Thankfully, it hadn’t begun to rain again as the news had predicted, but the sky was still dark, so Aidan was guessing their luck would eventually run out. It was only a matter of time.
Until then, Shaun and Aidan stood outside of the car at Clarks Hill Lake, brainstorming what they knew with what they presumed.
It seemed as though years had passed since they first found Maya’s body. Standing before the scene where she was found brought an emptiness to Aidan.
He flipped through his case files and began to read.
“Maya’s husband said she’d gone missing the week before she was found,” Aidan stated. “After she didn't return home and he hadn’t heard from her for a few hours, he called the police. Dispatch took the information but told him their hands were tied until forty-eight hours passed.”
Shaun released a low curse. “That’s a long time to wait when you know it’s out of character for someone to disappear without a word.”
Aidan agreed but didn’t voice it.
“TOD was said to be by eleven the night before she was found,” Aidan continued. “It’s about the same time frame for all the other victims, give or take an hour. So, he’d kidnap them and hold his victims captive for a week. But he never sexually assaulted them. We know he hit them repeatedly with a heavy object.”
“Like a baseball bat?”
Aidan considered the sounds he heard when the offender called him. He had come to the same conclusion. Before answering, Aidan looked at the autopsy photos and studied the cuts and bruises.
“I don’t think so. Whatever it was, it was metal. Slimmer than a bat.”
“So, what? Tire iron, golf club...” Shaun trailed off, staring at the scene.
“Could be one of those.” Aidan continued to scan the reports. “So after he gets bored of her, he kills her, redresses her, then he dumps the body here. He did the same last night with Jane at the Lady A Pavilion.”
Deep in thought, Aidan lowered himself to the ground so he could get to the other side of the police tape. They walked slowly to the scene.
“Maya’s body was found early in the morning by the teenagers.” Aidan looked at the file. “Around six thirty. They didn't see anything out of the ordinary. The girl tripped over Maya’s feet.”
They looked around the scene. Although the police tape was still protecting the area, Aidan saw the crime scene unit had cleaned it up.
“Her personal items aren’t on her. What does he do with her phone and her wallet? Her car is found where she last was seen. How does he transport her?”
“I think that’s the million-dollar question,” Shaun replied. He looked sideways at Aidan. “Did Devon Richards notice any other vehicle around the night Jane went missing?”
“No. He said someone was ‘standing in the shadows.’”
“So, when he selects his victims, he does so on foot.” Shaun narrowed his eyes as he worked out a theory. “Considering he doesn’t use a car, he’d need a way to take them to his home base. He can’t exactly carry them, right? And he wouldn’t have a shopping cart or anything because if someone spotted him, they’d become suspicious, and he’d have more unintended murders on his hands.”
Aidan saw where he was going.
“When he grabbed Jane Ridgeway, according to Devon, she was at her car. Which means her keys would be nearby. So, if I’m following you correctly, he could have driven Jane’s car to his home base. Later, he’d return the car where he’d originally found them. Either he has another car stashed somewhere waiting for him, he steals another car or he simply uses some public transportation system to get around.”
“You think he did the same with Maya?”
“Our guy is habitual. He has a routine and sticks with it.”
“Agreed,” Shaun said. “We need to take another look at Jane’s and Maya’s cars. We need to see the mileage.”
34
“SO, what did your uncle say?” Kent asked.
Jordan eyed the basketball goal, tucked his arms to his side and shot the ball into the air. It went in without hitting the backboard.
“He thought about it for a while and now that there’s a second murder, he wants me to lay low. Maybe take a vacation somewhere,” Jordan answered. He grabbed a beer from the cooler as Kent scooped the ball in his hands to swing it toward the goal.
He missed.
Kent jogged to the cooler, grabbed his can and popped it open.
“Sorry man.”
Gary Short was quick to snatch the ball before it rolled further away, then jogged toward his colleagues.
Jordan shook his head. “It’s crazy! I didn’t do anything, and Thomas is looking at me like I did.”
“I’m sure he doesn’t think that,” Gary replied, tucking the ball under his arm. “He just needs to think about the reputation of the station.”
Jordan scoffed. “Really? That’s what you think he’s worried about? I am the reputation.” He jabbed a finger toward his chest. “I made the station what it is. I report the news and people turn to watch me report the news.”
“Wow,” Kent replied. He sipped his beer. “I never knew what Thomas meant by you having your head stuck in the clouds. Now I see it.”
Jordan glared at him but didn’t respond while Gary held back a snicker.
“I told you not to go on camera the first time,” Kent reminded him. “Remember? When you got that card, I told you to go to the cops. You didn’t listen. And you’re the one who lied about knowing Maya. You didn’t even tell me you knew her.”
Gary arched an eyebrow at the statement.
“So, what?” Jordan snapped, glaring at his friends. He returned
