Straight for the Kill by Winter Austin

Author:Winter Austin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Thriller
ISBN: 9781958686829
Publisher: Tule Publishing Group, LLC
Published: 2022-11-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Lila climbed to her feet, brushing the dirt and debris from her hands and knees. She arched her spine, hoping to ease the tight muscles screaming in agony in her lower back. Evidence bags, lined up in a neat row, filled a plastic tote next to her leg. Since Kyle had torn out of here with Elizabeth, Lila had worked to process as much of the scene as she could alone. She still hadn’t found Kerri’s phone. Given the way her boots had been damaged, Lila suspected Kerri had hidden her phone in one of them and the killer had taken it. Which meant there was something on the phone the killer didn’t want anyone to see.

The department radio remained silent with no updates on the search for Andrea or what had gone down at the Lundquist place. No one had called her either. Lila checked her cell again for missed messages or calls. Zero.

Across from the roped-off area, Fitzgerald inched along the weedy parts, checking for more evidence. He’d shown up mere minutes after the other two left. Lila put him to work helping her with marking places and photographing.

“I think I’ve got everything I can find,” she said. “I’ll let DCI comb over it to see if there’s anything else.”

He turned to her. Dark patches under his eyes spoke of no sleep. He’d admitted as much when he arrived to help her. Instead of resting, Fitzgerald spent his time chasing rumors and looking for Andrea, gaining no new intel on either front.

“Got a theory on this whole thing?” he asked.

It wasn’t what he asked but how he asked it that set off a red flag for her. “Do you know something about this area?”

“I know just as much as you do.” He shrugged. “Maybe a bit more.”

Lila crossed her arms and tilted her chin down. “Like, how much is a bit more?”

Her probing brought out his obstinate side. “Cripes, woman, I know what everyone else in this damn county knows. This is party central when it comes to illicit activity.” He angled his body and pointed a hair more northwest of the campground. “Not too far up this road is a backwoods bar that usually supplies the alcohol.”

“Is there now? Funny how the sheriff didn’t mention this tidbit.”

“Probably because she was hopping mad this place was tied to Kerri’s death.” Fitzgerald gave her a slick grin. Yah, he knew he had her on the hook. “I also know a certain two individuals who like to frequent said bar. Hide out there, in fact.”

“Ben, I don’t have time for your games. Spit it out.”

“You said Orville Patterson and Jim Thurnhall were the ones cleaning up. Someone had to have paid them real good money to make either of them work that hard.” He checked his watch. “This time of the day, they’re blowing that wad on food and beer.”

Lila checked her watch and grimaced. It was nearly five. She’d gone all day with no food, no sleep, and one miserly cup of coffee.

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