Silver's Bones Read Free Page B

smiled, but I could see the uneasiness in her eyes.
    â€œYou should know this investigation will take some time. You might want to get out of here—go visit your mom in Minneapolis, or take a vacation.”
    â€œI’ll be fine. I think it will be interesting to watch.”
    â€œInteresting but slow.”
    As I turned to head outdoors she said, “So, I guess congratulations are in order. I’m sure you and Shannon will be very happy.”
    I stopped. “Uh, thanks.”
    â€œIt didn’t surprise me, you know.”
    â€œNo?”
    â€œThere was always sexual tension between you . . .”
    â€œOh, let’s not go there.”
    I could hear a helicopter overhead so I quickly thanked her again and retreated to join the others on the patio.
    â€œWhat’d she say?” Troy asked.
    â€œShe said she likes to watch what’s going on.”
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    The chopper circled overhead and then flew out of view. Deputy Austin Spanney, a.k.a. “Spanky,” radioed Patrice to inform her that BRO was about to land in the clearing across the county road, and they’d be over soon. Five minutes later, Leslie Rouch and a man who looked to be in his sixties walked toward us. I had worked with Leslie on the Kohler/Peterson murders last fall and found her to be very competent and professional. We were lucky to have her assigned to the investigation.
    I introduced Leslie to Sheriff Clinton and Leslie, in turn, introduced Dr. Norman Edgerton as a forensic pathologist. “Norman is the best we have, and will be in on the case,” she added.
    â€œLeslie’s experienced in unsolved case work, so she’ll be invaluable to you,” Edgerton said.
    â€œThat’s a given,” I said.
    â€œWell, shall we see what we have here?” Dr. Edgerton asked.
    Sheriff Clinton showed the two to the site. While Leslie photographed the scene, Dr. Edgerton opened a large bag and removed a small tool that looked like a dental pick and a small brush and started carefully removing the dirt around the skull and visible bone. Within minutes, Edgerton said, “The skull is definitely human. We could use some expert help with excavation and identification. Call St. Paul, Leslie.”
    Leslie nodded and walked away to make the call. With the call completed, she came back and told us the BCA in St. Paul recommended Dr. Jennifer Kennedy, a forensic anthropologist from the University of Minnesota. One quick phone call and Dr. Kennedy was on her way.
    Meanwhile, Dr. Edgerton supervised the transfer of the Bobcat’s contents onto a small tarp. After several more photos, the area was covered with a large, white, floorless tent to protect it from the elements. While we waited for Dr. Kennedy’s arrival, Troy and I began the systematic process of searching the area for evidence with the help of deputies Greg Woods and John Odell, who’d been involved in the Kohler/Peterson cases the previous fall.
    Troy wanted the east side of the residence, most likely because the bouquet had been found there, and took Odell with him. Woods and I took the west side. Both deputies were good cops, family men. Odell was short and stocky and a real talker. Being an avid fisherman, he talked constantly about lures, rod and reels, and the best fishing spots. Woods was tall and lean, and the kind of guy who didn’t jump right into a conversation; you had to stop talking and wait. That’s how I found out his son was autistic and he had a 1959 Corvette he took to car shows.
    We crisscrossed the area in a grid, using a metal detector. So far we had found and documented a couple old bottle caps, beer cans, a red-and-white bobber, and a plastic bread bag. None were of any use, but nevertheless, we bagged and documented the items. We’d only covered a small area by noon when the sheriff radioed us back in.
    Adriana was serving lunch in her family room downstairs. She had set up a portable table with