It turned out Doc Maynard was in the neighborhood, and after receiving Brad’s call, beat them to the crime scene. He was crouched over the body as Gwen approached. Meg looked like a small, sleeping child, curled up with her knees nearly touching her chin.
“I don’t think this is the murder site,” Doc remarked as he looked up at Gwen. “Not enough blood, and with her throat slashed, there’d have been plenty.”
“Any other wounds?” she asked.
“Yep. Carbon copy of Carole Planton with the stab to the abdomen and superficial cuts forming the cross.”
“How long has she been out here?” CC asked, crouching next to him.
“Less than a week. No more than four, possibly five, days is my guess,” he answered.
Maynard quickly got back to his work. “Look here, Gwen,” he said. “Looks like the same green fibers on her shirt we’ve found at the other crime scenes.” He carefully plucked them from the body and bagged them.
Gwen said, “And there’s soil stuck to her jeans which doesn’t look like the surrounding landscape. It looks like potting soil.”
“When will you have time to do the autopsy, Doc?” Scott asked.
“I believe I’ll go back to my office now. I’ll complete the autopsy tonight when the crime scene unit finishes and my people deliver the corpse. Tomorrow’s Saturday, and I have a birthday party for my granddaughter to attend,” he said.
“Gwen, I’ll attend this one, if you don’t mind,” Scott said. “I know you and CC need to get to The Dive. Maybe I can even get Doc’s expertise to fill me in on what I can expect with Katie’s pregnancy. I’ll call Brad and have him cover the parking lot at The Dive.”
“Sure. That works out great,” Gwen replied. “I appreciate you going.”
“I’ll drop you women off at the precinct, and Doc, I’ll meet you at the morgue.”
“Fine, sonny. I can give you a few pointers…so you say your wife’s pregnant, huh? My, my! I remember when my Bessie had her first one…”
CC giggled and Gwen whispered in her ear, “Scott has no idea what a long night he has ahead of him.”
* * *
The Dive was packed when Gwen arrived. CC was already playing pool. It had taken Gwen longer than she had expected, since the parking lot at the precinct had been packed with reporters. She had had to weed her way through the throng yelling, “No comment” all the way to her car. So much for Brad keeping the press at bay. She knew it wasn’t his fault, but she hated the mob scene with journalists more than any other aspect of her police work.
Gwen hadn’t seen any reporters at the site where Meg had been found, but there had been a few onlookers pressed against the crime scene tape. Someone must have tipped off the newspapers and television stations. The story was already being passed around at the bar, and Gwen ordered a beer and listened. Most of the patrons had known Meg fairly well, at least in comparison to the other missing girls. With the exception of Reyna, the others were only acquaintances. There was a subdued atmosphere as they mourned the loss of their friend. They were befuddled by the knowledge that this was happening, and horrified that the women were being found dead. Someone had finally burst their balloon of hope, and replaced it with deep sadness.
The TV over the bar flashed to the now empty drainage ditch where Meg had been found. Yellow crime scene tape floated eerily in the darkness. A reporter had somehow connected the murders of Carole, Reyna and now Meg, to The Dive.
Ben looked on in horror, no doubt thinking that his business would be ruined. “Damn it all,” he said to Gwen. “I loved those women like my own sisters. We looked after them when they needed looking after. Ain’t the fault of The Dive what happened to ’em.”
“I know, Ben. I’m sure when the police catch the murderer, no one will blame you just because they were your customers. Just wait til this blows over,” Gwen said soothingly.
“Promise?” he said hopefully.
“Promise.”
“Okay. You get out there and play your game. They waitin’ on you.”
“You got it. And Ben? This one’s for you!”
She joined the dart players and won three straight games. When she was finished, she felt as if she’d worked off some of the stress. She had renewed resolve and determination. She would not only avenge the murders for the families, she would keep the promise she’d made to Ben.