Page 17 of Scent of Death

“Add another cheeseburger with fries for me,” Joel added. “Thanks.”

“Anything other than water to drink?” Griff could see the server’s name was Cyndi. She was young enough that he wanted to warn her to be careful. “Iced tea? Soft drinks?”

When she’d gotten orders for a ginger ale for Alexis and iced teas for him and Joel, Cyndi hurried away.

“It’s hard not to look at her and see a potential victim,” Alexis said in a low voice.

“I had the same concern.” Griff scrubbed his hands over his face. “I need to figure out who this guy is and where he’s holding these women before he kills them.”

“Do you think the profiler will help with that?” Alexis’s expression held doubt. “What can she tell from three victims?”

“In theory, the profiler can narrow down the suspect pool, but in this case, I’m not sure that will help.” He didn’t want to disparage a colleague he hadn’t even met. “Most serial killers are usually white males between the ages of twenty and forty who tend to be loners who don’t mingle well with society.”

“Unless he’s that old guy in New Jersey who had a wife, kids, and still killed women,” Joel drawled.

“Or Ted Bundy who charmed women into his car,” Alexis added.

“I know. There are plenty of serial killers who don’t fit the typical profile.” Griff shook his head, feeling helpless. “Which makes our job more difficult. And out here in Wyoming, there are more men than women in general, so that makes it even harder to narrow the pool of suspects. Not to mention being a loner out here isn’t that unusual. Avoiding the crowded city is a big reason people move here in the first place.” The more he thought about how he’d find this guy, the more he feared his efforts would be too little too late.

For Megan and anyone else who may have caught this guy’s attention.Like Alexis, he thought grimly.

Cyndi returned with their order. The food smelled amazing, making Griff’s mouth water. But he knew better than to snitch a fry. He folded his hands and looked at Alexis and Joel. One of them would want to say grace.

The Sullivans always said grace.

“Your turn,” Joel teased.

“Okay.” She bowed her head. “Dear Lord Jesus, we thank You for this food we are blessed to eat. We ask that You keep Wendy Evers safe in Your loving arms. And please guide Griff and the other police officers as they seek to find her. Amen.”

“Amen,” Joel echoed. A half second later, Griff added, “Amen.”

Was God really listening to Alexis’s prayer? He wasn’t sure, but at this point, he would take all the help he could get. Wendy didn’t deserve whatever she was suffering through.

No woman did.

Taking a large bite of his burger, he tried not to moan with appreciation. He drank half his tea in one long gulp, then reached for his water. He felt dehydrated from being out in the sun most of the day and knew Alexis and Denali had been out there longer.

“I can’t think of anyone who could be involved in this,” Alexis said, after they ate in silence for a few minutes. “I mean, sure, there were a couple of kids who didn’t fit in with the rest of us. But I can’t see any of them doing something like this.”

“Why do you think Alexis knows the guy?” Joel asked with a frown.

“Not just Alexis, you and even your other siblings,” Griff said. “If this guy is native to the area, it’s likely one of you has run into him at one time or another.”

“Local to Greybull or Cody?” Alexis asked. “The two towns aren’t that close. And they have their own high schools. Although, I know some of the kids from outside Greybull preferred coming to Cody, despite the distance. Cody had better sports teams.”

“Both, I guess.” Griff munched a french fry. “Maybe you’re right and I’m grasping at straws. I don’t have much to go on.” He abruptly pulled the second shell casing he found from his pocket and pushed it across the table to Joel. “I need a favor. Take this back to the ranch so Logan can drop this off at the lab with the first one. I’m really hoping we get fingerprints off them.”

“Sure.” Joel nodded, stuffing it into his pocket. “Happy to help.”

The shell casings were the best lead he had. Unless there was something more to be learned from the autopsies. He made a mental note to check in with the ME’s office first thing tomorrow.

He reached for his wallet, but Joel snatched the bill before he could look at it. “We’ve got this.”

“I can pay,” he protested.

“Too late.” Joel grinned as he tossed cash onto the table. “Let’s go, there’s a line forming at the door.”

“What’s the hotel situation in this town?” Griff asked Alexis once they were back in his SUV.

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