Sheriff York pointed east. “Down the river, maybe five miles.”
Laurel looked toward the winding river. “Is he a member of the church?”
“Everybody around here is a member of the church,” York said. “He’s inside.”
Laurel looked at Huck. “Let’s interview the witness.” Empirically, the first victim was not Huck’s mother, and since she hadn’t been identified as of yet, a conflict of interest hadn’t been established.
“I agree,” Huck said.
Laurel started to walk and then paused. “Adhering to all sense of caution, perhaps I should speak with the witness alone.”
“You’re not going in there without me,” he said quietly enough that only she heard.
She appreciated his discretion in masking his overprotectiveness. “I can face Zeke Caine.”
“I’m sure you can,” Huck agreed, walking toward the church.
She sighed. The most prudent plan would be to shield Huck from the case on the chance that his mother was the first victim. However, she did appreciate his effort to remain near should she find herself confronted by her father.
A small door stood ajar in the east wing of the church, and she paused to admire the large windows of the main building, some stained glass, some translucent, which looked out to the river and the snowy peaks.
Huck fully opened the door and gestured her inside. As she walked in, heat immediately surrounded her. The warmth felt glorious, but her face tingled in pain from the cold outside. She needed to keep a hat in her pocket. The local meteorologists had claimed that spring had arrived, but perhaps winter had not let up her cold grip on the world quite yet.
Laurel walked into the sprawling gathering room east of the main part of the church where round tables had been set up, each surrounded by gray plastic chairs. At one, a man sat next to a wet dog, a steaming Styrofoam cup in his hands. She hadn’t realized people still used Styrofoam. He appeared to be in his early fifties with blondish-brown hair and matching mustache and beard. His deep blue eyes appeared clear and focused.
He stood when he caught sight of her. “Hello. Hi. How are you?”
She cocked her head. The man had to be at least 6’7”, if not 8”. He stood taller than Huck, who was at least 6’4”, and had angled and symmetrically good-looking features. Rugged and tough. “Mr. Kohnex?”
“Tim. Call me Tim. This is Buster.” Buster appeared to be a wet border collie trying to stay awake. The dog sneezed twice and shut his eyes with his nose on his paws.
Kohnex stared at her. “I’ve never met anybody with two different-colored eyes before. Doesn’t that mean you have two spirits?”
“I’m familiar with that legend but grant it no credence.” Laurel looked around, surprised to find the gathering room vacant.
He followed her gaze. “The pastor went to get more coffee.”
A chill ran down her spine. “I see. Mr. Kohnex, can you tell us about your morning?”
“Sure. Buster couldn’t sleep, so we decided to walk along the river and catch the sunrise. It was snowing all night, so I wasn’t sure that we’d see anything beyond the clouds. But sometimes it’s still pretty even when there are clouds, you know, like in life?”
Laurel tried to warm her toes by curling them inside her boots. “You can sit back down if you like.”
“Only if you sit as well.” He gave her a charming smile.
Her feet were freezing, and she wouldn’t mind sitting for a moment. Plus, it was a proficient tactic to relax him. “That would be more comfortable.”
She sat, and Huck took the other seat at the round table. Behind him, a white counter ran along one side of the wall piled high with various platters and empty drink dispensers. The place held a whiff of cookies, no doubt because the congregation gathered there after services and for events.
“You’re a member of the church?” Huck asked.
“I am,” Kohnex said. “I moved to Genesis Valley about seven years ago, and I joined the church right away.”
Laurel’s feet tingled as warmth seeped back into them. “Where did you live before you came to Genesis Valley?”
“I lived in Texas. I coached boys basketball and invested some of my money in an upstart oil company. With my guidance, we hit it rich, and so I retired and moved up here because I like the slower pace, love ice fishing, and enjoy the snow. Though this is the first time I’ve ever found a dead body in it.” He shook his head, his eyes somber. “I knew something was going to happen this week, but I hoped I was wrong.”
Laurel studied him. “You knew something would happen?”
