3am

Chapter 12

It takes us almost half an hour to reach the nature preserve. By then, it is fully dark. There is a traffic jam on the main road out of town, thanks to an overturned tractor trailer. So we have to run through the back streets, which are narrow and hard to navigate. But we make it.

At the nature preserve, the entire front is lit up with massive lights. And we can instantly see the crime scene tape. It is looped around a strand of trees just off the main path. As we approach, we split up. Liam veers off in search of the first officer on scene while I make a beeline for the body. It is just our system. At the scene, there are multiple things that a detective needs to accomplish before they can release the scene. Some detective partners work together in sync to finish the task list. Liam and I work best when we split up. Liam handles the questioning of the first officer, witnesses, the CSIs, etc. while I study the body, diagram the scene, and make notes of potential evidence. Then we regroup and share what we each discovered.

The body is yet again lying supine. It is clearly an adolescent male and Caucasian, with pale skin. He looks even younger than Leonard Mitcham was. I doubt the poor boy is even eighteen years old... I can't help thinking. He has black hair, with light blue eyes. What shocks me the most is how much he reminds me of my son. It is so eerie that I send up a fervent prayer that Becca calls me back and soon.

The young man is dressed yet again in a powder blue suit. There is the visible red welt just above the collar. The entire scene is exactly like the other two. Except for the location. I wander away from the body, my mind musing on the details of the previous two victims. A hand on my shoulder snaps me out of my reverie. Liam stands beside me. "Ready to head out?" he asks. "Doesn't seem like much to keep us here. Graham has arrived and should roll out with the victim in a little while. CSIs are already preparing to pack up, minus what they find underneath the body."

"Sure," I say. I give a last glance around the area and then follow Liam back up to the car. Once there, I check in with Sarge, who thankfully tells us to knock off for the day. We head back to the department to clock out. There, Liam asks if he can bunk with me for a couple of days. "Of course, bud. Want to swing by your place to grab your stuff?"

"Thanks. That would be great."

At Liam's house, we get the full extent of the damage from that morning. The house is still roped off, but the officers on duty are able to allow us to enter and grab some items. Inside there is fingerprint powder everywhere. Liam takes the stairs two at a time with one officer while I remain downstairs chatting with the other. We can hear drawers opening and slamming shut in the master bedroom as we talk.

"So you were the guy who went commando on the intruders...? How heroic!"

"No, not heroic," I correct him. "I only did that because I knew my partner's wife and kids were inside. And if my partner came back with the intruder, chances were all of them would have been killed."

"Were you scared?"

"Yeah," I admit. "I was scared that I would screw up and the kids would end up paying the ultimate price."

"But you weren't scared they might kill you?"

"Honestly? No. So long as my partner's wife and kids were safe, I didn't care what happened to me."

"Well, lucky for all of you, we caught all the home invaders/kidnappers."

"Are any of them talking?" I ask. "Have any of them said why they targeted this house?"

"Nope. They all clammed up and demanded lawyers. But we're hoping to get one to flip on the others..." the officer says, trailing off. Liam comes back down the stairs lugging his suitcase and his guitar case. He is listening to what the officer following him is saying.

"... so once they sign off on it, we will get the clean-up team out here to remove all the powder. Then you and your family can move back in. Shouldn't take more than a couple of days."

"Sounds good. Thanks for letting me get some stuff." Liam stops beside me with a nod. "Ready?"

"Yep. Let's get home and get some food. Chinese sound all right with you?"

"You know it."