Revulsion crawled up the back of Sean’s throat. He swallowed hard against the dryness in his mouth. “Same as the other two?”
Matt nodded. “Yeah.” His jaw tightened. “We don’t have an ID on this victim yet, but the first two were blonde, attractive, and in their twenties before this psycho got hold of them. Coroner says the carving was done while they were still alive.”
He forced himself to stay focused on the scene instead of the anger building in his gut. “Sexually assaulted?”
“The first two victims weren’t. We’ll see what the ME says about this one.
Sean gave the victim a careful inspection from head to toe. “What’s that on her face?”
“His other signature. A penny.”
Careful not to disturb the scene, Sean stepped closer and crouched near the woman’s head. The shiny coin rested face up in the center of her forehead, bright beneath the harsh crime-scene lights.
He shook his head and rose to his feet. “I’ve seen enough for now.”
Without another word, the two men walked back toward the trail.
“Who found her?” he asked once they cleared the taped perimeter.
“A local woman walking her dogs.”
His eyes narrowed. “At this hour?”
Matt shrugged. “She lives a couple of blocks away and works evenings at a restaurant. Owns two pit bulls, so she’s not worried about walking the trails at night. The dogs pulled her in this direction. Guess they caught the scent.” His expression darkened. “She’s pretty shaken up, so I had a deputy take her home once she finished giving her statement.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, he glanced around. “Where’s the coroner?”
“There was a bad pileup on the expressway tonight. Dispatch said someone was headed this way about five minutes ago.” Matt dragged a hand through his hair and let out a tired sigh. “Listen, I know you’re on vacation before starting your new position, but I was wondering if you could get assigned to assist us on this mess. You know the area, and apparently, you’ve got a pretty impressive track record solving cases.”
He grimaced. “Uncle Dan’s been bragging again?”
“You got it.” The sheriff leaned against a patrol car. “Problem is, neither of my lead detectives was available tonight. Brad Lynch is in D.C. for his son’s wedding. You remember Jack Lynch, right? Think he was in your graduating class.”
“Yeah, I remember him and his dad. Last time I saw Brad, he was still on patrol. What’s Jack doing these days?”
“Besides getting married?” Matt stretched his arms over his head, then tilted his head from side to side. “He’s a doctor now. Cardiologist, I think. According to Brad, he’s doing well.”
“That’s good to hear.” Sean shifted his focus back to the investigation. “Who else is assigned to this?”
“Brad’s partner, Dave Farrell, but yesterday afternoon the fool fell off a ladder trying to rescue his daughter’s kitten from a tree.” Matt snorted. “The kitten made it. Dave’s ankle didn’t. He needs surgery and will be out for a few weeks.”
“And when does Brad get back?”
“Tuesday. Until then, I’m leading this myself. I’ll call him in the morning and bring him up to speed.”
Their conversation ended when headlights appeared down the trail leading into the park. A moment later, the county coroner’s black van eased to a stop near the crime-scene perimeter. Two men climbed out. One headed toward them while the other moved to the back of the van and opened the rear doors.
“You’re really starting to make my life miserable, Matt,” the gray-haired man said as he approached.
Griffin let out a weary chuckle and offered his hand. “Sorry to drag you out here, Pete.”
“Sure you are.” The sarcasm came through loud and clear as he shook the sheriff’s hand. Then his attention shifted to Sean. “Who’s this?”
“Sean Malone,” Matt said. “Special Agent with the FBI and a friend. Sean, this is our head coroner, Dr. Peter Hansen.”
The two men exchanged greetings and shook hands.
Hansen didn’t waste time on small talk. “Is this another one of our unfortunate women?”
