks like it belongs in a high-end magazine conference room. LikePeopleorCosmopolitan. Right?”
“I’ll take your word for it.” Laurel moved beyond Kate to the open doorway in the middle of the wall.
Kate cleared her throat. “Is there a chance this office will become permanent? I thought after the Snowblood killer case that you were going to head up a new unit based out of Genesis Valley.”
Laurel breathed out. Kate had a right to know the plans, such as they were. “Honestly, I don’t know. I was successful in helping to wrap up the DC firewood murders after the holidays, and now George is having second thoughts about stationing me in the Pacific Northwest.”
“George?”
“Yes. Sorry. Deputy Director George McCromby. He’s a mentor to me.” The firewood killer had been bludgeoning elderly men with pieces of split wood, and she’d successfully analyzed his behavior at the crime scene to lead to a suspect and then arrest. She could most likely sway her boss’s decision, but she was uncertain about returning home permanently.
“Just let me know when you do, okay? If I need to look for a new job, I’d like to get on it.” Kate reached for a pen.
That was more than fair. “For now, while I’m here, we have a new case, and I’d like to schedule a meeting about it in an hour or so. Where is Walter?”
“He went to grab us all a late lunch and should be back any minute.” Kate typed efficiently on a laptop. “What kind of case?”
“Murder, probably ritualistic.” Laurel paused. “Would you please invite Captain Rivers? We’re going to coordinate with Fish and Wildlife on this one.”
Kate reached for an older-looking office phone. “Of course.” She kept her voice professional. “It’ll be nice to work with Captain Sexy again. Why is a grumpy man with a chiseled jaw so appealing?”
That was one mystery Laurel didn’t have any interest in solving. “Thanks, Kate.” She strode down the center hall, flanked by offices, a conference room, and a computer room, to reach her office at the rear. The entire floor was quiet. If the unit became permanent, they’d need to hire staff besides Walter and Kate. Although Kate’s three teenagers were always happy to help out, they’d just started another semester at school and no doubt had better things to do.
She paused at the sight of two stylish white rolling chairs on the closest side of her desk, with another one behind it. “Kate?”
“Four extra chairs were sent with that spectacular conference table, so I put three in your office. They’re better than the ice cream stools you’ve been using,” Kate yelled back. “I’m going to use the fourth but haven’t rolled it this way yet.”
Laurel set down her laptop bag and hung her coat on a nail protruding from the wall. The high-end chairs looked comical surrounding her desk, which was an old, weathered door plopped over cinder blocks. While she didn’t mind using the old door, it would be nice to have a drawer or two. She sat and inserted the USB into her laptop, pausing at the sound of heavy footsteps in the entryway and then the rumble of a low voice.
Her heart sped up.
“Go on back,” Kate called a little loudly, no doubt to alert Laurel of Huck’s presence.
Long strides brought the man to her doorway within seconds.
