Last Girls Alive (Detective Katie Scott #4) - Jennifer Chase Page 0,2

and surrounded by puddles of water, lay the naked body of a young woman—her pale skin like porcelain in the early morning light. Lying on her left side, arms twisted precariously, one in front of her bent body and the other behind. She looked like a broken doll that had been carelessly tossed away. The remnants of a rope dangled from her left wrist. Her long chestnut hair, wet and knotted around her face, covered her frozen expression.

Bramble couldn’t tear his eyes away from the body as the sun peeked out from behind a cloud and illuminated her fragile form in a natural spotlight. “Stop working…” His voice caught in his throat. “Stop. Everybody STOP!” He waved his hands, turning around to get everyone’s attention. “Stop working. Everybody exit the property now! Now!”

Bramble had never seen a dead body before and the young woman looked painfully close to his own daughter’s age. As his team downed tools and headed for the parking area, he bent down closer to the body, carefully moving down the hillside, and strained to see if he recognized her, searching for anything around her that might identify her.

Slipping his hand into his pocket, he stood up, swallowed hard and composed himself—still not fully believing what he was seeing. He knew enough from watching true crime shows on TV to keep the area clear to avoid contaminating the crime scene, but all he could do now was dial 911.

Two

Monday 0805 hours

Detective Katie Scott kept her pace as she weaved around several clusters of trees on the rural hiking path. Her long dark hair, tied back in a ponytail, swung in time with her fast stride. The cool morning air filled her lungs. It was the part of the day she loved the most; fresh and clear. The forest around her clung to the incredible scent of the mountains after the rain and the leaves were beginning to turn brown. Summer was nearly over and the fall season was fast approaching.

Dressed in dark navy running pants and a lavender hoodie, she could feel the perspiration trickle down the back of her neck. The contrast of hot and cold invigorated her and she pushed her pace even harder until she reached a lookout area at the top of the track with a magnificent view of the valley.

There she waited—still moving her limbs to help keep the blood flowing, catching her breath and enjoying the beautiful pattern the trees, peaks, and valleys formed. The landscape was lit up by the early sun in a stunning canvas of orange and green. A few predatory birds glided around her, searching out small mammals.

It was the perfect way to contemplate what the day would bring, but her mind was never far from her time in Afghanistan as a K9 explosives handler. Nothing would ever totally block those memories—both good and bad—but she was now learning how to cope.

She tried to cope every day. To survive. Taking deep slow breaths, Katie felt her pulse returning to normal.

“Hey,” came a man’s voice lagging up the trail behind her.

Katie turned and smiled. “What took you so long?” she replied lightly.

“You’re not the one carrying an extra fifteen to twenty pounds. You left me in the dust. Partners don’t do that,” huffed Deputy Sean McGaven.

“You asked me to help with your training. I’m not going to hold your hand,” she said with a laugh.

“Yeah, well, in case you haven’t noticed this isn’t the army, no matter what your credentials say.” He stopped beside Katie, towering over her with his six-foot six-inch height in matching sweats and hoodie. His complexion was ruddy and his light red hair closely cropped. With his hands firmly set on his hips, he waited for his breathing to return to normal.

“You’re doing just fine,” she said. “Really.”

“Oh great, that’s encouraging, just before my heart attack.”

“You’re not going to have a heart attack. It’s always hard to get back into running again.”

He turned and enjoyed the view for a moment. “This detective work has kept me confined to an office too much. And…” He hesitated. “Being in the hospital laid up for over a week didn’t help. And for some reason, desk work makes me extra hungry. So,” he gestured to his stomach area.

Katie stretched her calves and hamstrings. “Don’t forget Denise’s fantastic cooking.” She laughed. Denise worked as a supervisor in the sheriff’s department’s records division—and McGaven had been dating her for more than six months.

He didn’t respond immediately, still thinking about it.