Woods was silent for a moment. Looking do at the ground, he cleared his throat. 'Let me talk to families. It's their choice, of course, but I think the should be cremated.' . :+ :
Robert started to say something, then thought better of it and nodded.
'
'Thanks.' Woods nodded to Ted, pointed toward the bodies. 'Help me load these in the wagon.'
Robert turned away, stared at the water. He found himself thinking not of the murders, but of the river. At one time, it was supposed to have become part of the Central Arizona Project, and for years there'd been talk of damming it up somewhere down the line, but the job had always proved too cost prohibitive. Their river simply didn't have the volume of the Salt or the Verde, and it did not flow through an area that would make its water easily accessible to Phoenix. Miles of concrete aqueducts would have to be built to connect the river to the rest of the Project, and in these tight fiscal times such funds were not available. Hollis and his partners in the Rocking DID had been grateful for that. The river, along with Rio Verde's close proximity to Roosevelt Lake, were big selling points for the dude ranch. And big moneymakers for the town. Rio Verde survived the winter from money earned during the summer season.
Robert wondered how tourists would feel if they found out that a vampire was prowling the river. lil' Rich stepped up behind him' 'D their Parents know?'
'They're on their way over.' ,-....... 'Who had to tell them?' i: I
'Who do you think?' Robert looked up. There was the sound of tires skidding on dirt, car doors slamming. 'They're here.'
Rich glanced toward the police vehicles parked in the clear area behind them, saw a van next to that, a frantically running man and woman hurrying away from the van toward them. A station wagon pulled in seconds behind the van.
He turned away, looked back toward the water as Robert walked over to talk to the dead teenagers' parents.
Rossiter was already waiting for Robert at the station when he arrived two hours later.
Robert got out of the cruiser, adjusted his belt. The FBI agent was standing in front of a white unmarked government car next to two other equally obvious plainclothes agents. All .taree were blond, had matching hairtmts and government issue sunglasses, and it was only a slight differentiation in the shade of their dark suits that enabled him to tell them apart. i
The state police officer stood by himself, next to his brown, not-so-new car, pretending to look through a note book.
Robert walked directly up to Rossiter. He was hot, sweaty, and tired, there were mud stains on his pants and sweat stains on his shirt, but he didn't give a damn. 'So are you actually going to try to help me, or are you just going to hang around and get in my way?'
''You need more help than I can provide.' The agent's voice was flat, but there was an undercurrent of resentment in it. Robert got the impression that Rossiter was angry at him for not yet solving the case.
He was angry at himself for the same reason, but he was even angrier at this suited asshole who was supposed to be providing him with help and support but instead was giving him only pressure.
Rossiter took off his sunglasses, coolly put them into his jacket pocket. 'I'm afraid we're going to be taking over this investigation from here on.'
'What the hell do you think you're--'
'You will still be involved and participating in a hand son basis, but the investigation will now be coordinated through our office. It's out of your jurisdiction..Because of the very specific and idiosyncratic nature of these crimes, and the fact that a large number of victims are involved, this has been classified by the Bureau as the work of a probable serial killer and has been given a number two priority level.
Our territorial fights have been established with the consent of the state police.' He nodded toward Cash, still standing next to his, car.
The officer nodded back.
'What the state police say doesn't mean shit around here.' Rossiter sighed condescendingly. 'Mr. Carter, you know how the hierarchy works-7..'.
'No, I don't.'
'Despite what you seem to think, you are not the head honcho here. You are answerable to the mayor and the town council, if I have to, I'll go through them. I'll bring court orders and federal injunctions, and I'll have you out of office so fast it'll make your head spin. The Bureau does not deal lightly with intransigent law enforcement officers.' He withdrew a folded sheet of paper from the inner pocket of his jacket. 'I have here a list of things that I need you to provide. Documentation related to the case. We are both working toward the same end, and I think it would benefit us both if you would cooperate.'
Robert stared at the agent, hating the bastard even more than he had before, but realizing Rossiter had all the cards, and Robert could play only if the agent deigned to deal him a hand.
Robert reached out, took the sheet of paper.
'I'll need everything by noon tomorrow. If there's anything that you forget or can't find, you can fax it to me.' Rossiter motioned to the other agents. 'Let's look at that scene.'
Rich shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He tried to tell himself that it was merely a leftover reaction from his own high school days, a residual fear of the principal's office that he had never quite outgrown, but he knew that was not the case. 9.. ' ;::
It was something else. ' '::: He stared across the desk at Principal Poole. The older man was appropriately subdued, the expression on his face suitably mournful, but there was nothing subdued or mournful about his eyes or body language. Rich had talked to a lot of people over the years, and he had developed a sort of sixth sense about these things.
He could tell when people were holding back or were outright lying by observing the way they sat, the way they moved, the way the other elements of their faces responded to the words coming from their lips.
And he knew that Principal Poole was not saddened at ' all by the deaths of the two teenagers.
'It's tragic,' the principal said, shaking his head sympathetically.
'It is always tragic when life is taken from people so young.' ,
Rich dutifully wrote down the quote.. 'Both Aaron and Cheri were model students, were irreplaceable members of our student body family, and they will be greatly missed. Mr. Cheever, our yearbook adviser, rmedme that the new yearbook will be dedicated two fine students.'
Rich closed his notebook. Ordinarily, he would have stuck around longer, asked a few more questions, just in case he needed to fill some extra space on the front page, but right now he just wanted to get out of this office. The principal was making him very uneasy. The air in here felt stifling, and the way the older man kept staring at him, studying him, set his teeth on edge,..
He stood, smiled professionally. 'Thank you, Mr. Poole. i Think I have enough here. If I have any follow-up questions, I'll give you a call.'
The principal smiled. 'You do that.' He stood, extending his hand.
Rich shook it. He started toward the door, had almost reached it, when the principal cleared his throat. 'Mr. Carter?' ':: ' '
Rich turned. v-:.: .:- :
'Can I tell you something? Off the record?'
'Sure.'
'Aaron and Chefi? They deserved what they got.' Rich stared at the principal. There was no dichotom' now between the eyes and the expression on the rest c the face, between the words and the body language. E, erything was in sync. Rich felt the hairs bristle on the bac of his neck.
'They were engaging in premarital sex, and they wet punished for their sin.'
Rich put his pen in his pocket. He tried to keep h voice light. 'I don't think they were killed because of skinny-dipping session at the river and a little back se boogie.'
'The Lord does not look upon moral transgressions lightly.'
Rich smiled thinly. 'I'd have to say we disagree on t subject, Mr.
Poole. But again, thank you for your time He turned to go.
'Your wife would not be so quick to dismiss this warning.' My wife?'
