Page 59 of Night Hawk
Clay spun. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, apparently the drone doubles her chance of finding a body.” Drake changed his focus to Kelsey. “Then she got all technical, and I don’t remember the details, but you can ask her.”
“I will.” Clay frowned and stood waiting.
Kelsey turned and marched toward them, and Toni didn’t like the grim set to her expression.
“Six bodies?” Clay asked when she reached them.
“You know I can’t say.” She set her drone in a container and picked up a metal water bottle to chug the liquid.
“How about telling us exactly how the drone works,” Toni said. “Drake couldn’t remember the details beyond the infrared.”
“His eyes did seem to glaze over while I was talking.” She glanced at him and chuckled.
“Hey, yours would too if I started discussing my favorite subject.”
“Which is?” She set down her water.
“Weapons and ballistics.”
“Ah, yes. You’re right. I would zone out.” She laughed but quickly sobered and faced Clay. “About the drone technology. Decaying bodies release carbon and nitrogen into the soil. The soil then reflects less light. When a person is first buried, they release a flood of chemicals that kill plants around them. As the chemicals disperse into the soil around the body, it changes and becomes a fertilizer that reflects a ton of light. The drone’s near infrared imaging can detect those lightreflections.”
“And just like that you know a body’s buried where the light reflects,” Toni stated.
“Isuspectthere’s a body.” She put her hand on a yellow-and-black machine that looked much like a lawn mower with a video screen mounted on the handle. “But in areas where it’s feasible, I use ground penetrating radar to confirm.”
“Why don’t you start with that?” Clay asked.
“Quicker to use the drone, as it can go places this machine can’t.”
“And after you confirm?” Toni asked.
“I notify law enforcement, and with their permission, begin digging. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.” She pushed her machine across the dusty soil to the first flag.
“So without saying anything, she told us she suspects she has six bodies here,” Toni said, her last meal churning in her stomach at the thought.
“Other than Rader’s wife, who do you think it is?” Blake asked.
“Some of the girls he trafficked,” Toni said. “Maybe their johns got too rough. Or they could even have gotten sick. Not like he could have taken them to see a doctor. He’d have to get rid of the bodies. Burying them on private property reduces the odds of them being found.”
Clay worked the muscle in his jaw. “Could also tell us why Rader didn’t move when he had that cash sitting around.”
Drake pointed at the house. “Or even remodel the place. A worker might stumble on the first grave, which is pretty close to the house.”
“Ifit is a grave,” Blake said. “We don’t know that for sure.”
“And won’t until Kelsey calls Trent,” Toni said.
“Ifshe found bodies and calls Trent,” Drake added.
Clay looked at his brother. “We’re heading out to talk to Sheriff Ziegler. I want you on the horn to me the minute Trent shows up here.”
“Not sure it’ll do you any good,” Drake said.
“Sure it will. If he comes here when he already has so much on his plate, it tells me there’s at least one body.”
“Yeah.” Drake raised his eyebrows. “But it doesn’t tell you who and if there are more.”
