Page 72 of Made of Steele
Drew nodded. “Smiley has no family that we know of. If we find the unknown victim’s ID, it shouldn’t be as much of a shock for his family. He’s been gone for some time, and they likely believe him to be dead. But Forte’s and Romo’s families will take it hard.” Drew looked Teagan in the eyes. “I can do it alone if you want me to.”
She shook her head. “It’s part of the job.”
“That you’re only doing because I forced the issue.”
“Whatever the reason, a Steele doesn’t shirk their responsibility.” She sat back, looking defeated.
A look he recognized as one that many law enforcement officers exhibited every day when faced with people in crisis. But they picked themselves up and found their resolve to go on and incarcerate the bad guys who hurt others. The stress took its toll, but the officers were willing to give of themselves, just like Teagan.
She took a long breath. “I wish we could have DNA confirmation before meeting the family, but that will have to wait. If the missing person investigation has DNA profiles it’ll go faster, but otherwise we can collect samples when we meet with the family.” Her phone rang, and she sat forward. “It’s Kelsey.”
She tapped the screen. “Putting you on speaker so Drew can hear.”
Teagan set her phone on the table between them.
“I’m pretty sure I’ve identified the victim from grave two.” Kelsey’s voice rang strong and sure through the room.
Drew shot Teagan an excited look. “How?”
“I went through his personal effects again,” Kelsey said. “As you know there wasn’t any official ID, but the intern found a wedding ring and didn’t think to mention it.”
“And you could ID him from that?” Teagan asked.
“It was engraved, and I entered the inscription into ViCAP. It returned a missing person investigation for a Benton Hoyle. He was last seen on June 15, 2018, which certainly fits the time of death.”
“And cause of death?” Drew held his breath as he hoped for an answer that would somehow tie these murders together.
“A sharp blade to his back that pierced his heart.”
“Like a knife?” Teagan asked.
“No.” Kelsey drew the word out. “Not that deep and much wider. More like a hatchet. My assistant is at Grady’s lab looking for a weapon that could’ve left the marks on these bones, but I thought you would want the ID now. ViCAP didn’t have DNA information, and now we can get the official process started to confirm his DNA.”
Teagan looked at Drew. “Any other questions for Kelsey?”
He shook his head.
“Thanks, Kelsey,” Teagan said. “Call when you’re certain on the weapon.”
Teagan tapped End on her phone and looked at Drew. “A hatchet. This is getting weirder and weirder.”
“Agreed.” He sat back to think. “This is really looking more and more like we’re looking for multiple killers, but they have to be connected if all the victims were buried on the same site.”
“Could be a secret group or society who kill and bury the dead on Smiley’s land.”
“That might fit with the antiquities aspect somehow too.”
Drew picked up his phone. “I’ll call Harris to add Hoyle to her list and get all of those files to us pronto. Time is ticking down on my approved investigation time, and it’s time to ask for additional help too. No way I’ll let these guys get away with multiple crimes, especially not murder.”
19
Under gray skies threatening to spit rain, Teagan crossed the park toward Oliver, who was relaxing on the bench under cherry trees stripped of their leaves and sleeping until spring when they would put on a cotton candy show of color. The Columbia River surged along the length of the very popular waterfront park.
Oliver’s arm was stretched over the back of the bench, his legs crossed, and a box sitting next to him.
The box whose contents she’d come to see.
“He’s here,” she said into her phone to Drew. “And he looks like he’s here for a picnic not showing a stolen antiquity to a woman he barely knows,”
