Page 76 of Phoenix Rising

Sensing her reluctance, Reese reached for her hand and threaded their fingers together. He gave her the strength she needed to keep moving forward.

#

Detective Beaumont was speaking with a woman in a white lab coat. She turned when a set of doors slid open and they entered. “Thanks for coming. This won’t be easy to view. Heat and animals have been at work.”

“You said there were two bodies?”

“Yes. Hikers found one and called the authorities. The other was discovered nearby when the police arrived. Both were beneath cover, so they weren’t in direct sunlight, but the decay is significant. Frankly, I’m not sure there is enough to identify.”

“I’ve seen worse,” Reese responded, and he had. When you’ve viewed a headless corpse and one that was burned beyond recognition, it toughened you up, whether or not you were ready.

Detective Beaumont made introductions, and Reese learned the coroner’s name was Dr. Hahn. He squeezed Audria’s hand and nodded at Christian, telling him to keep an eye on his woman, even though she would balk at both the description of being his and that she needed to be watched over. If there was anyone who could take care of themselves, it was Audria.

Reese followed the coroner and detective into the morgue, donning the appropriate gear. The room was cold and seeped into his bones. His stomach was one big knot as Dr. Hahn instructed an aide to open a metal door and pull out a sheet-covered lump.

“Ready?” the aide asked.

He nodded. The man eased back the sheet. Reese inhaled sharply and shook his head. “There is too much facial decomp. I can’t tell for sure, but the hair isn’t right.”

The man replaced the cover, slid the drawer back, and closed the door. Then he reached for a second one. When he tugged the sheet off this time, Reese felt like throwing up. This body was as decomposed as the other one, but the hair matched Paige’s style. “It could be her, but I’m not positive. Can I see the inside of her right wrist?”

The aide removed her arm from below the sheet, and enough tissue was left to see the words. “It says ‘Gone to Heaven but never forgotten. I will honor you the rest of my life,’” the man read.

Reese closed his eyes and willed his stomach to keep the contents down. “It’s Paige Stockton. She got that tattoo after her parents were killed in an accident.” Confirmation of her death would crush Gennie. He did not look forward to that phone call. He turned to the coroner.

“Do you know what killed her yet?”

“No, I’ll conduct an autopsy in the morning and send Detective Beaumont my findings.”

An aide sitting at a computer spoke up. “Dr. Hahn, I got a hit on a set of fingerprints. It confirms one victim is Paige Stockton. She had a gun permit on file. Nothing on the second one yet.”

Reese thanked them and removed the protective gown, gloves, and mask. Detective Beaumont did the same, and they returned to Audria and Christian. He took a deep breath before telling them, “It’s Paige.”

#

“Damn,” Christian muttered.

Audria wanted to walk up to Reese and put her arms around him. She felt his pain as if it were her own. He might not have agreed with Paige’s tactics, but they had been friends for a long time, and Paige had been important to his ex-wife—her lifelong best friend. Audria knew Reese still cared about Genevieve, even though they’d been divorced for a while. Calling her to break the news about Paige would be hard on him.

“Let’s go to the lobby to talk,” Detective Beaumont suggested. “The morgue gives me the creeps.”

She led the way with Christian while Reese and Audria brought up the rear. Audria reached for Reese’s hand and squeezed it, trying to convey her support. He looked devastated.

Audria released him when the detective stopped and turned to them. “Do you have any idea who the other woman is?”

Reese shook his head. “Not a clue.”

“Ms. Stockton didn’t travel with a partner or colleague?”

“Not usually, no.”

“Do you have any leads on who might’ve killed these two women?”

Audria knew Reese had a decision to make. Now that they had a body and a suspect, they needed to arrest Elijah sooner rather than later, and they would need the assistance of the local authorities. However, if it were Audria’s call, she’d want a confession first. Talia and Hunter were the best bet to get one.

Reese was on the same wavelength. “Not yet, but I might have something for you tomorrow.”

“Don’t hold out on me, Reneau,” Detective Beaumont warned. “Two women are dead, and I intend to bring the responsible party to justice.”

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