CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE. Jake's eyes opened at the first ring and she rolled over, shoving

Jake's eyes opened at the first ring and she rolled over, shoving

Cheyenne out of the way. " McCoy, " she said, when she snatched the phone.

" Jake. Found another body."

" Shit. Where? " she asked as she tossed off the covers.

" It's at a goddamn cemetery, " Rick said. " I'm on my way in but, you can get there quicker. It's out by Sloan's Lake. You know where that is? "

" Out near Edgewater, right? "

" Yeah. Dispatch said take twenty-sixth."

" How do we know this is one of ours? ME out there already? "

" No. But it's a woman, she appears to have been raped. ME's

been dispatched." " Okay. Who's on the scene? "

" Got a unit and a cemetery security guard, as far as I know."

" Great, a security guard." She struggled into jeans, her right leg not quite cooperating. " I'll meet you there."

" Go easy on them, McCoy."

" Yeah, yeah."

She pulled a sweatshirt over her head, then looked at Cheyenne. " You need to go outside? I don't know when I'll be back."

Cheyenne tucked her head back between her front legs, watching Jake.

" Okay. So, you want to go with me? "

Cheyenne jumped off the bed, tail wagging excitedly. Jake ruffled the dog's fur then grabbed her keys and jacket, walking out into the dark morning. Hell, she didn't even know what time it was. She glanced at her watch and groaned. Two o'clock. It would be at least a couple of hours before she got back. Too late to attempt to go back to bed and snatch some sleep. She opened the back door and Cheyenne jumped in, immediately sticking her head between the front seats and swiping Jake with a wet tongue.

" Don't get so excited. We're just going for a drive."

She sped through the dark streets, the traffic unusually light despite it being Friday night. Well, Saturday morning now. She hoped this body was not going to match the others. Working three victims was hard enough. But four? Then the press would be all over it, and everyone got nervous, and then copycats came out. With three, they could still keep it quiet. Maybe.

She found the cemetery without a problem, the cruiser's flashing lights were seen from blocks away. She noted the Triple A security car parked against the gate and a large, bearded man standing beside it. His uniform looked about ready to pop at the seams.

Jake rolled the windows down halfway, then slammed the door, giving Cheyenne a quick pat. She held up her badge as she walked over to the two uniformed officers.

" Detective McCoy, Special Victims. Where is she? "

" Just inside the gate."

She looked at the security guard. " You found her? "

" Yeah. Just doing a routine sweep, a drive by. Headlights picked up her white... her white underwear."

" Okay. You stay here." She pointed at the two officers. " Come with me, let's take a look. ME should be here any minute."

All three shown their flashlights, careful where they walked. " Drag marks, " Jake said.

" There's a shoe."

" She was alive when she was being dragged. See this, " she pointed. " Heels were digging in."

Jake stopped within five feet of the victim and looked around. She was naked from the waist down. White panties were snagged on a bush, as if someone had thrown them after leaving the body. The area was grassy, no chance for shoe prints.

" Lot of blood, " Jake said quietly. " Definitely not a dump."

They all looked up as headlights approached. The ME's van. Right behind it was Rick's black truck.

" Let's get this area roped off, " Jake said. " We may want to wait until daybreak to get the crime lab out here."

" I'll radio dispatch."

Jake nodded, then walked over to meet Rick.

" Not ours, " she said. " Young woman, twenties, killed here. Probably raped here, too."

" Crazies out, huh? "

" Two days before the full moon." Jake flipped open her cell and called their lieutenant. It rang four times before he picked up. " It's Jake. Rick and I got called to a scene, but it doesn't match ours. You want us to work this, too, or call in Belcher? "

" No, you guys have your hands full. Go ahead and work the scene tonight. We'll hand it over to Belcher in the morning. I'll call him. He's going to love getting his butt up there on a Saturday."

" Okay. Sorry to bother you at this hour."

" Jake? "

" Yes, sir? "

" Back a week, you kinda got thrown into the fray. You holding up okay? "

" Yes, sir. It's good to be back."

" Right. We'll hook up in the morning."

