CHAPTER 2
8:12 a.m., Friday, January 10, Lake Wappapello State Park, Williamsville, Missouri
Sean Stroud took a sip of coffee to warm himself against the morning chill. The temperature display in his truck showed thirty-four degrees. That was a little above average for this time of year, but for a Louisiana native it was just damn cold. After fifteen years as a Missouri State Park Ranger you’d have thought he’d be used to it. He wasn’t.
A southern wind had blown warm, moist air up from the Gulf. As it crossed the frigid waters of the lake it formed wisps of fog that hovered on the surface. The effect was haunting, yet peaceful. It was moments like these that reminded Stroud why he chose this line of work in the first place.
His cell phone rang, interrupting the moment. Stroud retrieved it from his jacket and checked the display. It was Luther Duncan, his sergeant.
“Morning, Sarge.”
“Don’t get comfortable,” Duncan said. “We’ve got a floater.”
“No shit.”
“Two fishermen found him, called our office. They said it looked like his throat had been cut.”
Stroud now understood why Duncan had called his cell instead of using the radio.
“I’ve already called the Highway Patrol and the Sheriff’s Office,” Duncan continued. “But I need to have one of our people over there right now.”
“Where at?”
“About a hundred-and-twenty yards northeast of the turnaround at Ridge campground, right at the top of the inlet there. At least that’s where the body washed up.”
“Anybody on scene yet?” Stroud asked, wondering why he hadn’t been called first.
“Don’t think so. Sheriff’s dispatch said the nearest deputy was fifteen miles away. State Patrol is ten minutes out.”
“I can be there in five.”
“Good man. Update me as soon as you get there and assess the situation.”
“Will do.”
Stroud terminated the call. He spun the truck around and activated his lights and siren. It was going to be an interesting day.
Stroud pulled into the campground and made his way to the turnaround at the end of the road leading in. He had switched off the light bar and siren to avoid waking the campers and drawing a crowd. As he drew close, he could see that there was no need. Word had already gotten around. The Ridge was a year-round campsite. The few hearty souls who braved the January weather were already up and waiting for him. Clearly, the fishermen had notified more than just his office. He parked his truck and got out, nodding to the folks who were gathered.
“It’s over that way,” one man said, pointing in a northeasterly direction. “I can take you.”
Stroud waved him off. “Thanks,” he said, “but it’s a potential crime scene. The fewer people the better. You understand”
“Oh, of course,” the man replied, nodding his head.
Stroud started through the woods toward the area Duncan had described. He was familiar with it not just through the job, but also because he had fished that inlet many times over the years. Soon, he could see the two fishermen up ahead. They were standing, hands in pockets, looking down at what he assumed was the body. One of the men looked up and spotted him.
“Morning, fellas,” Stroud said when he got close enough for them to hear.
They nodded a greeting. “Morning, Ranger,” the older of the two added. He held out his hand. “Name’s John Holman.”
“Sean Stroud.” They shook.
“This here’s my son, Jason,” Holman said.
Stroud guessed the boy to be sixteen or seventeen years old, tops. Too young to be seeing something like this.
“Howdy, Jason.” Stroud said, extending his hand.
The boy took it. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
It was a kid’s response, awkward, but polite. Stroud could only imagine how difficult it would be for Jason to process this.
“We camped here the last two nights,” Holman said. “Planned to do a little fishin’ this morning. Then, well…”
Stroud nodded. He looked down at the body. It was onshore, just above the waterline. As with all floaters, it was distended, the accumulated gases of decomposition being what caused it to rise to the surface. Notably, the smell was only slightly diminished by the cold. Some of the skin had sloughed off. Still, it appeared to be reasonably intact, all things considered. The icy water likely helped with that. It could also mean that this, whatever it was, had been a relatively recent event.
“Did you two pull him out?” Stroud asked.
“We did,” Holman replied. “I hope that was okay.”
“It’s fine,” Stroud said. In truth, he hoped that they hadn’t disturbed anything of evidentiary value. It was a natural human impulse to want to do something in a situation like this. Stroud wanted them to feel good about their attempt to do the right thing. He, on the other hand, would refrain from touching anything until State Patrol showed up. They would have the lead on a possible murder on state land.
Stroud bent down to study the corpse. The body was lying faceup. He could immediately see the neck wound. A forensic exam would give a better indication, but it did appear that someone might have slashed the victim’s throat. It was a deep, seemingly even cut. Not the kind of injury that could have come from a boat propeller or feeding fish, though the latter did appear to have nibbled around the edges. The condition of the body made it difficult to determine, but there did not appear to be any obvious defensive wounds on the hands or other major injuries. Had the perpetrator come up from behind? One thing Stroud knew for certain, whoever this was had not been hunting or fishing. The clothing was all wrong. He guessed the age at early to mid-twenties. Stroud was used to the occasional drunken partier who fell into the lake, or the fisherman who was knocked out of his boat and drowned after hypothermia set in. This was something very different. What happened to you, he wondered?
“Highway Patrol is here,” Holman said, interrupting Stroud’s train of thought.
Stroud looked up to see two troopers about fifty yards off, marching toward them. They would quickly take over the scene. He turned back toward the body. That’s when he saw it, a piece of nylon rope tied to the ankle. It had frayed and broke just below the heel of the victim’s boot. Someone had wanted this body to stay submerged.
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