Crush - Alan Jacobson [15]
“You don’t know what you’re dealing with here, Lieutenant. If this guy has killed before, and I think that’s very likely, this is something you don’t want to fool around with. You need to get out in front of it now, before it’s too late. Ask Sheriff Owens. He’s been through the FBI’s National Academy program. He’s been exposed to this type of killer.”
“Then I’ll know who to ask if we find another body.”
“The woman from Silver Ridge Estates had a missing toenail. Second digit, forcibly removed.”
“Yeah, I heard all about it. Stan called me. You were at the morgue. Those are some balls you got there, Agent Vail. You sure know how to endear yourself with the locals.”
“We’ve offered our help, but you haven’t exactly been open to what we have to offer.”
“We’re not small-town cops. We can do our job just fine without the FBI’s help. Thanks for your concern.” He took a quick pull from his beer, then pointed the mouth of the bottle to a spot behind them. “Why don’t you two run along now and have a nice day.” He turned away, then walked back to his shovel and pulled it from the ground. “Let’s get back to it, guys, we’re losing light.”
Vail sucked on her lip but didn’t move.
“Come on, Karen,” Robby said, gently taking her hand and leading her away.
“WE’VE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN,” Robby said, as they hiked past the six-car garage, headed toward the Murano.
“He doesn’t know what he’s dealing with. And that means more women are going to be killed because he can’t put his ego aside.”
“Sheriff Owens understands. Let him do his thing, maybe he can talk Brix into asking the BAU for help.”
Vail sighed. “Fine. We’ve done everything we can, right?”
“Right.”
She squeezed his hand. “So there’s nothing left for us to do but enjoy our time together.”
“Right again.”
As they neared their car, the gate at the end of the road was closed. And Javi was by the guard shack reaching for his two-way.
“Gate is closed, yes sir.”
“Don’t let anyone in,” the filtered voice of Redmond Brix said. “We’ve found a body buried down here. At least, part of a body. I’m gonna call in CSI. His name’s Matthew Aaron. Let him through when he gets here.”
“Roger,” Javi said. “Uh, that FBI agent and detective are here. You want me to send them back?”
There was a long silence. Robby and Vail exchanged a glance.
Robby was holding Vail’s hand tightly; she was sure he was keeping her from turning around and running back to where they’d come from.
“Send them back,” Brix’s filtered voice finally said.
Vail detected a note of dejection in his tone. But it didn’t matter. She was already en route.
TEN
When they arrived, the men were ringing the large pit, kneeling and staring at something at the far end. Brix was blocking their view, but judging from his body language, he was not pleased. He was on one knee and his head was bowed. The guy with the camera was snapping away, his flash bursting like lightning in a night sky.
As Vail moved closer to the hole’s boundary, two of the men stood and moved out of her way. That’s when she saw it: Two dirt-crusted feet were protruding from the edge of the opening, the flesh partially decomposed.
“Hey,” Vail said to the man with the Nikon. “What are you doing? Why are you taking pictures?”
“I’m with the Napa Valley Press. I was covering the excavation of the cave. It’s historic. I didn’t think we’d find a—a dead body.”
Yeah, dipshit. I’m sure no one here expected that. Vail thought of telling him to shove his lens where the light doesn’t shine, but then figured the photos could be useful to their investigation. Besides, she had no right to tell him not to take photos. That was Brix’s job.
Robby joined Vail and got down on his stomach to get as close a look at the feet as possible. Brix rose and moved back, then wiped at his sweat-pimpled forehead with the back of his leather work glove.
“Karen,” Robby said. “Come closer. Take a look at this.”
In the burst of light from the flash, she saw what drew Robby’s attention. The second toenail of the right foot was missing.