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Jenna moved closer and used her sleeve to protect the phone from the downpour. “If you could state your name for the record and details, we’ll type this up when we get back to the office, and if you could drop by to sign it, we’d appreciate it.”
“Not a problem.” Rain dripped from the man’s hood. “I’ll be back first thing in the morning, I’ll drop by then.” He gave his details and stared at Jenna expectantly.
“If you could give us a timeline of events, it would help.” Kane moved closer to Jenna. “What time did you arrive?”
“I’ve been here about two hours, maybe a little longer. So I arrived around two. I went to have a meal. Met a couple of buddies and we talked about the weather. We waited for the next weather update as the road to Blackwater is prone to flooding. That came at three-thirty. I called my boss about the pickup in Blackwater. I needed to know when they’d be ready to load my truck. Then I came out here at four and found the body. I didn’t touch anything just jumped into my cab and called 911.” He shuddered. “That pickup wasn’t there when I arrived, so it’s been there about two hours, maybe more now.”
Nodding, Jenna had just about everything she needed. “Did you notice anyone leaving around the time you found the body?”
“Nope.” The man shrugged. “Vehicles come and go all the time. I don’t usually take much notice, but you can see how close the pickup is to my truck. It would be difficult to miss it.”
Wolfe’s medical examiner van drove into the parking lot and stopped behind the pickup. Jenna looked back at the man. “Thank you for your assistance. I’ll have the statement typed up and ready for you to sign before I leave this afternoon, so whenever you can drop by, we’d appreciate it.”
“Okay.” The man turned away and climbed into his truck and then started the engine. In a cloud of diesel fumes and crunching of gravel, the eighteen-wheeler headed for the highway.
“What have we got here?” Wolfe circled the pickup as he pulled on examination gloves. “Has anyone touched anything?”
“Not that we’re aware.” Kane pulled on examination gloves, went to Wolfe’s side and brought him up to speed. “It can’t be a copycat because we haven’t released anything to the press about the other murders.”
“It appears to be the same MO, but why the sudden change of location?” Wolfe leaned inside the pickup to examine the body. “No smell of decomposition yet, which would make me believe that the timeline offered by the witness is correct.” He went to his bag to collect instruments to take the temperature of the body. He turned to Colt Webber, who was waiting for instructions. “Record the air temperature, the temperature inside of the truck, the weather, and the time.”
Jenna stood back to give him room to move. “Is there anything you want us to do?”
“Yeah. Take a video of the scene.” Wolfe bagged the victim’s hands. “I recognize her. Doesn’t she work at Aunt Betty’s Café?”
“I’ll run the plates.” Kane walked back to the Beast to use the mobile data terminal.
Stomach rolling, Jenna peered closer at the victim. The face was distorted and the mouth hung open. “Yeah, it could be the new girl. Ah… what was her name? Leona?”
“I think that’s her.” Wolfe straightened and gave the body temperature reading to Webber to add to his notes. “It’s too wet to do a forensic sweep here. I’ll need to tow the vehicle back to the morgue garage. We’ll remove the body out of the rain.” He reached for his phone. “I’ll call Miller’s Garage and they’ll send someone out. You might as well head back to the office. I won’t have anything for you today. I’ll call you in the morning.” He straightened and shut the door. “I’ll wait in my van for the tow truck.”
“Thanks.” Kane slapped him on the back, sending splashes of water in all directions.
Jenna peered around the parking lot. Being a back lot, usually used for parking trucks overnight, it wasn’t overlooked by the roadhouse. She looked at Kane. “I would go and ask people at the roadhouse if they’d seen the victim’s pickup arrive, but unless they followed them into the parking lot, the pickup would have been hidden between the eighteen-wheelers.”
“I guess we should cover all possibilities.” Kane turned toward the Beast.
Inside the roadhouse, they went to the four people eating and asked them about the pickup. Not one of them had seen it arrive. One man did mention a hitchhiker dropping by and taking a ride into town with one of the drivers. “What did he look like?”
“Six-feet, brown jacket, cowboy boots and hat. He was wet through.” The customer shook his head. “I didn’t see his face.”
“What time was this, do you recall?” Kane stared at him.
“Around three, I believe.” The man rubbed his chin. “I can’t swear on it.”
“Okay, thanks.” Kane looked at Jenna as they walked to the door. “Sounds like the same guy.”
Once inside the Beast, Jenna called Rowley and brought him up to date. “Did you find the two suspects?”
“The woodcarver, Holden, wasn’t home. There was a sign on his door saying he’d be back in one hour and we’re just leaving the ranch now.” Through the speaker came the sound of footsteps on gravel and then the slamming of a door as Rowley climbed into the truck. “Strauss isn’t there either. His boss said he’s been back and forth all day. Couldn’t say what time.”
Sighing, Jenna pushed wet hair from her face. “So we have nothing.”
“I’m sorry, Jenna.” Rowley gave a slight shake of his head. “We spoke to the store holders either side of Holden’s store and neither noticed when he left.”
Wiping her face on a tissue, Jenna shrugged. “Okay. You might as well call it a day. We believe the victim is Leona, the new server at Aunt Betty’s Café. We’ll drop by and speak to Susie. I’ll need next of kin and she’ll have that on her records.”
“I wouldn’t like to be identifying the body, if it’s the same as the others.” Rowley grimaced. “I hope Susie can help.”
