Page 50 of Girl Lost
They approached the two men pacing near their overturned buckets. Someone had brought the golden retriever a bowl of water. It looked like instead of drinking it, the dog had swum in it.
“I know you’re anxious to get going, but I’ve got just a few more questions,” Corbin said. “How did you guys find this place?”
The men exchanged glances. Finally, Levi spoke up. “A friend in Miami owns a boat detailing shop. He told us about it. Said he sometimes comes here to find parts to upsell to his customers.”
Basically charge the rich clients the price of a new part but give them the used part. What else did this guy do while he was here? “What’s your friend’s name?”
“Caleb,” Levi replied. “Caleb Morales.”
“Thank you,” Luna said. “We might need to talk to him. Can you give us his information?”
Levi pulled his phone out and thumbed the screen. Corbin jotted down the phone number and made note of the social media profile and address for the detailing shop.
“Thanks for your help.” Corbin gestured to Miller. “Special Agent Miller will escort you off the property. We may have more questions later, so please stay available.”
The men nodded, visibly relieved to be leaving the scene. Corbin watched them go, noting the way Brock reached down to pet Maizie. The guys couldn’t be too bad. They loved that dog, and they’d risked burglary charges by reporting the body and sticking around. Most criminals would’ve bolted.
Turning back to Luna, he said, “Let’s hope this lead takes us somewhere.”
“It’s a start. And something tells me we need all the help we can get.”
He pointed at the chopper circling. “I don’t see how we canpossibly keep this top secret. I’ll have to call the commissioner and see where he stands.”
Together, they moved away from the makeshift seating area and through the tangled maze of boats and debris. As they approached Agent Ayres, Corbin noted the man’s focused expression as he directed officers to document the sprawling scene.
“Ayres,” Corbin called out, drawing the agent’s attention. “What have you found so far?”
Ayres shook his head. “It’s a mess out here. Everything could be trash or could be evidence. We’ve got officers documenting, but it’s slow going.”
Corbin glanced around, taking in the discarded items. He didn’t envy the job of searching this place. Every boat would be combed over for evidence that this place was more than a graveyard. He decided to start with the obvious. “Any signs of a struggle? Footprints? Anything that stands out?”
“Nothing definitive,” Ayres replied, gesturing to the area. “We’ve marked some potential evidence, but it’s hard to tell what’s relevant. We’re planning to get a drone up in the morning for aerial footage. Maybe that’ll give us a clearer picture.”
Luna asked, “What about the perimeter? Any signs of recent activity or entry points?”
“We’ve got officers checking the fence line and any possible escape routes. But so far, nothing obvious.” Ayres scratched his cheek. “I’ve got the local PD canvasing the neighborhood, such as it is. Maybe one of those fancy doorbell cameras caught something.”
“Good. Let’s make sure we have everything covered. Get me a full sweep of the area and detailed documentation of anything unusual,” Corbin said.
“We’ll keep at it,” Ayres said. “I’ll update you as soon as we have something concrete.”
Corbin thanked Ayres and turned to Luna. “Let’s go talk to Mr. Morales.”
As they walked back to his car, he took one last look at thescene. The flashing lights of the police cruisers cast an eerie glow over the rotting boats. What a place to leave victims. Whoever put the bodies here had turned the boat graveyard into a human one.
“The layout of this place,” he said, opening his car door. “It’s a perfect cover for someone looking to hide bodies. All those boats, the overgrowth ... it’s a labyrinth.”
Luna waited until they’d gotten in the car and closed their doors before she replied. “They must know the area well. They’d need to be familiar with the best entry and exit points.”
Corbin nodded, starting the engine and pulling away from the crime scene. The car’s headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the twisted path.
He adjusted the air vent, trying to dispel the lingering scent of decay that seemed to have seeped into his clothes. “The drone footage will help us figure out how they’re getting in and out.”
Luna frowned. “But wouldn’t it make more sense to just dump the bodies in the swamp? They’d be harder to find there. Why risk bringing them here and going through all the effort of burying them?”
Corbin nodded, considering her point. “My guess? They were controlling the discovery. If they disposed of the bodies in the Everglades, they could surface at the wrong time.”
“You should bring in Tori to study the graves for a pattern. Her expertise as a behavioral analyst and criminal profiler could help. Maybe the killer simply wanted to keep them as trophies. Or someplace he could revisit them.”
