Deadly Consequences (5 page)

“Interesting.” Alec walked alongside her, staring at her in mock surprise. “You’d prefer being in bed with your cat, over the fiancé, Special Agent Asshole.”

“That’s not what I said.”

“Yes, you did,” he argued. “I distinctly remember you saying you’d prefer to be in bed with your wine and your cat.”

“Alec.” She smiled sweetly. “Kiss my ass.”

He tipped his head back and laughed. “Don’t ever say that to Lombardo. He’ll consider it an invitation.”

Her reply died on her tongue when she caught site of a disturbance up ahead.

“Detectives,” the shout came from a distance. Sam looked up over the ridge to see one of the uniformed officers waving at them. “We need you at the barn.”

Cursing the heat, she yanked off her shoes, and jogged towards him, with Alec following behind. Sweat poured down her face. Winded, Sam bent at the waist to catch her breath, holding a finger up to the officer.

When she was finally able to speak, she nodded. “What have you got?”

“We found the other leg.”

Lombardo traipsed through the park; his face flushed bright red from exertion. “Why the hell do the damn trees have to be so far away?”

“Wouldn’t feel so far if you cut back on the pasta, old man,” Rafe said sprinting ahead.

“Bite me.” Lombardo huffed marching past Rafe to lean against an old maple. “Cripes it’s muggy out here.” He waved his hand under his face to circulate the air. When that failed to do the trick, he grunted and rolled up his sleeves.

Rafe’s eyes narrowed as he watched his partner. “You’re a trip man. You drag us all the way out here, then you act like you’re surprised it’s hot. What’s up with all the cloak and dagger shit anyway? It better not be because you’re concealing evidence.”

“Ain’t concealing if I bagged it and tagged it. You watched me do it too. Not my fault Sam and Alec took off.” He pulled the plastic bag from his pocket, waving it with a grin. “I’m just not ready to share it yet.”

“Aw, man.” Rafe ran his hand through his hair, and pivoted on his heel, showing Lombardo his back. He counted to ten and did a quick about-face. “You’ve got to stop pulling this shit.”

“I told you those kids were guilty, but you didn’t want to believe it,” Lombardo gloated. “I’m willing to bet a large pizza with extra pepperoni Sam is gonna want to let them walk.”

Rafe jammed his hands in his pockets, stared up at sky, and sighed.
“
Que Dios
me
ayude
. You’re telling me you know different?”

“I don’t have to tell nobody nothing. Evidence doesn’t lie.” Lombardo leaned back and crossed his ankles, a self-satisfied smirk on his face. Having Sam around to muck up the crime scene was a minor bump in the road.
He
solved the case and
he
would get the glory. The reporters would be outside the gate, waiting for his statement. He couldn’t decide if he should straighten his tie and put on his suit coat, or let them snap his picture with his sleeves rolled up and his collar loosened. He was about to ask Rafe his opinion when he snatched the plastic bag out of Lombardo’s hand.

“Let me see that,” Rafe said. He held it up to the moonlight to get a better look, glancing at Lombardo in surprise. “Is this what I think it is?”

“Damn straight. A garter dug up and buried under the pile of dirt with the severed limb.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t those used for weddings and…” he cocked his head, holding his hand to his ear.

“Proms.” Rafe answered in a flat tone.

“Bingo, my friend. Proms. And where were those punks before they decided to trespass in the zoo after closing?”

“The prom,” Rafe sighed handing the bag back to Lombardo. “I don’t know, man. How do we know they didn’t drop it when they stumbled across the victim?”

“Come on.” Lombardo shot him a look. “You think the crime scene techs would have missed a big neon sign like this? Alls we got to do is link this to the kids and we got ourselves a slam dunk case. Our case. Our collar. It’s like I told you, “Lombardo smirked, eyes gleaming with anticipation. “ Murder in Lincoln Park. This is gonna be freakin’ huge.”

“Damn it,” Sam swore, raking her hands through her hair. She looked up at the big red barn, and kicked the grass hard, sending a tuft of dirt flying through a white picket fence. A barn owl, disturbed by the influx of humans, screeched in the background, setting her nerves on edge.

The young officer shifted from foot to foot, looking green around the edges. “At least we found another part of her. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“No, officer…?” She noted his pasty complexion, and the way he kept wiping his palms on his uniform pants.

“Becker,” he answered, swallowing hard.

“First murder scene?” she asked.

“Yes, Ma’am,” he answered nervously, licking his lips. “Does it show?”

She remembered her first murder scene. There was no reason to take her frustration out on him. “You’re doing fine, Officer Becker, good job. I need you to get forensics, and the crime scene techs. Is that your partner over there?”

He nodded.

