Page 27 of Lost Truth
7
Hayden leaned against a signpost outside the surf shop with Cady and Abby, while Mina and her team were in the cave. He stared at crime scene tape fluttering in the wind, but not even the warm summer breeze and glaring sunshine could thaw his frozen emotions.
How had something this horrific happened in the small beach town of Lost Lake? He couldn’t fathom it. Not at all. What would the locals think when they found out about it?
The news would travel like wildfire, starting with sparks from the large contingency of beachgoers and locals who’d seen the flashing lights and heard the sirens. They’d assembled outside the fluttering tape, watching the action, calling out questions, demanding answers.
Near them sat three patrol vehicles, along with Mina’s SUV. All were parked haphazardly, almost looking like someone had dropped them from above, letting them sit wherever they landed. Medics positioned three ambulances in a precision row with open rear doors facing the front of the surf shop.
Mina’s detective, El—Elaina—Lyons, had accompanied her inside, where they’d remained since their arrival thirty minutes ago. Hayden had expected Mina would move the women right away, but she said she would hold off until an interpreter arrived to explain to the women what they could expect next. Thankfully, a deputy from a nearby county spoke Mandarin and had joined them in the cave.
Abby pointed at a deputy erecting a portable canopy by the building entrance. “The canopy is a nice touch. Respects their privacy.”
The portable structure looked more like a tunnel, the fabric going all the way to the ground and one open end abutted the building. Mina didn’t want to parade the women in front of the onlookers, so she’d made provisions to back one ambulance at a time close to the canopy and take them out through the shelter for privacy.
“Mina seems like a very compassionate sheriff,” Cady said. “I suspect a lot of people in her position wouldn’t care about how the crowd might affect these women.”
“Agreed.” Abby’s vehement tone carried a lot of respect. “She can really empathize with people when needed, but she also has a tough side when it’s called for. The perfect combination, and I have a lot of admiration for her.”
She might admire Mina, but Abby was a similar kind of sheriff back in her day.
The crowd stirred, and Hayden returned his attention to the front of the building now hidden by the canopy. Dressed in her county uniform, Mina stepped around the structure and spoke to Sergeant Abell. The six-foot-tall, beefy man with buzzed blond hair raised a hand above his eyes and glanced around. Mina had made him the officer of record and put him in charge of logging names of anyone entering the crime scene. He also followed protocol to take photos of the crowd in case someone involved in putting these women in the cave had shown up to watch the drama unfold.
“Something’s about to happen.” Abby leaned around Hayden, trying to get a better view of the action. “Mina’s body language gives it away.”
Mina glanced over her shoulder at them and clamped her hands on her hips. Abby was right. Mina’s words and posture seemed urgent. Abell gave a sharp nod, and she spun to return to the building.
He moved to the tape holding back the crowd from the crime scene. “Okay folks, there’s nothing to see here. Go on about your business. Enjoy this beautiful day at the beach.”
He strode down the line of people shooing them away. They reluctantly moved back about twenty feet, but still remained glued to the scene. Abell marched toward Hayden, Cady, and Abby.
Hayden braced himself for whatever Abell was about to tell him.
The sergeant stopped in front of them, the sand swishing out from under his booted feet into little mounds. “Sheriff Park wants the area clear and that meanseveryone. So I’ll ask you to please step outside the crime scene tape, and she’ll contact you for your formal statements.”
The beeping sound from one of the ambulances backing to the canopy distracted Hayden before he looked back at the sergeant. “Is she bringing the women out now?”
Abell’s eyes narrowed. “As I said, I need you to move along. Now!”
Hayden had never liked this guy. He’d run for sheriff against Mina and lost, at times making her life difficult. She handled it well, but the guy had an attitude at times. Still, he was a capable officer and did an excellent job.
Hayden looked at Abby and Cady. “After you.”
The three of them strode to the tape and stepped under the flapping plastic.
An SUV pulled into the beach parking area, and Nolan climbed from behind the wheel and charged down the hill, the breeze whisking away sand his boots kicked up. He approached Hayden. “What’s happening?”
Hayden brought him up to speed. “Seems like Mina’s moving the women out of the cave now. Ziggy’s still inside providing information they might need, but she’s probably done with him by this point. Hopefully, now will be a good time for you to talk to her. See what you might learn.”
He frowned. “Don’t expect too much. She’ll see right through my reason for being here and won’t release any information she doesn’t want us to have.”
“Someone’s coming out of the building now,” Cady announced.
They all turned to look at the shop and could see feet move in a slit of space where the tarp met the sand. Moments later, the ambulance drove away, and the next one backed into place. The process was repeated twice more. It didn’t take long before Ziggy, head down, trudged out of the building and toward the fluttering tape. Sergeant Abell lifted it for him, and he scooted under as if fleeing from arrest.
Dragging his feet as he approached, he made eye contact with Hayden. “I’m glad you’re still here. You don’t think Kai did this, do you? I mean, he’s not the kind of dude to mistreat women. To treat anyone badly. I think he’s being set up.”
Hayden had considered that Kai actually went on a legit vacation, and while he was gone, someone broke into the building and placed the women in the cave. But who other than Kai even knew about the cave? Doubtful many people did. Plus, there wasn’t any sign of a break-in, so if someone did place these women here, they would need keys. And the women obviously recognized Kai’s name.
