The events of yesterday had caught up with Cassidy. Her insomnia had returned last night, and she hadn’t fallen asleep until four in the morning.
Kyle had graciously allowed her to sleep in until he’d received a call from the sheriff asking them to come to the office for an afternoon update meeting.
The hum of the truck tires lulled her toward sleep. Between the late night and her injuries, she struggled to stay awake. The emotional impact of Laura’s car added to her exhaustion. She guessed she suffered from a bit of depression as well.
She forced her eyes open and checked the mirrors for her assailant. The drone attack and attempted hit-and-run had put her on edge. She trusted Kyle, but she’d be negligent if she left her safety up to him.
“I’m thinking we hit a drive-thru for lunch.” Kyle turned the heater on high.
Warm air flooded the inside of the vehicle. She held her cold fingers in front of the vents to thaw. The temperatures had dropped even further today.
“Food sounds good since I slept through breakfast.” Her stomach growled on cue.
Kyle chuckled. “Lunch it is. By the way, I got a text message from Keith.”
“Did he find something?”
“He didn’t say. Just wanted to make sure he’d see us at the office.” Kyle glanced at her and then back to the road.
Her shoulders drooped.
“Don’t give up hope. We’ll figure it out one way or the other. Either a serial killer is on the loose, or he’s not. But once the guys gather the evidence and we go over it, we’ll know how to proceed. And never fear, we are all determined to find the person targeting you.”
“Thank you for that.” Cassidy slouched in her seat. What did she have left in life? Her closest friends were gone. Her job hung in the balance, tipping toward disaster. And she waited on a decision on whether or not anyone believed her about the serial killer. People questioning her abilities was not an everyday occurrence. Her father’s words had propelled her to be one of the best. She had no doubt he’d be disappointed in her right now—and at the moment, she agreed.
After a quick lunch in the truck, Kyle held the door open to the sheriff’s department office.
“Thanks.” She hurried inside.
“Good afternoon, you two.” The lady at the front desk greeted them. “The others are waiting for you in the conference room.”
“Thanks, Annie.” Kyle placed his hand on the small of Cassidy’s back and escorted her to the rear of the office.
Voices drifted into the hallway.
They entered the conference room, and the others said their hellos.
“Have a seat, Cassidy.” Amy tapped the chair beside her. “I need reinforcements with all these men.”
Cassidy smiled. She had a feeling from everything she’d learned about Amy that the woman could hold her own. “Glad to help.”
“What did you all find?” Kyle scooted a chair back and eased onto the seat.
She took a long look at him. Dark circles stood out under his eyes. His stilted movements reminded her of the wounds he’d sustained. Well aware of her own injuries, Cassidy understood the soreness.
Amy dug in her purse and tossed a bottle of ibuprofen at Kyle. “Take that.” She glanced at Cassidy. “You too.”
“Yes, Mom.” Kyle took the medicine and handed it to Cassidy.
“Thanks.” She wouldn’t argue. Her aches had aches.
Dennis rolled a pen between his hands. “As a favor to me, the lab rats worked through the night to get us preliminary answers. Melanie called and said she has news and will be here soon. But Amy’s the one who called this meeting, so I’ll turn it over to her.”
“Thank you, Dennis.” Amy spread several pictures on the table. “After examining the photographic evidence, I have a few questions. I’ve chosen three, but I have others that are similar.”
“Which ones?” Keith asked his wife.
“The car accident where the driver lost control on a slick road, the home invasion and the mugging.” Amy pointed to each one. “I’m sure the crime scene techs did a great job, but I look for different things.”
“And?” Dennis leaned forward.
Amy grinned. “Patience, my friend.”
“Amy,” the sheriff scolded.
“I’m getting there.” Amy flipped the image outward and touched the cap of her pen at a shadow on the edge of the photo. “That, my friends, is a footprint.”
“Could it be one of the first responders?”
“Not unless they wore loafers. And here.” Amy tapped the second photo. “See the ruts on the other side of the road, away from the accident? I’m curious as to who made those.”
“And the mugging?” Dennis asked.
“That one is interesting. You can see a ripped piece of paper in the corner of the picture. I enlarged it. It’s not conclusive, but it has a similar design to 4Gen Tech. But it’s not enough to be certain.” Amy leaned back and swung her chair back and forth.
Jason scowled. “Looks like part of a business card.”
“That has potential.” Doug jotted down a note on his pad of paper. “I’ll take that one.”
“Oh, I almost forgot. Doug sent me a still of the homeless guy who set off his security system the other night.”
Cassidy jerked her gaze to Doug.
