Chapter 30
Laurel jerked awake when Huck’s phone vibrated, hopping across his nightstand. He shifted his bulk in the bed to grab it. “What?” he snapped into the phone. “Shit, really? All right, thanks.” He clicked off.
“What?” Laurel asked sleepily, turning over to face him.
He fumbled on the bedside table for his remote control. “How do I get streaming on this TV again?”
She pushed her hair out of her face and scooted up, reaching for the remote before clicking through to the Internet. “Where am I going?”
“The Killing Hour,” he muttered, also sitting up and then reaching over to flick on his bedside table light.
She scrolled to the correct app. “Who called?”
“Monty is up late going through case files and had his computer on.”
The stubborn man should be getting some rest. “Okay.” Laurel flicked through until she foundThe Killing Hour.
“Good evening. I am bringing you a special report even though it’s after the midnight hour,” Rachel said, looking excited. She appeared more casually turned out than usual, dressed in jeans and a dark gray sweater with her hair pulled up in a ponytail. Even so, her makeup was flawless.
Huck sighed. “This isn’t going to be good. I can just tell.”
Rachel’s voice lowered. “I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to report on my most recent news. However, this podcast will of course be available throughout the day, so please like and share, and if you choose to rate our podcast, there are links below to do so. I want to keep giving you the most up-to-date news.”
Laurel’s eyelids felt heavy, but she tried to concentrate anyway, her back to the solid headboard.
“As you know, we’ve reported that Fish and Wildlife Captain Huck Rivers is a suspect in the recent murders in Genesis Valley, but we couldn’t connect the dots as to why.” Rachel’s face settled into somber lines. “We have finally discovered the identity of the first victim in the River Reaper case.”
Huck groaned and slapped a hand against his head. “The River Reaper. Wow, she outdid herself with that one.”
Laurel swallowed.
Rachel’s eyes gleamed. “This is going to be a difficult podcast for me, so please just stick with me. The name of the first victim is Delta Rivers. She was in her sixties and once resided in Genesis Valley. You might recognize her last name because, as it turns out, she was the estranged mother of our very own Fish and Wildlife Captain Huck Rivers.”
Rachel shook her head. “Unfortunately, the victim deserted Captain Rivers when he was just a baby. We do have to wonder what kind of psychological damage that may have caused him.”
“Ah, fuck,” Huck muttered.
Laurel winced and pulled the covers up above her waist. The room was chilly, but she’d been toasty and warm cuddling with the captain.
Rachel shook her head sadly as a picture of Huck came up on the screen behind her. He was dressed in his full Fish and Wildlife uniform and looked tough and intense.
“I feel like we need to connect the dots here, but I am not accusing anybody of anything,” Rachel said slowly.
A picture of Delta Rivers showed up on the screen, followed by photographs of Teri Bearing and Haylee Johnson. The picture of Huck’s mother had been taken years ago, and the scene appeared to be a picnic in Genesis Valley.
“Where’d she get the photo?” Huck asked, leaning forward.
Laurel squinted. “It looks like it’s out of a newspaper. We can go back through the archives. It appears as if your mother is just an attendee at the picnic.” There was no doubt that Rachel Raprenzi did her research and had excellent sources.
“Now,” Rachel said somberly, “there’s an obvious connection between Delta Rivers and her son, and who would know better that she’d be back in town just in time to be murdered? She must have reached out to him somehow, but the police are being incredibly quiet about this. Are they protecting one of their own?”
Laurel reached over and turned on her light. This was going to be a rough night.
Rachel pointed to Teri Bearing’s photograph, showing the woman smiling with a carnival behind her. “I have exclusive footage that we’ve already aired onThe Killing Hour, that captures an altercation between the mayor’s wife and Huck Rivers.”
The screen behind her shifted to a video that showed the night Huck had arrested the intoxicated blonde. “As you can see,” Rachel said, “Mrs. Bearing hit Captain Rivers. Is his ego such that he cannot take rejection by any woman? Please note that all three of the victims are blond . . . like his mother.”
Huck drew in a breath but otherwise didn’t move. Laurel cast him a glance, then looked back at the television.