She slipped her phone back into her pocket, then went to find Rick. He was watching the ME.

" Going to be Belcher's case." She nodded at David Gamble, the assistant ME. " How's it going, Dave? "

" Hey Jake. Good to have you back."

" Thanks." She shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans. " Killed here, right? Not dumped? "

" Definitely killed here. And I'd say only a couple of hours ago. She's got a lot of vaginal trauma. I'd guess more than one had a go with her."

" No ID? No purse laying around? "

" No."

Jake took her flashlight and walked around the area, careful where she stepped. Everything looked clean. The grass was mashed down in places, that was it. Then she cocked her head, staring.

" Rick? "

" Yeah? "

" To your right, about four feet."

He looked, following the beam of her light. " Paper? " He pulled on gloves, then bent down, picking it up by one corner. " Matchbook, " he said. " The Oasis. Right here in Edgewood."

" Then we'll assume that's where the party started."

" Maybe we should take this one, Jake. Might have it closed in a couple of days."

Jake laughed. " Don't tell me you're concerned with our conviction rate? "

" Too easy to hand off to Belcher, and it'll probably beat the hell out of our serial killer."

" Sorry, Ricky. It's Belcher's." She turned to the ME. " Dave, make sure her clothes get sent to the crime lab. They're going to come out at first light. Belcher and Moreno will be in touch."

He only nodded, then pulled out his camera, snapping pictures from several angles.

They walked to the gate where the security guard and the two uniforms waited. " Sorry guys, " Rick said. " But you're going to have to secure the area until the crime lab gets here."

" Great. Just what I wanted to do. Hang out in a cemetery."

" Yeah, well, if anyone in there starts talking to you, ask if they saw what happened."

" Very funny, Detective."

Rick laughed as he and Jake walked away. " God, I remember the days of being on patrol."

Jake nodded. " My patrol days took place in Gunnison. Most excitement we had was during hunting season when everyone drove around with a gun and a case of beer."

" No murder sprees, huh? "

" We had one homicide during the time I was there. Eighteen-year-old kid found dead up at the college. Stabbed twenty-four times."

" Let me guess. Argument over some girl? "

" That's right. Took us about a week to figure it out."

Rick paused at Jake's Land Cruiser, affectionately rubbing Cheyenne's neck. " I swear, Jake. You take this dog everywhere? "

" I asked if she wanted to go. She said yes."

" You don't even have the back seats up."

" What for? Nobody ever sits back there but her."

Rick patted Cheyenne one more time, then stepped back. " Okay. I guess I'll meet you in the morning."

" If you don't feel like driving in, Rick, I can handle it. I don't mind. It shouldn't take long to brief Belcher."

" I'd just as soon be there than at home, Jake. Maybe we can go grab a burger for lunch or something."

Jake nodded. " Sure. See you... what? About eight? "

Rick looked at his watch. " It's three-thirty. I might get in a few hours sleep. Make it nine."

" Okay, buddy."

Jake watched him saunter off, head held low, and she felt sorry for him. Rick had always been one of the most positive persons she'd ever been around. A smile on his face, no matter what. Now, it was hit-and-miss with his smile. And she hated it.

But, really, none of her business. He had to work through his own pain.

She made the drive back to her duplex in silence, shutting off the CD and opening the back windows for Cheyenne. The air was cool, hinting at winter, but she didn't mind. Cheyenne enjoyed it.

Without warning, Nicole's face flashed through her mind. They were back in the mountains, the breeze rustling through the pines, and Nicole... opened to her, welcoming her.

" Damn, " she murmured, shaking her head. It was a one-time thing, she told herself. Forget about it.

And she tried. But, without warning, visions of that day crowded in, and Jake let them, remembering Nicole's touch, Nicole's response, and... God, those screams that sent chill bumps across Jake's skin.

Jake glanced in the mirror, seeing Cheyenne's happy face. " Wouldn't it be ironic, Cheyenne, if Nicole was the one? Ironic because she's here in the city, wearing business suits and heels and... too much makeup." She shook her head again. Not the same woman.