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“Because you believe there is some serial killer stalking his victims in our mountains?” Dominic asked right when the vibrations of her phone rattled the table. She casually picked it up, not surprised that Bit had woken up upon hearing his phone. It was too soon to have the background results of those individuals sitting with her, but Bit had provided the basic information on the two men. “We’re a small town, Ms. Sloane. You aren’t going to make friends by accusing one of them of being a murderer.”
“One, I’m not here to make friends,” Brook stated matter-of-factly, keeping her voice level. She kept both her cup and cell phone in her hands. She wouldn’t be sitting with these gentlemen for much longer. “Two, I’m not the kind of profiler who goes around accusing anyone of anything unless there is hardcore evidence to make an official arrest. I’m here to investigate a murder. It’s as simple as that, which is more than I can say for you.”
“Excuse me?” Dominic asked before his knuckles whitened due to the tightening of his grip on the coffee mug.
“Riggs, it’s my turn to pose a question to you. What would possess you to choose a member of the press to guide one of my colleagues to a potential crime scene?”
Brook noticed Riggs surprise at her question, but then his gaze dropped to her phone. He inhaled slowly as he shot an apologetic look toward his friend.
“Dominic isn’t here as a reporter. He’s here because he knows these mountains as well as I do, and he’s agreed to keep everything discussed out of the paper.” Riggs shrugged, as if his friend’s profession wasn’t cause for concern. “Dominic has helped the sheriff’s office many times on missing person cases, and never once has he printed information that wasn’t meant for the public.”
“That’s not to say that I wouldn’t like an exclusive interview with you once this is—”
“Dominic, I’d stop talking if I were you,” Brook warned him as she stood from the table. “I’ll make my decision before seven o’clock. In the meantime, there’s another pot of fresh coffee on the burner behind the bar.”
Brook turned and made it halfway to the staircase before turning back around. All three men were still focused on her, but she needed their attention elsewhere.
All three had grown up in Moonshine Valley.
Their insights were invaluable to the case, but only if they trusted her process.
“Jace, you’re having marital problems. You’ve been twisting your wedding ring since you came into the bar, and it has nothing to do with nerves. You’re staring at it like it has all the answers. Dominic, you’re having money problems, which is no surprise given your profession. You’re also a smoker. Stress is preventing you from quitting even though you know it’s a waste of money. Given the deep yellowish stain on your thumb and index finger, you’re up to at least a pack a day.”
Riggs held up his hand.
“Don’t profile me, Brook. I was just starting to like you.”
“You respect me,” Brook amended, having gotten her point across. “There’s a difference. Like I said, I’ll make my decision on Dominic joining the hike before our seven o’clock meeting. Enjoy the coffee.”
Brook had just reached the top of the landing when Theo exited the bathroom. A towel was slung over his shoulder, but he was dressed for a day of strenuous hiking. Normally, he would have gone for a morning run.
“You don’t look happy,” Theo pointed out as the two of them walked towards their designated rooms. Seeing as the banister afforded a view of the downstairs, Theo caught a glimpse of their guides for the day. “Locals?”
“Yes, with one of them a reporter for a newspaper. Dominic Ryder also has a nature blog that does quite well for itself. We can use that to our advantage, but I’ll wait until Bit can look more into his articles.” Brook stopped in front of her door. “Do me a favor? If we do allow Dominic to make the hike today, make sure you’re the one who is paired with him. I don’t want to be blindsided right out of the gate.”
Chapter Five
Sylvie Deering
October 2023
Friday — 7:01am
“LunaBreen.”
Sylvie used the remote in her hand to ensure that the victim’s picture appeared on the monitor. Underneath the photo were details that Brook would cover in this morning’s briefing, but there were also tidbits of information that could be of importance at a later date if they decided the woman’s murder had been committed due to personal reasons. Only time would tell, but Sylvie had learned early in her career as an intelligence analyst that there wasn’t one detail that lacked significance.
“Twenty-six years old, brunette, and single,” Brook said as she stood next to the monitor. Sylvie was sitting in a very uncomfortable chair next to Bit, and Theo was leaning up against the dresser that had been pushed into the corner. As for Erica, Riggs, Jace, and Dominic, the four of them had brought up chairs from downstairs and had placed them against the wall just inside the door. “Luna Breen was a physical therapist who liked to travel. She was an avid hiker, close to her younger sister, and belonged to several online groups that shared her interests. According to the missing persons report taken by Sheriff Otto Jackson, Luna’s mother and sister became concerned when she didn’t call them after a three-day weekend hiking a popular trail in the Smoky Mountains. One that can be easily reached near an access point from Moonshine Valley. They requested that a welfare check be performed at a B&B about six miles from here.”
“Hiker’s Haven,” Riggs interjected after raising his left hand. He spoke to everyone, but he kept his dark gaze on Sylvie. She’d noticed his interest in her yesterday. She didn’t like to mix business with pleasure, and that was the way it would stay for the foreseeable future. “Mauve Benson owns the place, and we’ve sealed off the room. Mauve is expecting you sometime today.”
Brook nodded her appreciation, although the team had already known the name of the owner. Sylvie had spoken to Mauve yesterday over the phone to inform the woman that a forensics team would be out first thing this morning. Brook wasn’t one to leave any stone unturned, and she’d assembled a team that made sure even the smallest pebble had been scrutinized during every investigation.
As Brook continued to cover the pertinent details to the case that Sylvie already knew by heart, she studied Luna Breen’s picture. The photo had been taken on a hiking trail, and it was in stark contrast to the gruesome scene they had witnessed yesterday at the cabin.
The woman in the picture had been happy, carefree, and living her best life possible. Sylvie’s heart always ached for the victims and their families. Luna had been robbed of a bright future, but there was no turning back time.
Luna Breen was dead, but that didn’t mean her story had been brought to an end.
