Page 79 of Race to Save Her

“What else makes sense?” Katie went to the board. “He has no record. He works at a restaurant as kitchen help, so isn’t in public view.”

“I see where you’re going with this, but…”

“What’s been bothering me is how the killer seems to be steps ahead of us. I’ve realized he has help.”

McGaven studied the board, the crime scenes, and locations. “The killer’s been watching you. How did you get on his radar?”

“It could be anything. Maybe he read about some previous cases? He wanted to leave the finger to taunt the police and I happened to be that officer.” She thought about it. “If Tyler took the chance to attack a police officer, he’s desperate. Chris said he was looking for something and getting frustrated he couldn’t find it.”

“For what?”

“I think he was looking for something at Shelby’s house that the killer wants—like something that would incriminate him or something that links Tyler and the killer. Like photographs. Maybe there was one that unknowingly placed the killer with Shelby.”

McGaven thought about it. “So that story he told about him and Shelby hanging out at the hotel…”

“It was a trap and we walked right into it,” she said. Katie was mad at herself that she was so careless.

“But we learned a lot and we may have a good enough image of the killer now, or at the very least a person of interest,” he said.

“We need to find out where Tyler is, but I’m afraid he might be a liability now.”

“And the killer might get rid of him.”

She nodded. “The next body might be Tyler’s.”

“Let’s see if his car has been found,” said McGaven. “Maybe we’re looking at this wrong.”

Katie followed his thought. “We could be. Maybe we should be looking at the locations and how they might be connected instead.”

“The body-part dumps?”

“Yes. We haven’t been able to get a hold of the attorney for that land at Heritage Road. Try him again or we’ll just track him down,” she said. “His name is… Jake Devaroux. Or why not track down the owner himself, Martin Sills?”

“Good point. Copy that,” McGaven said. “Leave it with me.”

FORTY-EIGHT

Saturday 1150 hours

Katie and McGaven found themselves near the crime scene on Heritage Drive. They had located Martin Sills and were on their way to meet with him. Officially, he was the owner of the land on Heritage Drive, though it still wasn’t completely clear what his connection to the property was, but the attorney wasn’t available and they kept getting the runaround. They’d soon find out the truth.

“I’m beginning to think that first property has some link to the case besides the obvious,” said Katie. “I’m beginning to think that everyone isn’t who they say they are.”

“I can see those wheels turning again,” McGaven said as he took a right turn onto Bella Lane.

“There are too many things that are unusual, but in a weird sort of way they’re beginning to fit like some type of puzzle.”

“A killer’s puzzle?”

“Everything that’s going on is crazy,” she said.

“Maybe talking to the property owner will help.”

“You spoke to him?”

“Yeah, he said he was Martin Sills.”

“How big is the land?” said Katie.