Prone to Kill by Laura Rise

Author:Laura Rise [Rise, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Laura Rise
Published: 2024-09-05T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Rory stared at the evidence board, her eyes burning from exhaustion and frustration. The faces of their victims—Clayton Harrow, Talia Montero, Wesley Kade—seemed to stare back at her accusingly. Red string connected crime scene photos, witness statements, and potential leads, creating a web of information that, despite its complexity, had led them exactly nowhere.

She glanced at the clock on the wall, watching the second hand tick relentlessly forward. Four thirty-seven p.m. In a few short hours, night would fall, bringing with it the terrifying possibility of another victim.

“Damn it,” she muttered, running a hand through her disheveled hair.

“Hey,” Evan said from behind her, accompanied by the smell of fresh coffee. “Thought you could use this. Even remembered the almond milk.”

Rory smiled as she accepted the steaming mug. “You sure know the way to a woman’s heart,” she said. “Coffee and thoughtfulness.”

Evan blushed and glanced away. It was rather endearing how easily he got uncomfortable around her.

“So,” she said after taking a sip, “any word from the lab on those fibers we found at the Kade scene?”

Evan shook his head, his usual easy smile replaced by a grim line. “Nothing conclusive. They’re still running tests, but so far, all they can tell us is that it’s not from any domesticated animal they’re familiar with.”

Rory sighed, turning back to the board. “So we’ve got mysterious animal fibers, a cryptic symbol that may or may not be related to some kind of cult, and three dead ranchers with seemingly nothing in common except their profession. Great.”

“Don’t forget the agitated cattle,” Evan added, a weak attempt at humor that fell flat in the tense atmosphere of the office.

Rory’s gaze fell on a photo of Wesley Kade, his weathered face creased in a warm smile. It had been taken at last year’s county fair, where Kade’s prized bull had won first place. Now, that same face was cold and lifeless in the morgue, another victim of a killer they seemed no closer to catching.

A thought niggled at the back of Rory’s mind. “You know, we never did get a chance to do a thorough interview with Kade’s ranch hand. What was his name again?”

Evan flipped through his notes. “Uh, Jake Boyer. Been working for the Kades for over twenty years, practically part of the family. Lives on the ranch, too.”

“So he might’ve seen something.” Rory shook her head. “Why didn’t we speak with him before?”

“Because he wasn’t there,” Evan said. “Officers checked out his house. Nobody was home.”

Rory frowned. “So if he lives there, where was he last night?”

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