Page 241 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

He bowed his head and thanked God for his food before taking a bite. “This is delicious. Ty is blessed to be marrying a talented chef.”

“I’m glad you like the food. It was faster than going to a restaurant and waiting for a table.”

“True.” He stared out over the lake while he slowly chewed his food.

“What’s on your mind? That girl?”

“It’s past time for me to find someone to build a life with.”

“Why don’t we put you on one of those internet dating sites?”

“You can’t be serious.”

“All sorts of people meet online these days. Give it a shot.”

“I don’t think so.” He grimaced. “Let’s talk about the case.”

“I think there is more to it than meets the eye.” She lifted her chin.

“I know. It’s a strange case. Bodies are usually wrapped in something. A blanket, a tarp, or even a carpet. Whatever the murderer has on hand will do. The killer doesn’t want to see the corpse as he buries it. I imagine it’s disconcerting to look into a person’s face while you shovel dirt over them. But this guy wasn’t disturbed by it. He proudly displayed her. Assumingthe killer is a he. There was something about the way she was positioned that’s bothering me, too.”

She tapped her fingernails on the table. “Nothing about this case is sitting right with me.”

“I don’t like it.” A shiver ran up his spine. “The cadaver dogs will arrive at the crime scene in the morning. If there are more bodies to be found in the area, they’ll find them, but Hickory Run is nearly 16,000 acres, so if he has more than one burial place in the park, we may never find his victims.”

“I sincerely hope we’re both wrong, and there’s nothing more out there to find.”

“Me too.”

CHAPTER THREE

Emily pulled into the housing development in White Haven she called home. She hit the lock button on her key fob and hurried up the footpath to her ranch house. She longed to soak in a warm bath, but first she needed to eat. Her neighbor appeared before she could reach her front door.

“Long day?”

“It was.” Maybe he would take a hint, so she could get inside and relax.

“They mentioned you on the six o’clock news.”

“Oh, joy.”

He hurried to reach her. “I was wondering, if you aren’t too busy, if you might like to, you know, possibly?—”

“Work is crazy right now. I don’t have time for a social life.”

His face fell. “If things slow down, the offer stands. I’d love to, you know, take you out sometime.”

“That’s sweet, Bob.” She mustered up a weak smile, placed her hand on the doorknob, and stuck her key in the lock hoping he would get the point that she didn’t wish to chitchat.

“All right then, I’ll be seeing you, Em.”

She cringed at the shortened version of her name. “I’ve told you I prefer Emily.” She hadn’t let anyone call her ‘Em’ sinceWade enlisted. It was all he’d ever called her, and it hurt too much to hear it come out of anybody else’s mouth. And she’d never expected to hear it from him again. Until today.

When Bob reached the end of the walkway, she let herself in and locked the door behind her. She wasn’t in the habit of locking her doors, but something told her she should.

The house phonerang before Emily could set her keys on the counter. She sighed and grabbed it.

“I saw the story on the news.” Her friend Samantha paused for a beat. “I can’t believe you found a human skull. Are you all right?”

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