It was almost eleven by the time Noah and Kaely got to the park. They drove to the area filled with police cars. Kaely was quiet on the way to the crime scene, second-guessing herself. Why hadn’t she connected the second verse of the poem to Kennedy right away? It was clear she needed to focus on the poem. As she’d suspected, the writer was leaving clues. Still, she strongly felt she couldn’t completely trust them. What if he planted false clues to lead them in the wrong direction? Trusting the poem too much could be a mistake. She sighed loudly. Study the poem . . . but don’t trust it? Really? This UNSUB wasn’t driven by a need to be understood like so many other killers. He simply wanted to outsmart her. Outthink her.
They parked as close as they could to the scene and walked toward the area where the police were working. After flashing their credentials at the cop who approached them, they were directed to the officer in charge, Captain Terri Weldon. She frowned as they approached. Kaely wondered if the captain would be as easy to work with as the police chief in St. Louis.
Noah held out his creds first. “Special Agent Noah Hunter, Captain. And this is Special Agent Kaely Quinn.”
The captain’s eyes widened. “Did you say Kaely Quinn?”
Kaely nodded. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?”
Captain Weldon smiled. “We’ve never met, but I’ve heard of you. Glad to have you here.”
“Thanks,” Kaely said. “Can you tell us what you’ve got?”
The captain waved them over to where the body lay on the ground, covered with a special tarp that protected trace evidence without transferring fibers to the body. She pulled it back. A woman with blond hair was bound at her hands and feet. Almost like a steer in the rodeo.
“Yellow twine,” Kaely said. “It’s a reef knot.”
“That’s right,” the captain said, frowning.
“Any cameras around here?” Kaely asked.
Weldon shook her head. “Not in this section of the park.”
Noah knelt down closer to the body. “There are scratch marks around her neck,” he said. “She clawed at the rope.”
Kaely nodded. The woman hadn’t been in the water long. She almost looked as if she were sleeping. Pretty. Probably in her twenties. She wore a flowery dress, something that looked vintage.
“Any identification?” Kaely asked the captain as Noah stood.
“No. Nothing on her. We’re searching for a purse, but we haven’t found anything yet.”
“I don’t think you will.” Kaely sucked in a deep breath. “Anything unusual on the body?”
The chief turned and called out someone’s name. A crime-scene tech came over.
“Show them what we found pinned to her,” the captain said.
The tech nodded and jogged back to his van. He grabbed something and came back, handing a plastic bag to the captain. It was the drawing of an elephant with the number 2 in the middle of its body. Even though they weren’t surprised since Solomon had told them about it, Noah swore under his breath. Seeing it made an impact. Something the killer counted on.
“I take it this is tied to the murder in Forest Park?” the captain asked.
Kaely nodded. “Yes, it is. Will you send us what you have after you process it?”
“Of course. We’ll get it to you as soon as we can.” The captain hesitated a moment before saying, “Don’t call me crazy, but this killing reminds me of something.”
“Barton Kennedy.” Kaely said it matter-of-factly.
Weldon gasped. “You see the same thing?”
“Our killer is mimicking other serial killers.” She nodded at the captain. “That’s not for public knowledge. We’d appreciate it if you could keep the picture quiet.” Kaely sighed and forced herself to meet Captain Weldon’s gaze. “We almost had it. Figured it out moments before the call came in.”
The captain’s no-nonsense visage slipped, and Kaely could see the compassion in her eyes. “Don’t do that,” she said quietly. “It will eat you up until there’s nothing left. You’re too valuable to second-guess yourself.”
Kaely had to swallow back the feelings that welled up inside her because of the captain’s kindness. “Thanks. You’re right. But we’ve got to get this guy.”
Captain Weldon put her hand on Kaely’s shoulder. “I’ll give you whatever I have. We’re going to process the scene, but you’re welcome to send your own people in to go over everything.”
“We’re checking with the local field office,” Noah said, “asking them to let us send our Evidence Response Team in. I’m sure they’ll be okay with it. We appreciate your willingness to help.”
“We should be working together,” Captain Weldon said. “This isn’t the time for competition.” She gazed deeply into Kaely’s eyes. “We’ll get him, Agent Quinn. I promise you.”
Kaely desperately wanted to believe her.