Meyers shook his head. “You talk more like a cop every day. Are you certain you don’t want to apply for the force?”
“Yeah. I will pass on training. Plus, I am just a little too curvy to pass the physical.”
“Curves or no, you would make one hell of a cop.”
“I’m not arguing. I just like being a witch.”
“You are an amazing witch. I agree with your line of thinking. We need to search for a motive. We also need to talk to more vampires.
“I am going to start pulling files. Any vampire with a criminal record will be called in. We can shake them down and possibly get some information.”
“It’s worth a try. Just about anything is worth a try at this point. We need a real break on this case. I kind of feel like I am beating my head against a wall.
“The murders seem so random. The college students in the woods on a vampire’s property. A farmhouse in rural Texas and now another rural murder, another family.”
“Why don’t you come back to the station? You can use the police computers. There is a small private office near mine you can use.”
“Thanks. Good plan.”
There was not much left for Harley to do to the crime scene. She was mostly called in for her magical expertise. The family had been killed by paranormal entities, but not by paranormal type abilities.
They were killed by physical means. There had to be some connection between the killings. Harley just wasn’t sure where to begin looking.
The best thing would be to start with the first victims. If she went over her vision again mentally, perhaps she could find a clue.
She also planned on revisiting the area again. She would call and leave a message for Luc letting him know she would be searching his property again tomorrow. Harley hadn’t had the time to go over everything with a fine-tooth comb.
She knew she had to be missing something. There was some small detail that had been missed. One that would crack the case wide open. Of that much she was sure.
Harley decided to stop by a deli and stock up. She also let Mrs. Reyes know she would be home late tonight. After she sent that text she sent one to Cash letting him know she would be at the police station for hours.
She settled into the small office. The first thing she pulled up was a list of the college students from the first murder scene.
Writing down a list of all the names of the victims. She’d just received the newest ones. She had a wild idea and put all their names into ancestry dot com.
Harley spent the next three hours’ cross-referencing the victims’ families and their backgrounds. Though none of them were related they had one thing in common. They each had a relative that attended the same European college back in the 1800s.
This case just became more curious. She was reasonably sure vampires did not show up on the normal genealogical searches.
She had a hunch that one of the vampires living in the area had gone to the same school. There was a lot of information on the internet, but she doubted that there was a college yearbook online that dated back that far.
Harley would have to find another way to research. She didn’t want to bring attention to the information she’d found until she had some more concrete proof.
She took two more hours to make detailed notes on everything she had found. She would also consult with Emery when she made it home if he was still awake.
If he was sleeping she could always talk to him tomorrow. As it was she needed to get home. Her eyes were bleary from staring too long at the computer.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
The phone woke Harley up. That was two mornings in a row. She hoped, as she fumbled for the phone, that there had been no other murders.
“Harley, this is Meyers. No murders this time, thank God. I got a call from the Vinita police department. I know it’s out of your normal jurisdiction, but they are asking for you.”
“I can go. What’s up?”
“A car dealership was attacked last night. Rather the cars on the lot were attacked. Some of them were severely damaged.
“They have already had animal experts out there. Their guessing everything from an enraged Pitbull, to a Chupacabra, to Bigfoot. I know you will be able to narrow down or even figure out what wrecked the cars.”
“Shouldn’t be a problem. I will get my gear and head out. Is there anyone I need to report too?”
“The cops won’t be there. They cordoned off the cars, gathered hairs, took pics and left. Just ask for the manager or the owner when you get there. They asked for you by name, so they are expecting you.”
“Thanks, Meyers. If I have time, I plan on working on some evidence gathering later today.”
“Good. Let me know if you need anything. I have several new cases to handle right now.”
“Will do.”
Harley took a quick shower, dressed and headed downstairs to gather her gear. Mrs. Reyes was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs, with what looked like food packed for the day. She swore the woman had some sort of psychic ability.
She hugged and kissed her second mother, thanking her, before gathering up her gear and heading out.
The drive was mostly highway and just over an hour long. It was a good day to listen to the satellite radio. She tuned the station to 80’s music. It was one of her favorite genres.
Halfway through the ride, her stomach rumbled. She dug through the bag finding a succulent looking breakfast sandwich.
The thick sliced country bread had been fresh baked,
