Page 15 of Wild Idol
“Hey, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
I couldn’t argue with the sentiment.
JD and I rejoined the sheriff.
Paris Delaney and her crew were on the scene, soaking up the aftermath.
Mendoza had gotten the VIN from the smoldering wreckage. He hurried back to his patrol car to run it, then joined us with a curious look on his face. “You’re not gonna believe who that car belongs to.”
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“Sable Fox,” Mendoza said.
I lifted a surprised brow and shared a look with JD.
The sheriff picked up on it. “Don’t tell me you two know her.”
“No,“ I said. “Her name just keeps coming up in the Reid investigation.”
“In what way?”
I pulled my phone from my pocket and showed him the picture of Haley and Sable together.
His face tightened. “You think the two incidents are connected?”
I shrugged. “You know how I feel about coincidences.”
“I want you to get to the bottom of this,” thesheriff said.
Mendoza interrupted. “That might not be Sable Fox in the car. Vehicle was reported stolen about an hour ago.”
JD and I shared a suspicious look with the sheriff.
“Go talk to the pop star ASAP,” he said.
Mendoza gave us her contact information and address. It wasn’t surprising that she lived in Palm Haven, not too far from Strathmore Wellington.
Brenda had arrived and was examining the remains.
JD and I approached the crispy Lambo. The acrid smell of burned leather, rubber, and plastic swirled. It wasn’t pleasant. The charred remains in the driver's seat had its own distinct aroma.
There was no way to make a visual identification of the body at this point. The remains were burned beyond all recognition. The driver was just a lump of coal, like a log that had been roasting in the fire.
“I think the cause of death is pretty obvious, but I’ll know more when I get her back to the lab,“ Brenda said. “I can tell you the victim is most likely female, petite frame. Maybe 5’3”, 5’4”.”
Brenda had seen so many dead bodies she knew right away what she was dealing with. The dead reveal many secrets.
The interior of the car had been incinerated. The seats had burned down to the frame. If the driver had a wallet or purse, it was ash now.
Arson investigators examined the vehicle.
JD and I got out of the way and walked back toward the Porsche. Paris confronted us, and the camera closed in.
“Deputy Wild, what can you tell us?“
“Apparently, the driver was attacked on the roadway. If anyone saw anything, please contact the Coconut County Sheriff’s Department.”
“Are the rumors true?”
