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Day hiking was very different than those hikers who spent the night out in the wilderness. She expected to find a hat, sunscreen, insect repellant, bear spray, lip balm, first aid kit, and maybe even a whistle. She also wasn’t surprised to discover a roll of toilet paper, a lighter, a small pocketknife, and a spare blanket. It was the tightly rolled-up sleeping bag that Griffin could easily say was only taken in case of an emergency, but such unnecessary weight told of a different story. There were even remnants of some dead leaves stuck to the cord that was wrapped around the nylon fabric.
“It appears that Griffin took a break from searching for Ms. Hummel,” Brook murmured before announcing confirmation of her previous deduction. “No water bottle belonging to Hummel. Griffin spent the night up in those mountains. He’ll say that he was searching for his fiancé, but he used that time to find a spot and hide her body. You could play it two ways, Otto. You could ask Griffin about Hummel’s water bottle, or you could continue along with his story until he trips himself.”
“Not very bright, is he?”
“Bright enough that he used an opportunity to his advantage,” Brook said as a thought occurred to her. More like an inspiration on how to narrow their suspect pool. “Otto, keep in touch. Oh, and do you mind if I borrow Riggs again?”
“I thought you didn’t trust Riggs?”
“I don’t, but that doesn’t mean I can’t take advantage of his knowledge,” Brook replied without hesitation. She then brought herself up short before she could exit the room. Had someone spoken about her team in such a manner, she would have taken offense. She could at least give Otto the respect that he’d given her. “Do you trust him, Otto?”
“Yes.”
There had been absolutely no hesitation in the sheriff’s response.
Brook turned around so that she could face him. She studied the lines around his eyes and mouth, and his facial expression matched the confidence in his belief. She slowly nodded her recognition to his response.
“I’ll keep you posted, Otto.”
Brook had pulled out her phone before she’d even made it to the top of the staircase. She didn’t want Theo speaking to anyone just yet. Instead, she wanted to explain her objective in utilizing Riggs’ hiking experience and connection to the surrounding towns to lay some groundwork.
The profile suggested the unsub was a local, but the term was loose in its meaning within the context of the investigation. Riggs would be able to filter false information through to the communities that another cabin had been discovered, and that something had been left behind that could possibly produce DNA of the killer.
If the team deployed their strategy carefully and correctly, there was a possibility that they could lure the unsub out of hiding by spreading a rumor that a forensics team couldn’t be deployed for a certain number of days.
Would the unsub attempt to remove said evidence?
Before Brook could access her speed dial list, her phone chimed with an incoming call. She recognized the number. It was the federal forensics lab that had collected the evidence discovered in the abandoned cabin. She answered immediately and listened to the results as she descended the staircase. By the time she reached the main level, she’d received her answer.
“Thank you for the information,” Brook replied as she passed by the deputy and Lance Griffin. He was monitoring her exit, but she didn’t pay him any attention. He was Otto’s problem, and she wasn’t about to get mixed up with another investigation. “What about the Breen crime scene?”
The brisk air was quite the change from the warmth inside the B&B. She reached into the pocket of her jacket to pull out the key fob that would unlock the driver’s side door of the rental SUV. While forensics had found nothing useful inside the cabin where Luna Breen had been brutally murdered, the forensic results were all that was needed to confirm the profile. She once again thanked the forensics tech as she settled in behind the steering wheel before disconnecting the call.
Brook pressed Theo’s name on her screen, and he answered on the first ring.
“Helen Beckham was killed in the cabin that Riggs and Sylvie found last week,” Brook stated as she pressed the ignition button. The SUV purred to life. “We are officially hunting a serial killer preying on female hikers in the Smoky Mountains.”
Chapter Fifteen
Brooklyn Sloane
October 2023
Monday — 11:14am
“WayneUriel,ShawnCannon,and Allen Brixton. Oh, and we also have to include Gabe Raskins. He was also part of all three mountain rescue teams who searched for Carissa Norman, Helen Beckham, and Luna Breen.”
“Hold on, Little T.” Bit managed to lower the background noise of the prison’s waiting room. Sylvie had called Brook via phone video as she waited to visit her father. Sylvie might have returned to Washington D.C., but she hadn’t stopped working to put together a list of volunteers who had offered their time and effort to search for all three women. While there was no evidence to support Carissa Norman’s involvement with the case, they couldn’t discount her similarities to the other two victims. “That’s better. Go ahead.”
Brook leaned forward to grab her coffee. The carafes that the Moonshine Diner had provided had prompted her to make a cash offer in order to take them with her when she returned home. She wasn’t sure what made them so different from the typical carafes like the one Wyn had provided from the bar, but these things could sell for hundreds of dollars and still be underpriced. She settled back in her chair as she monitored Bit type in the three names to one of his miraculous programs.
“Bit, keep your focus on Carissa Norman,” Brook instructed in a low voice so as not to disrupt Sylvie’s update. Her blonde hair was contained in its usual bun, but her cheeks lacked their natural rosy color. She also had blemishes underneath her eyes that told of her recent sleepless nights. “Remember, mistakes are usually made with the first victim.”
Brook had no idea if Carissa Norman was the first female hiker who the unsub had targeted, but that was the name they needed to focus on right now. It might be wise to speak with Kirk Sampson again, but nothing had come to light in the interview that Otto had initiated with the man last week.
“Those are the only four male subjects who fit the profile, besides Riggs, Jace, and Dominic,” Sylvie said as she glanced away from her phone. She paused for a moment before continuing. “Oh, wait. There were two other men, but I discounted them due to blatant alibis. One has been out of the country for the past month, and the other one moved to the West Coast earlier this year. Neither were in the area at the time of Luna Breen’s disappearance and subsequent murder. Of course, those names are in addition to the list Erika provided us of the park rangers who fit the profile. Anyway, I’ve already initiated background checks on the three volunteers. You shouldn’t have long to wait for the initial results.”
“Fantastic work, Sylvie,” Brook said before glancing down at her phone. She’d set the device to vibrate so as not to interrupt their meeting. Agent Russell Houser’s name appeared on the lighted display, but she wasn’t too concerned that something had taken place with her brother. Bit would have been alerted immediately, and he’d been rather relaxed this morning, which was a feat considering that he’d already consumed two energy drinks. “We’ll take it from here. I don’t want you worrying about anything other than the meeting with your father and his oncologist.”
