“That’s most kind of you,” Amey acknowledged.
He hung his head. “But I couldn’t do it. I’m not ready to say goodbye.”
“Then don’t,” Amey urged. “Take all the time you need.”
Jacob brought his gaze back up. “I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to say goodbye.”
“You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for,” Amey replied. “One day, you’ll be ready.”
Jacob stared at Amey for a long moment before murmuring, “Thank you. I needed to hear that.” He shifted his gaze toward the trees. “I found Doris just through here.”
Lincoln stepped into the woods and was immediately cloaked in the shade of green leaves. The sound of warbling birds could be heard around about them, and a gray squirrel scurried up a tree with a nut in its little cheek.
Jacob walked over to a fallen log and stopped. “This is where I found her,” he said, wincing. “She was lying next to the log.”
“How was she positioned?” Lincoln asked.
“On her back,” Jacob replied, his eyes turning downcast.
“What about her arms?”
Jacob brought his gaze back, and he had a baffled look on his face. “Why?”
“We’re thinking that Doris may have been killed somewhere else, and her body was deposited here,” Lincoln explained. “I’m trying to determine how the body was staged.”
Jacob frowned. “Her hands were lying next to her body.”
“And her legs?” Lincoln pressed.
“Um… they were straight,” he replied. “Like she was asleep on her back.”
Lincoln crouched down and touched the ground where Doris’s body was found. “That is interesting,” he replied.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand why that’s interesting,” Jacob stated.
“Because the killer took great care to place her just so,” Amey answered as she came to stand next to Lincoln. “Furthermore, the killer took the time to deposit her body where someone would find it.”
Jacob furrowed his brows. “What does that mean?”
Lincoln rose slowly. “The killer wanted her to be found,” he replied decisively. “It could mean that we are dealing with a cold-blooded killer.”
“But why would this person kill my wife?” Jacob asked, his voice taking on an edge.
Lincoln turned to face him. “As of right now, I don’t know the answer to that question. But your wife may not have even known her attacker.”
Jacob looked perturbed as he asked, “Is that supposed to provide me with solace?”
“No. I’m merely speculating at this point,” Lincoln said.
“Do you need anything else from me?” Jacob inquired.
Lincoln shook his head. “No. Amey and I will search the surrounding areas and see if we can find any clues.”
“I wish you luck with that, but be careful going too deep into the woods,” Jacob cautioned. “There is a section that backs up to a mountain, and the paths can be quite treacherous.”
“Could Doris have traveled one of those paths?” Amey asked.
“No, she would have known better,” Jacob said, turning to leave.
Lincoln watched Jacob’s retreating figure before saying, “I can’t even imagine how hard it would be to lose one’s wife in such a horrible way.”
“I agree,” Amey replied, her eyes roaming over the trees. “If Doris wasn’t killed here, then where do you think she was killed?”
“My guess is that she was killed somewhere in these woods, and the killer brought her body here to be discovered,” Lincoln stated.
“Which makes me wonder what the killer was trying to hide?”
Lincoln crouched down next to the log and looked for any clues that might have been left by the killer. “What if Doris was killed by a spurned lover?”
Amey bobbed her head. “That’s likely, but Jacob has stated they were a love match.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time that someone didn’t know that their spouse was cheating.”
“That’s true,” Amey agreed. “Perhaps that’s why the lover took such great care with her body.”
Lincoln nodded. “Exactly.” He rose. “I don’t see any boot prints, or anything that could point us to who the murderer was. But that’s to be expected, since Doris was murdered three weeks ago.”
“We need to find that fabric,” Amey said firmly. “It might be best if we split up and search these woods.”
“Absolutely not,” he stated. “We’re partners, and we’ll stick together.”
“But…”
He cut her off. “There’s a chance that we could be wrong and there is a cold-blooded killer loose in these woods.”
“I can take care of myself,” Amey asserted as she placed her hand on the butt of her revolver.
Lincoln crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not entirely sure that you can.”
Amey’s brow lifted as she asked in a steely voice, “I beg your pardon?”
“I’m just saying that you’re a woman, and these woods are filled with dangerous…” His words trailed off when Amey turned on her heel and started walking deeper into the woods. “Where do you think you’re going?” he shouted after her retreating figure.
“Away from you,” she replied over her shoulder.
“Why?”
“Because I have an overwhelming desire to shoot you.”
He uncrossed his arms and let out a deep sigh. Were all women this cantankerous? Or was it just his partner?
Amey couldn’t believe her partner was such an ignoramus. Lincoln may be dashingly handsome, but he was clueless when it came to women. How dare he question her ability to take care of herself? She’d been one of the top agents at the Female Detective Bureau in Chicago. She had arrested murderers, embezzlers, counterfeiters, and many other types of criminals.
It was infuriating that she had to prove herself to Lincoln Hoyt. She tired of men always underestimating her because of her looks. They all wanted to protect her, but she didn’t need their protection. She could take care of herself.
Lincoln glanced over at her as they rode back to town. She could see the frown on his face, but frankly she didn’t care. Let him be upset. It was no less than he deserved.
They’d spent hours searching through the woods in absolute silence, even though Lincoln had attempted to make conversation with her on multiple occasions. Sadly, they were unable to find any sign of the fabric and were
