his head no and turned back toward the water.
"Of course you didn't see it. I'm turning into a paranoid freak that gets spooked by the wind," she muttered.
She shoved her hands in her pockets. "Hurry up, Mitch."
Mitch and the men came up twenty minutes later. Mitch took off his equipment. Instantly, she could see he wasn't happy. Grim-faced, he strode toward her.
Water dripped from his suit and the chill from the greater depths still clung to him. "Let's head back to the car," Mitch said when he reached her.
"Why?" He was trying to get rid of her—which was all the more reason to dig in her heels, even if this place gave her the spooks.
He yanked off his hood. "For once, would you just do as I say?"
She shot him a you've-got-to-be-kidding glare before her gaze skipped from him across the water to the police boat.
There were three divers in the boat. They had taken off their tanks and unzipped the tops of their suits. All three men were pulling on a rope.
Suddenly, a figure wrapped in ropes and an algae-covered tarp floated to the surface. The officers secured it to the side of the pontoon and started toward shore.
The color drained from her face. There was no mistaking what it was.
They'd found another body.
Chapter 9
"Do you have any idea who it is?" Kelsey asked.
"No. By the looks the body hasn't been in the water as long…" Mitch let his words trail off.
"As my mother," she said finishing his sentence. "Lose the kid gloves, Mitch. I'll deal with all this a lot better if you don't treat me like a wimp."
"Right." No anger, just understanding in his gaze as he shifted it to the water. "If I had to guess, I'd say this body has been in the water at least three years."
"How long before you can identify the body?"
"Unless there is some clue on the body that helps us along, it could be weeks, maybe never."
"You identified Donna so quickly."
"Based on your hunch, the medical examiner checked your mother's dental records first. He was as surprised as anyone that he had a hit on the first try." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Do me a favor and keep all this quiet. I don't need a thousand tourists down here trying to dive these waters. Two bodies are too much of a coincidence."
"Are you saying whoever killed Donna killed this person?"
"I don't know. We'll wait until the autopsy."
She glanced over his shoulder at the tarp-wrapped body lying on the beach. An odd sensation tickled the back of her neck. "At least it's not Chris."
Her relief lasted until she looked up toward the ridge. Uneasiness settled in her bones. "I saw a flash of light on the ridge while you were in the water. Did you have a policeman up there?" She wasn't sure why she mentioned it to Mitch. Maybe she wanted him to tell her not to worry so she could convince herself that her imagination had just gotten the better of her.
Frowning, his gaze shifted to the ridge. "There were no policemen up there."
"I thought I saw someone up on the ridge watching me. Must have been my imagination."
Mitch continued to stare up at the ridge, guiding Kelsey toward his car. "Give me a second." He reached for his radio. "Ruth?"
After a pause, "Yeah, boss."
"Do we have anyone available to ride up to the north ridge of the quarry and have a look around?"
Kelsey felt color rise in her cheeks. "Mitch," she whispered, "this really isn't necessary. It was probably my imagination."
He winked at her. "Doesn't hurt to look."
The radio crackled with Ruth's voice, "George is free and is now on his way."
"Great. Have him call me when he's done a walkover."
"Will do."
Mitch replaced the radio. "Let me change and we can head back to town."
She glanced up toward the north ridge. No lights flashed. No leaves rustled. "I felt like a fool for even saying anything."
"Don't sweat it."
Few people had ever taken Kelsey seriously when she'd lived in Grant's Forge. But Mitch had. Even in the old days, he'd listened to her rattle on about her dreams and he had
"Of course you didn't see it. I'm turning into a paranoid freak that gets spooked by the wind," she muttered.
She shoved her hands in her pockets. "Hurry up, Mitch."
Mitch and the men came up twenty minutes later. Mitch took off his equipment. Instantly, she could see he wasn't happy. Grim-faced, he strode toward her.
Water dripped from his suit and the chill from the greater depths still clung to him. "Let's head back to the car," Mitch said when he reached her.
"Why?" He was trying to get rid of her—which was all the more reason to dig in her heels, even if this place gave her the spooks.
He yanked off his hood. "For once, would you just do as I say?"
She shot him a you've-got-to-be-kidding glare before her gaze skipped from him across the water to the police boat.
There were three divers in the boat. They had taken off their tanks and unzipped the tops of their suits. All three men were pulling on a rope.
Suddenly, a figure wrapped in ropes and an algae-covered tarp floated to the surface. The officers secured it to the side of the pontoon and started toward shore.
The color drained from her face. There was no mistaking what it was.
They'd found another body.
Chapter 9
"Do you have any idea who it is?" Kelsey asked.
"No. By the looks the body hasn't been in the water as long…" Mitch let his words trail off.
"As my mother," she said finishing his sentence. "Lose the kid gloves, Mitch. I'll deal with all this a lot better if you don't treat me like a wimp."
"Right." No anger, just understanding in his gaze as he shifted it to the water. "If I had to guess, I'd say this body has been in the water at least three years."
"How long before you can identify the body?"
"Unless there is some clue on the body that helps us along, it could be weeks, maybe never."
"You identified Donna so quickly."
"Based on your hunch, the medical examiner checked your mother's dental records first. He was as surprised as anyone that he had a hit on the first try." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Do me a favor and keep all this quiet. I don't need a thousand tourists down here trying to dive these waters. Two bodies are too much of a coincidence."
"Are you saying whoever killed Donna killed this person?"
"I don't know. We'll wait until the autopsy."
She glanced over his shoulder at the tarp-wrapped body lying on the beach. An odd sensation tickled the back of her neck. "At least it's not Chris."
Her relief lasted until she looked up toward the ridge. Uneasiness settled in her bones. "I saw a flash of light on the ridge while you were in the water. Did you have a policeman up there?" She wasn't sure why she mentioned it to Mitch. Maybe she wanted him to tell her not to worry so she could convince herself that her imagination had just gotten the better of her.
Frowning, his gaze shifted to the ridge. "There were no policemen up there."
"I thought I saw someone up on the ridge watching me. Must have been my imagination."
Mitch continued to stare up at the ridge, guiding Kelsey toward his car. "Give me a second." He reached for his radio. "Ruth?"
After a pause, "Yeah, boss."
"Do we have anyone available to ride up to the north ridge of the quarry and have a look around?"
Kelsey felt color rise in her cheeks. "Mitch," she whispered, "this really isn't necessary. It was probably my imagination."
He winked at her. "Doesn't hurt to look."
The radio crackled with Ruth's voice, "George is free and is now on his way."
"Great. Have him call me when he's done a walkover."
"Will do."
Mitch replaced the radio. "Let me change and we can head back to town."
She glanced up toward the north ridge. No lights flashed. No leaves rustled. "I felt like a fool for even saying anything."
"Don't sweat it."
Few people had ever taken Kelsey seriously when she'd lived in Grant's Forge. But Mitch had. Even in the old days, he'd listened to her rattle on about her dreams and he had
Similar Books