“All right. Tell him to tape off this section, including the gate. And tell the techs to hurry.”

Becker hurried off, following her instructions. Sam watched him go, squatting down beside Alec to examine the upturned shoe. She didn’t have a fresh pair of gloves on her, so she didn’t touch it. She didn’t have to —she already knew what she’d find.

“You know what this means don’t you?” she said.

“We’ve got a much bigger problem on our hands.” He sat back on his haunches. “Any theories? This might be where your background as a psychologist comes in handy.”

“If only that didn’t feel like a lifetime ago.” After her sister’s disappearance she’d traded her couch for a badge, wanting to spare other families the agony her own had gone through. Her motives weren’t entirely noble. As a member of the CPD, she had access to police files, and worked Melanie’s cold case in her off time.

“I know you, Sam. You must have worked up a mental profile by now.” Alec prodded.

She lifted a slim shoulder, gazing out into the darkness. “My first theory just got shot to hell.” She’d been certain the UNSUB acted out of rage. While that was still a possibility, the game had changed. Depending on what else they found tonight, it was possible the game could change again. “The loot and the mayor are going to go ballistic. I remember reading somewhere that the zoo stretches out over seven miles of lakefront.” She frowned, tapping her index fingers against her mouth. “I have no idea how many acres that is, or how far the zoo stretches inland.”

“We’ve got a lot of ground to cover considering how many officers we’ve got.” Alec said.

She pressed her lips together. “I’m calling in the dogs. We need them to expedite the search otherwise we’ll be here all night.”

“Not much night left,” Alec observed.

“All the more reason to call.” She reached for her bag. “Damn it. I left my radio in the car. I didn’t think I’d need it.”

“Tell me where you’re parked, toss me your keys, and I’ll get it for you.”

“Gladly.” Sam wiped her brow with the back of her hand, grabbed her phone and her keys, when she spotted Lombardo, Rafe, and Matsuda heading their way.

“Here.” She pressed the keys into Alec’s hand, shoving the phone back into her bag. “I’ll handle them.”

“You sure?” he hesitated. “Lombardo’s on a real tear tonight.”

“I’m positive. Go.” she urged. “I can live with Lombardo, but I can’t live without a radio. Besides, he’s not going anywhere and neither am I. We don’t have to like each other, but we do have to be able to work together.”

“All right.” He closed his hands around her keys. “I’ll be back in a flash.” He sprinted in the opposite direction, vanishing into the night. Sam lowered her head and stared at the shoe, wishing the victim could provide them with a clue, praying that the search wouldn’t turn up any more surprises.

“I heard we got ourselves a pair,” Lombardo shouted from a few feet away, carrying his suit jacket slung over his shoulder. He’d loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeves.

The sound of his voice set her teeth on edge. Sam braced her hands on her thighs, and straightened up. “Yeah, well you heard wrong.”

“I don’t understand.” Matsuda frowned. “Didn’t you send for forensics?”

Ignoring his question, she moved aside giving them a clear view of the shoe. “That look like a pair to you?”

Lombardo stepped closer, bending over. “It’s a different shoe.” He shrugged. “Different color at least. Big damn deal.”

“It’s a left foot.” Matsuda raised his gaze to hers. “They found a
left
foot.”

A pig snorted inside the barn. Sam reached inside her purse for her gun, fingers grazing the barrel. She waited until all was quiet before sliding her gaze back to Matsuda.

“They didn’t just find a left foot. They found victim number two.”

Sam stationed a few officers outside the barn. If the UNSUB was in there, he wasn’t getting out. She moved her neck from side to side, working out the kinks. They needed more officers, and if they were going to work through the night in the sweltering heat, they needed access to drinks and a rest area, and a place to set up shop.

Lombardo’s jabbering was grinding on her nerves. She left the men and found a quiet spot to make a few calls. After briefing the Lieutenant on the situation, and requesting the assistance of the canine unit, she sent one of the uniforms to the gate, instructing him to inform her the second the zoo’s director arrived.

The beginning of a headache pounded between her eyes. The squawk of police radios, and increased activity, managed to work the animals inside the barn into frenzy. Pigs squealed, and horses neighed, kicking their stalls, rousing chickens, goats, and other creatures who added their voices to the fray, lending a surreal quality to the night. It was easy to forget they were in the heart of Chicago, with Lake Shore Drive separating the zoo from the shores of Lake Michigan and the city’s spectacular skyline.

She closed her eyes for a second, smelling the scent of fresh dirt, and listening to the sound of shovels breaking ground. Cramming her phone back into her bag, she rejoined the men. Cop or not, her stomach tightened as the team extracted part of a leg from the muddy grave. Her heartbeat quickened. The calf was intact, extending past the knee