Kara directed me to a construction site on the other side of town and before I headed that way, I asked if I should drop her at the newspaper office so she could drive herself there. But it was in the opposite direction and I already knew her answer. She didn’t want to waste a second backtracking to the office. Besides, she had everything she needed for a story—the camera she always had with her in her satchel, as well as her notebook computer.
I said, “This is where they’re constructing that new high-rise office building. It’s rumored to be some big company relocating and bringing in plenty of white-collar jobs.”
“Can you go faster? I want to be on the scene and talk to Candace before she leaves or gets too busy with interviews and canvassing and all that police stuff.”
“Those wineglasses in the back are fragile and—”
“Lynn packed them well and so did we. Please step on it, Jillian.”
“Okay, but if I hear clinking glass, I’m slowing down.” I pressed on the gas pedal. The entire police force was probably at the site, so I surely wasn’t at risk of getting a speeding ticket. Besides, I was certain this happened to be new construction Rhett Marner managed. I was as curious as Kara about what had happened there.
A vast area that looked like the planned parking lot for the office building was partially cordoned off with crime scene tape. We couldn’t get very close to the spot where officers stood looking down at what I assumed was the body Kara mentioned.
A cement truck rattled by my van, apparently leaving without dumping its load. It kicked up the gravel from the temporary roads and parking area where my van now sat. At least I assumed it hadn’t poured any concrete, because I couldn’t spot any. Someone had placed plywood over the rebar crosshatch that was prepared in the area that would be poured. Before I even killed the engine, a shiver ran up both arms. Something awful had happened here. I could tell by the look on Candace’s face as she talked to Morris Ebeling, her partner, and the chief of Mercy PD, Mike Baca.
Then I spied an additional sight that only added to my discomfort. Lydia Monk was standing behind Mike, hands on hips. One high-heeled, booted toe tapped impatiently. How could she walk around this precarious place with those silly boots on? The last thing Candace and Mike needed was a coroner’s investigator with an ego the size of that office building, but that was what Lydia was and they were stuck with her. Why couldn’t Lydia just do her job—which was basically to take down the facts and report to the elected county coroner—and leave Candace and the rest of the force alone?
After Kara took in the scene as I had done, she slid out of the passenger seat, camera ready. Was this more trouble for Rhett Marner? An industrial accident? Or something more sinister? Or had someone thought they found the perfect spot to hide a body forever?
I stayed put, not wanting to interfere, but Kara carefully maneuvered on the plywood paths in place. She stopped when she reached the crime scene tape. Deputy Lois Jewel, notebook in hand, was making sure no one breached the barrier. She nodded at Kara and smiled briefly, but I could tell she was trying to block Kara’s view of what was happening beyond that tape. Trouble was, I couldn’t spot much of anything myself. I expected to at least catch sight of a covered body, but didn’t. What was everyone standing around for? Usually there was plenty going on when a body was found.
While Kara took photos of the office building, the unfinished parking lot and the area where the police had gathered, a pickup truck arrived and two men, maybe mid-forties, got out and hurried around to the back of the truck. They each hefted a large handheld saw out of the truck bed. The saws had scary-looking circular blades and I worried they might hurt themselves as they ran to where Lois and Kara stood. Oh, wait, I thought. There must be guards on the saws. The men wouldn’t run with giant, jagged blades next to their legs.
Lois wrote in her notebook before she lifted the crime scene tape and pointed to the plywood path leading to where everyone was gathered. She was probably making sure they stayed right on those planks so as not to destroy any potential evidence.
As Kara took pictures of them talking to the chief, my curiosity could no longer be contained. I had to find out what the heck was going on.
Lois greeted me with a warm smile, thank goodness. She was an “all business” kind of cop, but we’d become friends during my frequent visits to Candace at the station. That friendship must have counted for something, because she didn’t object to me hanging around where I probably shouldn’t be.
Kara seemed not to notice that I now stood beside her. She’d lifted her camera again and was watching as Candace and Morris unfolded what looked like a brand-new tarp. From what I could tell as they knelt, the two of them were carefully fitting the tarp beneath the rebar, folding and unfolding as they painstakingly completed their task.
Kara mumbled, “Protecting the body.”
“So there is a body?” I didn’t know why I said that. Maybe I was hoping against hope everyone was wrong.
Neither Lois nor Kara replied. They didn’t have to.
Once the tarp was in place, the men with saws got to work cutting away the rebar. The noise was jarring in the late-morning quiet. Then I had a puzzling thought. Why wasn’t the fire department here to do this job? Surely they had saws and tarps and equipment to handle this? They always showed up at times like this.
I asked Lois and she said, “Because for now, the chief wants this kept quiet and you know how those young firemen love to talk. Puts teenage girls to shame the way they gossip. That’s why this didn’t go out on the scanner.” Lois eyed me, her stare serious. “That means you and your daughter better keep this quiet until the chief gives the okay.”
The police were keeping a secret from the firemen? That was a first. Something about whatever had happened here was different.
Kara, her gaze still on the unfolding drama, addressed Lois in a curt tone. “If there’s a serious crime involved, I never print a story that hasn’t been approved through police channels. We don’t shout out about anything that might jeopardize an investigation.”
“I know. I’m just doing my job, Kara,” Lois replied.
“Is this a murder?” I glanced between Lois and Kara.
Lois’s lips tightened into a line. She looked toward the work being done and remained silent.
“Kara?” I touched her arm.
“Well, you don’t get buried under dirt, gravel and rebar, and perhaps even concrete—which I’m guessing was about to happen if not for an observant someone—by accident.”
“Oh. The body’s buried.” I felt silly then. That meant this interment was premeditated, planned to make someone disappear forever—a thought that made my skin crawl.