a taxidermist I know and have a mount made. May be kind of pricey though.”
As Ray maneuvered the pontoon up to his dock, Mallory spotted the figure of an older woman at the door to Ray’s trailer. She was carrying a shopping bag, which she hung on the door latch.
“Kaye, wait,” said Ray, hollering up at her. “I heard the news.”
Kaye walked a short distance toward the dock and paused to wave back toward the trailer. “Got your hat done. Can’t talk now. Too much to do.” She sounded weary.
“Poor Kaye,” said Ray to Mallory. “Jane Ericsson was her family—all the family she had left. They had their spats but …” He shook his head and turned to help Christina and Mallory off the pontoon.
Kenton had jumped onto the dock and was checking his phone for e-mails. “Hey, Mallory,” he said without looking up from the phone, “I want to follow Ray over to the Ericsson place. This is a catastrophe the media will inhale. Has to be worth a hundred grand in crisis communications. That campaign manager must be going nuts. How far away is the place?”
Chapter Thirteen
As Lew turned down Rolf Ericsson Drive, she checked the rear view mirror and grimaced. The Channel 12 television crew was right behind her cruiser. She knew it had to happen, but darn, she had hoped to get through the morning before dealing with the questions she couldn’t answer.
She pulled to a stop as soon as the old Ericsson lodge and the new house with its bright red roof were in view. She got out and walked back to the van. A young man she had never seen before thrust a microphone at her, but she reached out to put a hand over it.
“Not yet, young man. I will have a statement for the media this afternoon at three—”
“But—” The reporter yanked his mike out of her hand.
“No ‘buts’ about it,” said Lew. “It’s too early in our investigation for us to give you factual information. Hope to have something later, like I said. Right now you may not enter this property any further. Do you hear me? This may be a crime scene. If your driver crosses this line—” Lew drew an imaginary line in front of the van’s left tire. “—you will all be arrested.”
The reporter closed his eyes in frustration, then said, “One thing, okay? We’re here first. Right? When you’re ready, will you talk to us first, please?”
Lew thought that over, then said, “I have a suggestion. We passed a field back a ways. Why don’t you park there? Tell any more press who come that they should line up behind you. I will talk to everyone at once, but you will be in the front.”
The reporter leaned back into the van and said to someone with him, “Sounds good to me. We’ll get good video. Okay, agreed. Say, Chief Ferris,” he said as the van driver put the vehicle in reverse, “I heard you found human body parts?”
“Good try,” said Lew. “Later.”
Doc and a tall, dark-haired woman were waiting for her in the kitchen of the new house.” Lauren Crowell, this is Loon Lake Police Chief Lewellyn Ferris,” said Osborne as she walked into the airy room.
“Lauren Crowell,” said the woman, “I’m managing Jane Ericsson’s Senate campaign—or what’s left of it anyway.”
“Dr. Osborne filled you in on what we found early this morning?” asked Lew.
Lauren nodded. “Still not sure I believe it. But I want to give you all the help I can.”
“Good. Let’s take a seat over there,” said Lew, walking to a sitting area in the living room that held three small black leather sofas facing each other with a round coffee table in front of them. She gave a quick look around the high-ceilinged space. “Quite a place, huh.” She set a digital recorder on the coffee table, turned it on, and identified the three people who would be participating.
“Miss Crowell, I understand that in addition to being the campaign manager for the victim, Jane Ericsson, that you have been residing here at her home. Correct?”
“First, please
As Ray maneuvered the pontoon up to his dock, Mallory spotted the figure of an older woman at the door to Ray’s trailer. She was carrying a shopping bag, which she hung on the door latch.
“Kaye, wait,” said Ray, hollering up at her. “I heard the news.”
Kaye walked a short distance toward the dock and paused to wave back toward the trailer. “Got your hat done. Can’t talk now. Too much to do.” She sounded weary.
“Poor Kaye,” said Ray to Mallory. “Jane Ericsson was her family—all the family she had left. They had their spats but …” He shook his head and turned to help Christina and Mallory off the pontoon.
Kenton had jumped onto the dock and was checking his phone for e-mails. “Hey, Mallory,” he said without looking up from the phone, “I want to follow Ray over to the Ericsson place. This is a catastrophe the media will inhale. Has to be worth a hundred grand in crisis communications. That campaign manager must be going nuts. How far away is the place?”
Chapter Thirteen
As Lew turned down Rolf Ericsson Drive, she checked the rear view mirror and grimaced. The Channel 12 television crew was right behind her cruiser. She knew it had to happen, but darn, she had hoped to get through the morning before dealing with the questions she couldn’t answer.
She pulled to a stop as soon as the old Ericsson lodge and the new house with its bright red roof were in view. She got out and walked back to the van. A young man she had never seen before thrust a microphone at her, but she reached out to put a hand over it.
“Not yet, young man. I will have a statement for the media this afternoon at three—”
“But—” The reporter yanked his mike out of her hand.
“No ‘buts’ about it,” said Lew. “It’s too early in our investigation for us to give you factual information. Hope to have something later, like I said. Right now you may not enter this property any further. Do you hear me? This may be a crime scene. If your driver crosses this line—” Lew drew an imaginary line in front of the van’s left tire. “—you will all be arrested.”
The reporter closed his eyes in frustration, then said, “One thing, okay? We’re here first. Right? When you’re ready, will you talk to us first, please?”
Lew thought that over, then said, “I have a suggestion. We passed a field back a ways. Why don’t you park there? Tell any more press who come that they should line up behind you. I will talk to everyone at once, but you will be in the front.”
The reporter leaned back into the van and said to someone with him, “Sounds good to me. We’ll get good video. Okay, agreed. Say, Chief Ferris,” he said as the van driver put the vehicle in reverse, “I heard you found human body parts?”
“Good try,” said Lew. “Later.”
Doc and a tall, dark-haired woman were waiting for her in the kitchen of the new house.” Lauren Crowell, this is Loon Lake Police Chief Lewellyn Ferris,” said Osborne as she walked into the airy room.
“Lauren Crowell,” said the woman, “I’m managing Jane Ericsson’s Senate campaign—or what’s left of it anyway.”
“Dr. Osborne filled you in on what we found early this morning?” asked Lew.
Lauren nodded. “Still not sure I believe it. But I want to give you all the help I can.”
“Good. Let’s take a seat over there,” said Lew, walking to a sitting area in the living room that held three small black leather sofas facing each other with a round coffee table in front of them. She gave a quick look around the high-ceilinged space. “Quite a place, huh.” She set a digital recorder on the coffee table, turned it on, and identified the three people who would be participating.
“Miss Crowell, I understand that in addition to being the campaign manager for the victim, Jane Ericsson, that you have been residing here at her home. Correct?”
“First, please
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