Page 72 of Lost Lake
El waited for any questions, but when no one spoke, she moved on. “She also confirmed the deceased dog probably belonged to her father. The vet I contacted completed the dog’s necropsy right away. As suspected, he died from crush injuries, and he’s been dead for several days.”
“Doesn’t mean Mason’s killer tipped the TVs onto the dog,” Jude said.
“Correct. Unless the killer admits to doing it, we may never know if it was on purpose or an accident.” El shifted in her chair. “Also, you all saw the results of my ViCAP search. Now that we have the make and model for the van that ran Kenna off the road, we can review this list to see if any of them are even applicable anymore.”
“I’d be glad to do that,” Ulrich volunteered.
“You got it,” El said. “Another point Ms. Vogel made was that her father’s death could be related to his time as a police officer. Someone who had a grudge finally settled the score.”
“She could be right,” Mina said. “But we could be talking a large group of people with a grudge against him. If we go down that route it could take us into a deep rabbit hole, and we don’t have the resources for that right now.”
“I agree,” Gabe said. “I could task my team with that, but they’re still working on more promising leads.”
“Then we put it on hold for now.” Mina shifted to look at Gabe. “Any update on the actual zip ties?”
Jude looked at Gabe. “I got this. We worked with Dr. Briggs to match pictures of Kenna’s wrist and ankle bruises to zip ties that could’ve been used. We’ve tracked them down to one manufacturer.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a black plastic tie. He slid it down the table to Mina. “Take a look. Specialty nylon cable tie with the exact pattern to Kenna’s bruising. Mid-length. Not the cheap kind either. Industrial grade.”
Mina frowned. “Meaning?”
“Meaning,” Jude said, “whoever used the tie didn’t grab it out of a kitchen drawer or buy it at a big box store. This came from a worksite. Probably stolen. Or we’re looking at someone who knew what they were doing and has his own supply.”
“Can these be bought in retail stores in the area?” Ulrich asked.
Jude shook his head. “They’re military-grade serrated ties designed for heavy-duty industrial or military use and can only be purchased by companies or the government.”
“Then how did you get one?” Massey asked him.
“We contacted the manufacturer, who put us in touch with a local worksite using them, and they were more than happy to give us a few.”
Ewing perked up. “So if our killer didn’t work on a construction site or wasn’t in the military, this murder would have to be premeditated to have the time to obtain these ties.”
“I don’t know,” Massey said. “Could be an employee of the manufacturer.”
“Could be, but the company is out of Massachusetts, so probably not as likely.”
Mina turned the sample over in her hands. “Good work. This, along with the army jacket, could point to a suspect in the military or former military.”
“CHAMPon the lighter could be a military call sign or nickname, too,” Ulrich said.
Mina looked at Gabe. “Any luck on finding a connection for the engraving to our suspects?”
“Not yet,” Gabe said. “Hayden still has several algorithms running. So far nothing, but he said to be patient as they could still return results.”
“This murder confirms the theory I shared yesterday,” Jude said. “This is more than a domestic killer. Domestics don’t usually create additional victims the next day.”
“Hold up,” Massey said. “What exactly do you mean by domestic killer?”
“Someone who commits homicide within their immediate household. Or a person they share an intimate relationship with, like a domestic partner, or boyfriend or girlfriend.”
Massey shook his head. “As a rookie, I have a lot to learn.”
Jude looked around the group as if waiting for additional questions. No one spoke, and he continued. “Mason likely knew something, or he was involved with Kenna’s murder and had become a liability. Now the offender is trying to control the fallout, not just commit a single act of violence.”
“I, for one, am buying into this.” Gabe gave his teammate a look of approval. “What else can you tell us?”
“We’ve seen the killer is capable and organized, but something about this situation is now forcing him to act again quickly. He doesn’t like it. The strangulation was controlled and personal in Kenna’s murder. The body disposal was planned, but the second murder? Stabbed, leaving a knife impression that can be traced? Possibly rushed. That doesn’t match and looking for a pattern with him might be impossible.”
