“If the car’s from Mexico, the driver may not be aware the body’s been found. As a precaution, I’d like to put a man outside your house for twenty-four hours,” Nick said.
Josie gave him a skeptical look. “When you say ‘put a man,’ you mean one of your men? Because I can’t afford to lose an officer out here for a full day.”
He gave her a half smile. “I got you covered. At least through tomorrow morning.”
“That would be great,” she said. “I’ll take all the help I can get.”
*
Otto and Roy both arrived back on the scene with nothing to show for their walk. They stood outside the area cordoned off with crime scene tape, and Josie and Nick walked over to fill them in. Several minutes later Cowan finally joined the conversation.
“Given the color in her skin, the passage of rigor mortis, and so on, I’d estimate she’s been lying here for a full two days. The bullet entry point is consistent with the casing Nick found. I’ll take the body back for an autopsy, but I don’t expect any major surprises.”
“That ought to be on every cop’s headstone,” Roy said. “He didn’t expect any major surprises.”
“I’m ready to transport,” Cowan said, ignoring Roy. “I’ve got a new body bag, better for decomposing bodies with fluid. But we’ll need to get her out to the hearse. Josie, can we load her into the back of your jeep?”
Josie winced.
“I got the department SUV. It’s bigger. We can put the seats down and drive it over here.” Roy looked at Cowan. “You sure that bag won’t bust?”
“It’s designed not to.”
Roy sighed and headed back to the road where his vehicle was parked. As they watched him walk away, they saw a vehicle flying down Schenck Road. Lit up by the other headlights, they recognized it to be Mayor Steve Moss’s black pickup truck as it pulled off onto the side of the road. Otto groaned beside Josie.
Moss walked quickly toward Josie and Otto. He glanced over at the body and then turned to Josie. “You find anything yet? Local newsies already got wind. They want a story.”
She pointed toward the body. “Just what I told you in my message. We’re ready to transport the body. Cowan will start on the autopsy today.”
“What did I tell you? You don’t take me serious, and what happens? A dead body in your backyard is what happens. What the hell is going on here, Josie?”
“That’s what we’re trying to find out, Mayor.”
He swore loudly. “Your phone message said two women? What the hell does that mean?”
“We found a second woman hiding on my front porch. She’s the reason we went looking in the pasture and found the body. She’s fine physically, but she’s not talking.”
“What are two women doing out here in the middle of nowhere? Hiding at your house?”
“The other woman hasn’t talked. I called the trauma center and they’re going to take her in, see if they can stabilize her so we can talk with her.”
He squinted at her. “Any ID on either one of them?”
“Nothing. We’re estimating they’re in their late teens or early twenties, and of Latin American origin.” She paused as he continued squinting at her. “Have you heard any other gossip about something going on in town?”
He scowled, looking at Josie as if he didn’t like what he saw. “This have something to do with your involvement with the Medrano Cartel?” he said, ignoring her question.
She looked at him dumbfounded. “I’m not involved with the Medranos. That’s a ridiculous thing to say.”
“Well, hell, yes, you are! Your boyfriend sure was!”
“Look. They committed a crime against Dillon that took place over a year ago. That doesn’t make me involved. Please don’t use that expression. And, no, I don’t think the two crimes are related. At this point, it’s safe to speculate that this could be an illegal immigration issue. Beyond that, when you talk to the media, tell them this is an ongoing investigation and the police aren’t ready to comment further.”
“You’d better be ready to answer some tough questions come tomorrow. The media’s going to be all over this. And they’re going to wonder how you’re involved with a dead girl beside your home and another hiding at your house.”
“I’ll call you later today with an update,” she said, turning from him. She crossed the crime scene tape, aware that she’d rather stand next to a corpse than her boss.
She heard Otto and the mayor talking for a few minutes and after the mayor left Otto approached her. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him. I’ve never understood his beef with you, other than you’re a female.”
“You think that’s true, that the media will want to know how I’m involved, since the murder took place next to my house?”
“I think it is if he plants that seed,” Otto said. “You think he hates you enough that he’d tarnish an investigation just to put you in a bad place?”
Josie thought about Otto’s question. It was hard to imagine the mayor would purposely mislead an investigation, but if he could turn the public against her, or cast doubt about her ability to lead the department, she had no doubt he’d do it.