Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126823 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 634(@200wpm)___ 507(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
“Random? Opportunity?” Zahra ventured.
Raine shook her head. “I’ve studied the crime scenes. This was premeditated, and the murderer chose each victim, waiting for the opportunity to be alone with them. It’s probable he drew the victim to him. Even set up a meeting.”
“I question the fact that none of them fought back,” Shabina said. “How were they so distracted that they were smashed in the head with a rock? Twice. Didn’t you say that was in the ME’s report, Raine? I can see the second time because they would be disoriented, but not a single victim heard a noise behind him? Especially after the first murder took place, I would think they would be doubly vigilant, especially the ones killed in Yosemite.”
“Shabina has a point,” Raine said. “We have five victims and not a single one was on alert? Why? Even the kid should have been aware of his surroundings. He was a criminal. He stole vehicles. He must have kept his eyes open.”
Shabina snapped her fingers. “You just named Craig Barker a criminal. He was seventeen. Lawyer was sixteen or seventeen when he robbed his high school coach. What age was Lucca when he confessed to the grocery store theft? He had to have been underage. I don’t know how the murderer would know if the others had juvenile records, but Miguel told stories about Lucca and himself getting into trouble all the time. We laughed at the fact that Lucca sleepwalked and confessed everything to his mother.”
Raine’s fingers hovered above her keyboard. “And Lawyer felt pressured to give an interview to a reporter since he wouldn’t cooperate with Bale. Not that anyone paid attention. But maybe the murderer did.” She began searching for a tie.
“Charlie Gainer had a juvenile record,” Raine said. “He didn’t have it sealed when he was old enough. He and two friends stole a car and went joyriding. They crashed into a guardrail and Charlie suffered a broken arm. No one died as a result, but the car was totaled.”
“That’s four of our five victims with juvenile records,” Stella said. “Who’s left?”
“The first victim, Deacon Mulberry,” Shabina said.
“I’m not getting a hit, but I’m looking into his hometown and news around the time he would have been sixteen or seventeen. Once I establish where he was living, I can hack into the juvenile records. It’s possible he had one and petitioned the court to seal the record,” Raine said.
“If he’s got one, and it was sealed, either the murderer knew him or they’re good with a computer,” Vienna said.
“This is interesting,” Raine said. “I recognize the name of this town. Deacon Mulberry is originally from Galaxy, Maine.”
Shabina looked up quickly. “That’s the same place Emilio, Freda and their little girl, Crystal, lived.”
“Are you certain?” Harlow asked. “That’s too big to be a coincidence.”
“I agree,” Raine said, her voice taking on that note that told Shabina her brain was already analyzing data and possibilities.
“Let’s say this Deacon had a juvenile record,” Vienna ventured. “How would that tie him to Felicity and Eve’s family?”
“They said they didn’t like Emilio initially, remember? It was only after Crystal came along that they accepted him,” Shabina pointed out. “Emilio and Freda met through their jobs. What did they do? I don’t think either of the sisters told me.”
“There was a write-up in their hometown newspaper when the family died,” Raine said, frowning at her screen. “Emilio worked as a juvenile correction officer. He was upfront about his concerns for youth. He’d been in the system when he was fifteen and again when he was sixteen. According to the write-up about him, he devoted his time to helping juvenile offenders turn their lives around. Apparently, he gives credit to a corrections officer for his turnaround.”
“What did Freda do?” Harlow asked.
“She was a juvenile probation officer,” Raine replied. “It seems that the two worked closely together for a year before they began dating.”
Zahra drummed her fingers on the coffee table. Her dog pushed her nose into Zahra’s other hand. Automatically, she slipped down to the floor so Misty could climb into her lap. “Emilio had a juvenile record when he was fifteen and sixteen.”
“What are we saying here?” Vienna asked. “That we suspect Eve and Felicity of these murders? That would be insane. What possible motive could they have? And how could they pull it off? They’re just learning to hike and boulder.”
Shabina stood up to pace. She thought better when she was moving. “Maybe not. Looking back over things they’ve said to me, I think it’s entirely possible they aren’t amateurs when it comes to hiking and bouldering.”
Harlow slid to the floor beside Zahra. She rested her head against the seat cushion as she watched Shabina pace the length of the room. “Like what? I just can’t picture either of them bashing in someone’s head with a rock.”