“You already know the answer,” she replied quietly. “And nothing’s changed.”
For a moment she thought she saw something flicker in his eyes, then it was gone.
“I’ll call once I’ve reviewed the files.”
She nodded, watching in silence as he quietly clicked the door closed behind him.
Chief Walcott climbed into his car and started the engine. Looking down at his watch he cursed. He was already running late to meet with the mayor. He was just about to put the car in reverse and ease out of his parking space when the radio crackled.
“Chief.”
“Walker,” he answered, recognizing the voice. “I’m running late. What is it?”
“Just thought you’d want to know that the county search team found Lucas Campbell’s body, or what’s left of him. It’s pretty bad.”
“God damn it.” He hit the dash in frustration. “Where are the remains now?”
“They’ve been sent over to Doc Hughes for a formal ID and autopsy,” Deputy Walker replied.
“Alright, I’ll head over there now and see what he’s found out.”
“I thought you had a meeting with the mayor?”
“It was canceled,” Chief Walcott replied stiffly.
It was a lie, but that wasn’t important. He’d get the mayor her proof, then she’d have to listen to what he was trying to tell her, to tell all of them. That Olivia West was as much a murderer as her father.
“Alright Chief, we’ll see you back at the station later.”
As the radio went dead, he reversed out and headed toward the medical center, hoping that this was the smoking gun that he needed.
Doctor Hughes glanced up with a frown as a shadow fell over his notes. “Chief,” he greeted somberly. “I wondered if you’d be by.”
“Cam says you have Lucas Campbell’s body?”
“Well, what’s left of him, if it’s him,” he replied a little sickly as he pulled off his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes.
“What do you mean?” He took a seat in front of the desk.
“The remains are in pretty bad shape.” He blew out a deep breath. “He was skinned, the entire corpse, right down to the muscle layer. Lucas was missing for the longest time, so his remains were exposed to the elements for longer. Not only was the corpse badly damaged from the skin being removed, but with decomposition and animals picking at the remains, it all makes a definite ID very hard.”
“Have you requested his dental records?”
Doc Hughes nodded. “I did that back when he first went missing, just in case. But the truth is, Lucas didn’t have up-to-date dental records. The ones we have are no good for a formal ID. The corpse appears to be roughly the right height and weight and it’s definitely the right sex, but I’m afraid confirming the victim’s identity will take some time. Fortunately, Lucas came by the medical center for blood tests a couple of days before he went missing. His young cousin has leukemia, so he was being tested to see if he was a match for a bone marrow transplant. I’ve taken some tissue samples, and I’m just about to send them to the lab for a DNA comparison.”
The chief’s gaze fell to the desk where a large, padded envelope and a couple of vials of blood sat. “Do you have a cause or time of death?”
“Again, because of the state of the remains, it makes it very hard to establish a credible timeline. I can’t tell you when he died. I’m not even sure what the cause of death was. The internal organs are mostly present and intact. I’m waiting on the tox screen. I’m pretty confident at this point that I can rule out stabbing or shooting, but unfortunately that leaves a million other possibilities.”
“So, you’ve got nothing?” His lip curled in disdain.
“Sorry, Chief.” Doc Hughes shook his head. “At this point, all I can tell you is that the skin was removed and that there was a brand on the chest. It’s not as clear as the other victims, but it’s there.”
Dr. Hughes turned as a porter poked his head around the open door and knocked lightly. “Sorry to disturb you, Doc,” he apologized.
“That’s alright, Cole, what is it?”
“The funeral home is here to collect Mrs. Brady, but I can’t find her,” he answered with a frown.
