Page 7 of Coordinates of Death

Wait. Her words had sunk in. “Who is he? Can you give me more details?”

“Not here. Let’s visit the crime scene. Everyone has left, so we can talk there.” She reached for his hand. “Thanks, Kord, for coming.”

He loved the way his nickname rolled off her tongue. Sweet and gentle. It pummeled him back to their long talks in her backyard—away from them.

The Roche brothers—Sheldon and Sebastian.

He thought he’d put the toxic brothers behind him, but their carnage was hard to forget. Get them out of your head.

Kordell squeezed her hand. “Of course.”

She withdrew from his hold and hopped into her Tahoe.

Odd. It was like the breeze chilled her attitude in an instant. So much for wanting his help. Kordell tossed his duffel bag in the back and climbed into the passenger seat. Remember why you’re here.

After sixty minutes of awkward small talk on the drive from Whitehorse, Aurora pulled into Sweetwood Falls National Park’s lot and cut the engine. “The crime scene is just inside the park’s entrance. The coroner removed the victim’s body, and forensics completed their investigation.” She grabbed a tablet from her console. “Come on. I’d like your take on the scene before we begin the game.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Game?”

She made a motion of zipping her lips, indicating for him to remain silent. She opened her door and hopped out.

What was going on?

Kordell exited the vehicle and followed her through the entrance. Moments later, they stood in front of a cluster of trees. Yellow crime scene caution tape lay discarded beside a row of bushes. Multiple footprints tracked in the snow around what looked like an imprint of legs, reminding him of when he used to make snow angels during the Christmas season with his mother and father.

The Christmas before their helicopter crashed, ripping them from his life at age six. Everything had spiraled downhill after that.

He cleared his throat, attempting to erase the memory from his mind, and analyzed the scene in front of him. “I’m guessing this is where the victim was lying. Do you have any identification yet?”

Aurora tapped her tablet. “Jennifer Stokes. I knew her. She worked as an evidence clerk for us. Her husband had reported her missing three days ago. Unfortunately, we failed to find her in time.”

“What’s the cause of death?”

“GSW to her chest, so it’s pretty obvious. Our coroner, Dr. Sharpe, will provide more conclusions after he’s done his examination.” She raised her device. “Here’s a picture of the crime scene.”

He leaned in for a better view and whistled. “Wow. So the killer propped her against the tree to stage her? Any ideas about the suspect?”

“Are you aware of the Shadow Box Killer?”

Kordell hissed out a breath. “Yes. My sister-in-law, Oaklynn, is an expert on serial killers and was following the case.” Truth be told, that was when Kordell had first caught wind of Aurora again. He’d watched her press conference. “Didn’t he go dormant?”

“For two years. Some thought he’d died because I had wounded him, but my gut told me that wasn’t the case.” She tapped on her tablet again and showed him the screen. “This is the shadow box he left under Jennifer’s legs.”

Kordell’s jaw dropped when he saw Aurora’s name stitched in the velvet fabric and the message he’d left on the phone. “Is this why you couldn’t tell me anything earlier?”

“Yes. I’m worried there’s a mole in the department. I’ve been keeping abreast of your father’s squad. Very impressive, especially you finding the prime minister’s daughter. That’s why I wanted you and no one else. You’re good at what you do.”

Kordell squatted to inspect the indentation in the snow to hide the redness flushing his cheeks even in the cold temperature. He hated that about himself. A man who couldn’t take compliments, especially from a beautiful woman. You’re a goof. A name he often called himself. “Thanks.” He pointed to the tracks. “Are these from your officers?”

“Some, but not all. I’m guessing the crowd snuck in later to get a close-up of where Jennifer’s body was left.” She pursed her lips. “You know, those thrill-seeker types.”

“Why do you think the killer has singled you out?”

“Probably because I taunted him in the press release, plus I wounded him.” She raised her gloved hands, palms up. “That’s the only thing I can think of.”

“You never saw his face when you shot him?”

“No. I saw someone acting suspiciously. He was dressed in an oversize hoodie, and it hid his face. When I approached him, he drew his weapon and fired.”