Page 55 of Murder in the Lighthouse

With the discovery of the bodies, Theo didn’t wait until six o’clock to serve the warrant. He and Trish decided to move on Noir Hills Estates at four o’clock sharp with as many officers as they could borrow from other nearby jurisdictions.

Lucien and Birk watched from their position on the top of the hill as the first officers arrived and stationed themselves around the pump house. After securing the two graves inside, the coroner pulled up and disappeared into the nine-foot by nine-foot structure.

“Theo must’ve coordinated this with as many people as possible,” Lucien judged, looking out over the scene.

“We gave him and Trish almost four hours of advance notice,” Birk maintained. “But to get the medical examiner out of bed at this hour is a downright miracle.”

It wasn’t until the second team moved toward the main house that they realized the estate remained in total darkness, where the occupants inside must still be asleep. Thirty minutes went by before the disoriented Shepherd brothers appeared handcuffed, stumbling down the steps of the villa barefoot, still wearing their pajamas. The pair stood on concrete in the courtyard, becoming enraged over their rough treatment. As if they had just realized what was happening, the two began shouting and screaming obscenities, demanding to know the reasons for their detainment.

Trish Vosberg kept her cool as she read them their rights, knowing this was a pivotal moment in her life. She calmly informed the Shepherds of the evidence found on their property, leading to their arrest for the murders of Bethany Heywood and the unidentified male. The brothers vehemently denied any involvement, claiming they were being set up. She grew tired of listening to their complaints and instructed two uniformed officers to separate them and put them in different squad cars before joining Theo inside the villa, where he supervised the other uniforms that went from room to room.

“Thanks for letting me make the arrest. They sure put up a fuss.”

“No problem,” Theo said, studying Trish’s demeanor. “Did they proclaim their innocence?”

“Every other breath. Have they found anything significant?” she asked Theo.

“Didn’t you get Birk’s message? He found the gray Mazda sedan Bethany drove that Sunday in a large barn they used for storage forty yards from the house. When the second team arrived, they found Bethany’s purse still in plain sight on the front seat. Her driver’s license was in her handbag. Those two idiots didn’t even bother getting rid of her belongings.”

“Arrogance,” Trish muttered. “But nothing pertaining to Jill, Connie Upland, or Cynthia Zepp?”

Theo shook his head. Now wasn’t the time to remind her that the evidence for those crimes might never surface after such a long time. But he didn’t feel it was his job to point that out. Instead, he wanted her to enjoy the victory of putting them in handcuffs as he carefully chose his next words. “Let’s not forget Owen Quinn on that list. And there’s a vehicle in that building registered to a Nevada woman who went missing three years ago. We might solve several other crimes we knew nothing about, so show a little patience. We still have this entire place to search. We’re just getting started.”

“I’ve been patient for twenty-five years. At this point, a few hours or days won’t matter. This is your investigation. I’m not sure how you’ll be able to prove they murdered Sam, though.”

“Finding the murder weapon would be the first step. But yeah, there’s a lot of work yet to do.”

As the sun rose over the estate, more officers arrived to assist in covering the entire one hundred acres and every building on it. The Shepherds were taken to the county jail while forensic teams descended on the pump house and the surrounding area, looking for more evidence.

Through it all, Lucien and Birk refused to budge from their spot on the hillside, knowing that this was just the beginning.

“We should’ve brought popcorn,” Birk tossed out. “This is the best show I’ve seen in years. Although I could use a stack of pancakes and three or four eggs right about now.”

“Same here. Imagine what else they’ll find,” Lucien proffered. “Any other missing people you know about?”

“Not yet. But it’s not even seven a.m. yet. Wanna bet there are more secrets hidden within these buildings somewhere? Maybe even lying underneath the grape vines.”

“That’s a morbid thought. Look, I’m not moving until they make us. I’m determined to see what other evidence Theo and Trish uncover and see this through.”

“Sounds good to me. I offered the use of the search dogs. I have Beck standing by if the cops decide to use them.”

“Good thinking. Even if I did go home, I don’t think I could sleep. I can’t get Bethany’s dead eyes out of my head. And then there’s the male victim. He was in far worse shape. How do you think they died?”

“If I had to guess, I’d say she was strangled. She had ligature marks across her throat. Keith’s not as young as he used to be. He’d need to use a rope or some other type of cable or cord. The male’s more of a mystery. With the white stain still visible around his mouth, I’d say it looks like he might’ve been poisoned.”

“On the premises? Wow. That’s bold. How could you tell that, though? I thought you didn’t want to look at him.”

“I snuck a peek at your photos of the bodies.”

Lucien absorbed that and thought of something else. “Noir Hills has several employees on the payroll. Getting a conviction for Keith or Ken Shepherd might be tough, especially if the brothers decide to put the blame on someone else.”

“Not really,” Birk reasoned. “If Bethany was strangled, there’s always the hope the killer left DNA. And if they find the gun used to shoot Sam, that will put a nail in their coffins.”

The two men watched the sun come up over the fields.

“This is a beautiful piece of land,” Lucien noted. “Have you ever wanted to own a winery?”

“Not until this moment. Imagine living away from the city and having all this land around you, waking up every day to that sight. I never considered myself a rural type, but I might spring this on Jade and see what she thinks. What about you?”

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