Lucy’s. As she finished, she said, “I
can’t imagine y’all have a lot of crime out here.”
“We have the same stuff the big cities have,
just less of it, but finding a jawbone and possibly more of the
skeleton, now that doesn’t happen every day. We haven’t had
anything like this in the 15 years I’ve been with the
department.”
“What about any missing persons?” Wendy
asked.
Young knitted his eyebrows and paused before
responding. “We had a teen go missing about eight years ago. Never
found him. Then there was one woman who went missing about five
years ago. We never could figure out if she just ran off and left
her husband or if there was foul play.”
Before Wendy could ask any more questions,
the whine of more dirt bike engines could be heard. Stokola and
Young turned their attention down mountain and waved when two more
bikes were visible.
Kate and Lucy rejoined the group just as the
bikes pulled to a stop alongside the others. The riders got off,
both wearing backpacks. Stokola introduced them as Brian Moreno,
the coroner, and Jamie Doda, crime scene tech and photographer.
Moreno was briefed by the deputies while Doda listened and got her
camera out of her backpack. She pulled her long, sleek brown hair
into a ponytail, then both officers put on gloves and yellow
crime-scene booties over their boots.
Moreno pushed a small, bright orange flag in
the ground beside the jaw, and the photographer got to work taking
pictures.
“Done,” Doda said after several clicks. “I
need to get video, too.” She backed up and walked around the area,
talking into her camera. Eventually she walked closer to the bone,
zooming in, then turned and gave a thumbs up.
Moreno turned to the girls. “Can you take us
to the spot the dog led you to earlier? We don’t need you to stay,
just show us the area.”
Lucy reached to take Austin’s leash from
Vivian. “I think I could find it again, but it would be best if he
led the way.”
Vivian didn’t want to be separated from her
friends again, especially now that the cops were there, and she
held tight to Austin’s leash. “Is it okay if we all go?”
“Sure,” Stokola said, so the group took off,
leaving only Young behind with the jaw.
On the way up mountain, the coroner, Moreno,
said, “I can’t have my crime scene jeopardized, so please show us
the tree but stay back. In fact, you’re probably free to leave
after this. Stokola?”
She nodded. “If we need anything else from
you, you’ll hear from Deputy Young or me.”
Austin started pulling harder on the leash,
dragging Vivian along. Kate lingered behind. The tree with its
roots exposed stood out from the others, and Vivian could see where
Austin had been digging. Goosebumps covered her arms, although the
temperature hadn’t changed.
Wendy pointed to the tree and stopped
walking. “That’s it.” She looked at the coroner. “I hope you’re
able to find something.” She turned to Stokola. “Especially if the
person has been missing.”
“We’ll do our best,” Stokola responded. “You
girls can go now. Thank you for calling this in. I know it’s not
how you wanted to spend your afternoon.”
“It wasn’t what we had in mind when we
started out, but we’re happy to help,” Vivian said, and then the
girls turned to leave.
“Just to confirm,” Moreno called. “You didn’t
recover any bones from this site?”
Wendy sighed. “No, but do you mind if we stay
over here and watch you work? We won’t get in the way or interrupt
you.”
“You don’t want to stay for this,” Moreno
said. “We’ll do a grid search in addition to digging around the
tree. It’s a long, tedious process. You’ll be bored to tears.”
“You’re probably right,” Wendy said and
turned to leave.
Vivian grabbed her arm. “I don’t think we
want to see what turns up. I’m done with body parts for the day,
thank you!”
12
T he girls hadn’t gone
twenty feet before a
can’t imagine y’all have a lot of crime out here.”
“We have the same stuff the big cities have,
just less of it, but finding a jawbone and possibly more of the
skeleton, now that doesn’t happen every day. We haven’t had
anything like this in the 15 years I’ve been with the
department.”
“What about any missing persons?” Wendy
asked.
Young knitted his eyebrows and paused before
responding. “We had a teen go missing about eight years ago. Never
found him. Then there was one woman who went missing about five
years ago. We never could figure out if she just ran off and left
her husband or if there was foul play.”
Before Wendy could ask any more questions,
the whine of more dirt bike engines could be heard. Stokola and
Young turned their attention down mountain and waved when two more
bikes were visible.
Kate and Lucy rejoined the group just as the
bikes pulled to a stop alongside the others. The riders got off,
both wearing backpacks. Stokola introduced them as Brian Moreno,
the coroner, and Jamie Doda, crime scene tech and photographer.
Moreno was briefed by the deputies while Doda listened and got her
camera out of her backpack. She pulled her long, sleek brown hair
into a ponytail, then both officers put on gloves and yellow
crime-scene booties over their boots.
Moreno pushed a small, bright orange flag in
the ground beside the jaw, and the photographer got to work taking
pictures.
“Done,” Doda said after several clicks. “I
need to get video, too.” She backed up and walked around the area,
talking into her camera. Eventually she walked closer to the bone,
zooming in, then turned and gave a thumbs up.
Moreno turned to the girls. “Can you take us
to the spot the dog led you to earlier? We don’t need you to stay,
just show us the area.”
Lucy reached to take Austin’s leash from
Vivian. “I think I could find it again, but it would be best if he
led the way.”
Vivian didn’t want to be separated from her
friends again, especially now that the cops were there, and she
held tight to Austin’s leash. “Is it okay if we all go?”
“Sure,” Stokola said, so the group took off,
leaving only Young behind with the jaw.
On the way up mountain, the coroner, Moreno,
said, “I can’t have my crime scene jeopardized, so please show us
the tree but stay back. In fact, you’re probably free to leave
after this. Stokola?”
She nodded. “If we need anything else from
you, you’ll hear from Deputy Young or me.”
Austin started pulling harder on the leash,
dragging Vivian along. Kate lingered behind. The tree with its
roots exposed stood out from the others, and Vivian could see where
Austin had been digging. Goosebumps covered her arms, although the
temperature hadn’t changed.
Wendy pointed to the tree and stopped
walking. “That’s it.” She looked at the coroner. “I hope you’re
able to find something.” She turned to Stokola. “Especially if the
person has been missing.”
“We’ll do our best,” Stokola responded. “You
girls can go now. Thank you for calling this in. I know it’s not
how you wanted to spend your afternoon.”
“It wasn’t what we had in mind when we
started out, but we’re happy to help,” Vivian said, and then the
girls turned to leave.
“Just to confirm,” Moreno called. “You didn’t
recover any bones from this site?”
Wendy sighed. “No, but do you mind if we stay
over here and watch you work? We won’t get in the way or interrupt
you.”
“You don’t want to stay for this,” Moreno
said. “We’ll do a grid search in addition to digging around the
tree. It’s a long, tedious process. You’ll be bored to tears.”
“You’re probably right,” Wendy said and
turned to leave.
Vivian grabbed her arm. “I don’t think we
want to see what turns up. I’m done with body parts for the day,
thank you!”
12
T he girls hadn’t gone
twenty feet before a
Similar Books
