McBride fans his hand in the opposite direction like he’s swatting flies. “About five hundred feet over yonder. Hemsley’s there with the second ERT squad.”
As we edge under the pier to approach the rocks, I ask Luke, “How do we know these murders are related to our case?”
He clicks his tongue impishly. “Oh, you’ll see.”
The body comes into view, instantly proving his point. Not only is the connection obvious, it’s also nauseating.
The victim is dressed in a black and white casino dealer’s uniform, uncomfortably similar to what Lila wears to work.
Despite my little protection ritual, I’m peppered with tiny tendrils of fear that refuse to be contained in the mist.
Andrews stops at the edge of the rock wall. “You two tough guys got this. I’m too close to retirement for a morning stroll on slippery rocks. I’ll hunt down the medical examiner.”
I roll my eyes at him and carefully navigate a path along the jagged rocks. McBride trails me, risking his life in those cowboy boots.
Lowering to one knee, I study the victim’s face, attire, and body. Other than her throat, I don’t see any other injuries, cuts, or bruises. Wrists and ankles don’t show any signs of restraint.Her neck wound is deep and cleanly sliced. I’m not a doctor, but I can’t imagine anyone surviving that type of wound.
Her soaked clothing clings to her thin frame, making it easy to see her front pockets are empty. The chest area of her solid white uniform shirt is tinged pink in a few spots.
Although her face is a bluish-white and bloated from the saltwater bath she had in the Atlantic, she looks familiar.
Arching a brow at Luke, I ask, “Doesn’t she resemble the wife from the Skinner Street home invasion?”
McBride squats beside me, removing his hat and placing it over his heart in a silent show of respect for the deceased. “Looks like her. Poor thing.”
I examine the rocks surrounding the body for clues or anything else that might have washed up with her. Nothing. ERT will go over the area with a fine-tooth comb and let us know if they find something.
Luke puts his cowboy hat on. “SSA Chase was right,” he grumbles, disgust stiffening his jawline. “The gang is pruning the dead ends. Must be getting ready to run.”
“Rather than running, I suspect they’re closing shop so they can move on to the next grift. They don’t want to press their luck. Just like any other robbery, you need to get in and out swiftly. Otherwise, you risk getting caught.”
“Then why the hell did they kill Troy Hartley to get the dye? I figured they needed it to keep this scam going. Maybe they’re taking the act on the road to yet another state.”
“Another strong possibility. It’s either that or the dye is evidence, which makes it another loose end.” I press off a rock, rise to a standing position, then wipe the salty water from my hands. “And for the record, they tortured him to get the dye. They cut off his tattoo for dishonoring the brotherhood.And thenthey killed him because he wanted a bigger cut.”
McBride snaps a picture of the victim’s face before rising. “I’ll show this to Hemsley. With any luck, he can ID her so we don’t have to wait for the ME to do it. We should see how he’s making out with the other DB, anyhow.”
My phone alerts with an incoming text as I’m gingerly stepping off the last slick rock. With both feet on solid earth, I glance at the message.
Shit.
It’s Kri, the Redleg guard with Lila.
My body doesn’t tense the way I’d have expected. Probably because I pushed my emotions into that swirling mist haven.
I skim the message, which details a simple request Lila made. Considering it, I can’t see how it would impact her safety. Not from a physical aspect, at least. It isn’t like she’s asking to leave the condo.
Andrews calls out from the ERT tent. “Are you done?”
Distracted, I bounce my gaze between him and the text. “Hang on.”
Once more, I read the message. Kudos to Kri for asking first. This should be fine to green-light. As a bonus, Lila’s request solves another problem for me.
“Today, Hayes,” Agent McBride hollers from beside Andrews. While I was in decision paralysis, he had already made it to the ERT tent.
Without giving it another thought, I tap out a speedy reply to Kri.
Handled.
