side of the conversation. “This isn’t a good time to talk.”
Ernie was an older officer that had temporarily taken over as detective while Colin was on his leave of absence. He had been a friend of the Andrews family for a long time and had helped Colin secure the job in Paradise Valley in the first place.
“I’m not calling just to chat, boy, I need your help. I know you’re not officially starting back as police detective until tomorrow, but we have a situation.”
Colin disengaged his arm from Emily and stood up. “What is it?”
“A guy walking along the green belt by the river found a dead body.”
“Tonight?”
“Yeah, about an hour ago. A young Asian woman, maybe fifteen to twenty years old, beaten pretty badly.”
Colin’s gaze shot to Emily and she stood up and listened.
“Where’s the guy that found her?”
“In the back of my vehicle. I thought you’d want in on this.”
“You’re at the scene?”
“Yeah.”
“And the body?”
“The medical examiner and the CSI team just arrived. They’re going over the area where the body was found. We have the place cordoned off.”
“Don’t let them touch the body until I get there.”
“The doc doesn’t always listen to me, but I’ll do my best.”
“We’re on our way.”
“We?”
“I’m at Emily’s.”
“You sure you want to bring her down here? It’s pretty grizzly.”
“As if you think I could stop her.”
Ernie snickered. “Guess you’re right about that, boss.”
CHAPTER 11
“What body?” Emily pleaded.
Colin hung up his phone and stuffed it in his pocket. “Grab your shoes, we have to go.”
“What’s going on?” she asked, slipping into her flats by the front door and grabbing a jacket from the hall closet.
“The body of a young female was found by the river—Asian, Ernie said. I’ll fill you in on the drive over.” He held the door open for her.
“Oh, Colin, no.” Emily gasped as she crossed the threshold. She felt her chest constricting as she envisioned the scene in her mind, wondering if it could be the girl from the hotel restroom.
As they drove, Colin relayed what Ernie had told him on the phone. “Now, I know what you’re thinking, but let’s not jump to conclusions.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking?” Emily questioned, crossing her arms as she frowned at him.
“The prostitution ring?”
“You say prostitution ring like those girls have any choice in the matter. Call it what it is—a sex slave ring.”
“Maybe, but we need to check the facts first. This could be totally unrelated.”
Emily crossed her arms tighter and sat silently, her eyes staring straight ahead. Her thoughts went back to the night she and Molly happened upon the girl, crying in the restroom. She hoped the dead female was not the one from the hotel. If she had known then what she knew now, or what she thought she knew, perhaps there was something more she could have done to rescue her.
But how could she have known? It looked like a spat between mother and daughter, much like the ones she’d had with her own mother. And, in fact, that might still be the case.
Emily could see emergency lights flashing up ahead. Colin turned onto a road that led to a small parking lot near the entrance to the green belt that ran for miles along the Boise River. Several police cars, a body retrieval vehicle, and the CSI van crowded the area. Yellow crime scene tape was strung between trees and benches to cordon off the area from curious bystanders.
Abruptly parking his Jeep, Colin and Emily jumped out and rushed to the scene. He ducked under the tape and held it up for Emily to squeeze under, and they headed directly to the body, still in the water.
Dr. Walters was standing on the bank, bending over, trying to get a better look at the body bobbing in the river.
“Hey, Doc. What do we have?” Colin asked as he came to stand next to him.
The white-haired medical examiner straightened and glanced over at him. “Hello, Colin. I heard you were coming back.”
“Just in time, I see.”
Emily walked up and stood next to Colin.
“Hello, Ms. Parker. You helping with this case?”
“Possibly,” Emily responded, glancing over at Colin.
“What can you tell me, Doc?” Colin asked.
“The body appears to be that of a young woman, maybe late teens. She looks like she’s been beaten. Other than that, I can’t tell you too much until we get her out of the water.”
“Ernie!” Colin turned and shouted, getting the officer’s attention. “Can you and the boys pull the body out of