All the Beautiful Brides Read Free Page B

up at Cal, his color pasty gray. In spite of the cold, a fine coat of sweat beaded his skin. “Can I go now?”
    The deputy glanced at Cal. “His name is Joey Lamb. I got his statement and contact information.”
    Cal crossed his arms. “Do you mind running through what happened again?”
    Joey jiggled his leg up and down. “I was hiking and found her like that.” He pointed to the poor woman. “What kind of sick creep does such a thing?”
    “That’s what we intend to find out,” Cal said. “Did you touch her?”
    “Hell, no. I mean, I could tell she was dead, so I called nine-one-one.”
    “You come hiking in weather like this a lot?”
    Joey’s shaggy, dark hair brushed the collar of his insulated jacket as he shook his head. “I’m taking a photography class, and the teacher’s running a contest. I came to take some pictures of the falls and the woods—you know, the ice and snow on the mountains.” He dug his boot into the sludge at his feet. “Thought maybe I’d capture the image of the dead girls’ faces they say you can see on the side of the ridge, but I didn’t see ’em.” He coughed into his gloves as if he realized the implications as he looked at the victim. “I never expected to find an actual dead girl.”
    “You camped here last night?”
    Joey pointed to the hills. “Up the mountain a few miles. Brought a night lens hoping to see the water turn red like some of the locals claim. They say it’s the girls’ tears turning to blood. That’s why they nicknamed this mountain ‘Teardrop Mountain.’ It’s supposed to show up at dawn and sunset. Figured I could win the contest with a shot like that. Winner gets a thousand bucks.”
    Cal picked up the travel backpack. “Mind if I look in here?”
    Joey muttered something under his breath but shrugged, and Cal unzipped the bag. He rummaged through it but found nothing suspicious. An extra camera lens and memory card. Snack bars, a water bottle, tarp, sleeping bag. There was a pocketknife, but it had no blood on it.
    Cal shoved the backpack toward the kid. “Did you see or hear anyone else around?”
    “No. Spotted a few deer and thought I saw a coyote. But no people.”
    The deputy’s phone buzzed, and he answered the call. “Yeah, come on up.” He pocketed the phone and looked at Cal. “Crime team and medical examiner are here.”
    “Good, maybe the ME can establish time of death.” Cal turned back to the boy. “One more thing, Joey. Did you take pictures of the woman?”
    A guilty look flashed across the young man’s face. “I . . . just a couple. For my class.”
    Damn Internet-crazed generation. Probably took a selfie posed beside her. “Let me see your camera and phone.”
    Joey handed over the camera, then his cell phone.
    “You text or email the pics to anyone?” Cal asked.
    “No, not yet.”
    “And you aren’t going to. These might be evidence.” Cal texted the pictures from the guy’s phone to his, then deleted them. Next, he removed the memory card from the camera.
    “I need those other pictures on the card, man,” Joey said.
    “I’ll get them back to you as soon as CSI processes them.”
    Joey didn’t look happy, but he gave a resigned nod.
    “And don’t leave town. We might need to talk to you again.”
    That comment brought alarm to the young man’s face, and he snatched his camera. “Can I go now?”
    Cal nodded, and the boy headed down the trail just as the medical examiner and crime team appeared.

CHAPTER FOUR
    The scent of death swirled in the air, the wind raging off the mountain screeching a reminder that winter could kill with its brutal force.
    While the investigators combed the woods and falls for forensic evidence, the medical examiner, Dr. David Wheeland, stooped down to examine the body. “Judging from rigor and the liver-temp test, I’d estimate TOD around midnight last night, give or take a couple of hours. The freezing temperature and temperature of the water probably slowed