He shrugged. “I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have Amy look at it.”
“And I discovered that your culprit might have dressed in ratty clothes, but his shoes are of the expensive leather variety. Could be he found them, or someone donated them...” Amy let the statement hang.
“Or that guy’s not homeless at all, only pretending to be.” The creases in Kyle’s forehead deepened. “I want to visit the guy Jason interviewed. The one who witnessed Sandy and Michael Hughes’s carjacking. See if he recognizes anyone in the homeless community who might fit the description. I’ll admit, I’m confused if the guy is guilty of the shooting or just at the wrong place at the wrong time. PD doesn’t have enough evidence to make a definitive conclusion. But it’s worth a shot to talk with him.”
“I’ll send you a copy of the picture,” Doug said.
Amy scooped up the photos. “I know it’s not much. You asked me to look for odd and out-of-place things. Without hours to study each photo in depth, this is what I found.”
“Thanks, Amy. We appreciate it,” Jason said.
“No problem. I have to go, but I’ll keep looking.” Amy patted her husband, Keith, on the top of the head and left the room.
“Well, what do y’all think?” Dennis asked.
“I’m the one pushing the serial killer theory, and I think it’s slim.” Cassidy hated to admit it, but flimsy was accurate.
“We keep looking. I’m not convinced, but I’m not ready to call it quits.” Dennis’s decision to continue to investigate surprised her.
Melanie rushed in, breathing hard. “Sorry that I’m late.”
Jason hurried to her side. “Are you okay?”
“Walking is becoming more difficult without getting winded.” Melanie took the seat that Jason offered.
Keith slid her a glass of water.
“Thanks.” She took a sip.
“You said you had news. But take your time and catch your breath first.” Dennis checked his watch. “We have time.”
A moment later, Melanie exhaled. “That’s better.”
Jason sat beside her and stretched his arm across her shoulders. “Go ahead. We’re listening.”
“The lab rats pulled an all-nighter to do a preliminary examination of the piece of carpet Kyle submitted for analysis.” She pinned Dennis with a playful glare. “Thanks for that, by the way. It’s a good thing it’s slow at work. They’re not worth much today.”
Dennis held his palms up. “I’ll make it up to you.”
“You better.” Melanie returned her attention to the others. “Anyhoo, what they discovered was confusing, to say the least.”
“So, it’s inconclusive.” Cassidy’s shoulders slumped. She’d had such high hopes.
“I didn’t say that.” Melanie smiled. “We’ll have to complete a full analysis, but the substance appears to have a mixture of alcohol, and what we can only conclude was dry ice.”
“I don’t understand,” Kyle said.
“That’s where the research comes into play since detecting dry ice is nearly impossible. I phoned a friend early this morning, which led me to a search for confirmation.” Melanie shifted in her chair. “There, that’s better. Have you ever heard of vaporized alcohol?”
Dennis’s gaze narrowed. “I’ve heard of it but never seen it.”
“Neither had I...until now. It explains the lack of alcohol in Laura’s stomach content.”
Cassidy sat forward. “How does that work?”
“There are several methods, but I think the most likely is that someone used dry ice to vaporize the alcohol and forced your cousin Laura to breathe it in. It’s not only dangerous but deadly.”
“How would they make her inhale it?” Jason asked.
“That I can’t answer. But all it takes is getting the vapors into someone’s nose and mouth.”
Tears burned Cassidy’s eyes. “It wasn’t a drunk driving accident.” She’d believed it all along, but hearing another explanation sent a wave of relief through her.
“I reviewed the autopsy report and discussed it with Dr. Wade, the medical examiner. It’s my professional opinion that Laura died from complications due to vaporized alcohol. It’s highly unlikely she did this to herself, and Dr. Wade has made the appropriate notations in the document. We can’t officially make the determination, but it explains the BAL and the lack of alcohol in her stomach.”
Kyle rested his hand on hers. “I’m sorry I doubted you about Laura.”
His apology meant a lot, but the warmth in his eyes sent butterflies loose in her stomach.
“I don’t know, guys. She was right about this, maybe she is right about the other victims too. I’m willing to keep digging. What do you think?” Kyle’s gaze landed on each member of the team.
Doug tossed his pen on the table. “I’m in.”
“Me too,” Keith said, followed by Jason’s agreement.
Kyle shifted to face Cassidy. “Are you ready to prove the rest of your theory?” He smiled. His dimples showed, giving him a youthful look.
Her muscles turned to jelly with relief. They hadn’t given up on her yet.
She nodded, not confident her voice wouldn’t give away the effect Kyle had on her sanity.