Page 5 of Echoes of Sin

Hal took time to survey the area with a grimace.

“Not that this cabin is anywhere near a trail.”

“You mentioned that two of the volunteers who were with a search party discovered the cabin and the body,” Sylvie pointed out in her attempt to narrow down information. “Was Mr. Kendric one of those volunteers?”

“No. I believe Nate and Jules found the body,” Hal responded as he pulled his hat a little lower on his forehead. The sun was low near the horizon. Brook had heard him say earlier that they had less than three hours until sunset. It had taken them about an hour and fifteen minutes to hike from town to this particular location. Given that estimate, Riggs and the two techs should be arriving soon. “Nate and Jules are both veterinarians. Like Riggs, they volunteer their time. We have a lot of hikers who do decide to veer off the trails. Most are experienced and can find their way back, but others are just idiots and—”

“Hal?” Erica called out as she rounded the corner. “Chief said that you could head back to base. Riggs has already offered to stay with the forensic techs before ensuring they make it safely back to town.”

Hal narrowed his eyes and thinned his lips at the implication of Erica’s words. He hadn’t needed to read between the lines, and Brook met his accusatorial stare. He wasn’t as obtuse as he had initially let them believe.

“Guess I’ll be able to make my poker game after all,” Hal said drily as he touched the brim of his hat in a mock gesture.

“Did I miss something?” Sylvie asked softly as they monitored Hal’s departure. He passed by Erica without a word, walking in the same direction that they’d come from earlier. The trail was at least a thirty-minute walk from the cabin. “I definitely missed something.”

“Erica will be our liaison with the park rangers,” Brook explained, knowing that Theo would give Sylvie more insight to the situation later this evening. “We’re taking lead on this investigation. I’ll touch base with the Charlotte field office to let them know, and we’ll need a place to stay that can double as our headquarters.”

Sylvie automatically reached for her phone, which caused Theo to smile.

“Satellite phones are already on my list to give to Bit.” Brook stepped around Sylvie to where a small piece of faded blue fabric had attached itself to a large tree. She could see why Theo had responded the way he had when she’d asked if Sylvie had truly discovered something of value behind the cabin. There was barely anything left of the material, revealing its age. She glanced up, not surprised when she found that there were very old marks on a branch that indicated a swing of some sort. “We’ll need a history of this cabin, but I believe the unsub used the shelter more out of convenience than anything.”

“I don’t recall such a signature when we were at the Bureau.” Sylvie’s words gave Brook confirmation on what she’d recalled of the FBI’s list of active serial killers. Sylvie hadn’t gone inside the cabin upon arriving at the crime scene, but she had stood in the doorway for a moment to observe the victim. She’d seen enough to know what had taken place. “Are you saying that Luna Breen isn’t the first victim?”

“I’m not saying anything right now,” Brook revised, mindful not to commit to anything until she had a chance to put her thoughts down on paper. She had a process, and she’d like to stick to it. “Like I said, we’ll take lead on the investigation for the moment. If we need to hand it off to the Charlotte office at a later point, I want to make sure that we’ve turned over every stone.”

Sylvie could read between the lines, and she nodded her understanding. A strand of her blonde hair fell against the right side of her cheek. She had most of the wavy strands contained at the base of her neck with a pink hair tie, but the strenuous activity on their hike had gotten the best of them.

“Once we get settled somewhere, I’ll have Bit gather information on the cabin’s history, as well as a list of missing persons reports for the area.” Sylvie turned her attention toward Erica. “How familiar are you with Moonshine Valley?”

“Somewhat, but I live a few towns over. You’ll want to speak with Riggs,” Erica said, confirming what her colleague had already professed about the deputy. “I do know that the only place for you to stay is Wyn’s bar. He converted the second floor to rooms for hikers and hunters who get caught in town after an evening of celebration, if you know what I mean.”

“That’ll work for us,” Brook replied before turning her attention to Theo. “We’ll wait here until the forensic techs show up, but I’d like it if you stayed with them until they finished processing the crime scene. Erica can lead me and Sylvie back to town so that we can secure the lodging before anyone ties one on.”

“I’ll talk to Riggs while the scene is being processed and see what information I can gather about other cabins in the area. It might be a good idea to check them out over the next few days,” Theo suggested as if he took the thoughts straight from Brook’s mind. “If your theory about the unsub returning to bury the body rings true, then maybe your other speculations have roots.”

The crisp air bit at Brook’s cheeks, but she still held back as the others made their way toward the front of the cabin to wait for the others to arrive. She wanted a moment to herself to weigh the significance of such a case. Theo and Sylvie were both aware that this wasn’t the type of investigation the firm usually accepted, and they had no obligation to do anything other than report their findings to one of the agents at the Charlotte office.

Brook couldn’t get the manner of death out of her mind. She had likened the crime scene to some extreme form of interrogation. The brutality inflicted on the victim had been cruel and merciless.

Maybe Brook had it wrong, and thiswasa lone incident.

Had the violence been personal in nature?

She couldn’t make sense of it, because the bloodshed left behind seemed too contained to be a mere one-off incident. Such sheer intensity was an act of unfathomable evil.

The gentle breeze began to pick up speed, causing a soft whistle to emanate from the dense forest. For the most part, it was quiet. Peaceful. Yet something lingered in the air that told of another story, and it was one that Brook needed to finish in order to see that justice was served.

Chapter Three

Brooklyn Sloane

October 2023

Thursday — 10:26pm

ItwasarguablethatMoonshine Valley was even a town, but the townsfolk took pride in their small community. A handful of mom-and-pop shops lined the main thoroughfare through town, each one probably struggling to keep up with the modern world.

The only business that seemed to thrive in these parts was the pub.

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