sounded only half kidding. He felt a little better about the idea. He had absolutely no idea where to start looking for his sister. Was pissed enough that he probably wouldn’t look right now if it were just Kristin involved. But it wasn’t. It was also Tucker. If Cass was able to get one of Kristin’s friends to open up and give her a general location to look, he could maybe ask for a favor from the police department in that city. Blue to blue. Put them on the lookout for her car. Something.
As it was, she still wasn’t answering her phone. He still didn’t know if Tuck was being taken care of. He wanted to think Kristin had changed. The last week made that hard to believe.
He looked at his friend. “I’d appreciate it, Cass. But think of yourself first, okay? They’d have told you not to leave the area, so don’t. Just get done what you can here. If I get an idea of Kristin’s destination, I can do the rest.”
“Sure.” She seemed buoyed at the prospect. And Nate knew then just how much she’d been dreading the long, empty days ahead of her.
“Here.” He dug out his keys and took his house key off the ring. “In the kitchen desk drawer, I have a list of her contacts and their numbers. Feel free to look around in their rooms if you think that will help. Lock up and leave the key on the counter. Unlock the house entrance to the garage. I’ll get back in tonight that way.”
Contemplating the key for a moment, she looked like she would cry. Nate felt a familiar tug of panic at the prospect of a female’s tears. But she didn’t. Cass was made of tougher stuff than that. Even if her decision making in her personal life left something to be desired. “You’re a good friend.”
Trying to lighten the mood, he said, “Because I just laid my messy personal baggage at your doorstep? Yeah, I’m a prince.”
Slipping the house key into her pocket, she picked up her coffee mug again. “I wouldn’t go as far as royalty. But you’re a good guy to have on my side.”
“Preliminary autopsy results indicate that Randolph was killed in a manner similar to the other three victims.” Nate was addressing the task force. “The only difference was that she had to cut the remnants of something off his face and head. We think it was some sort of mask or fitted hood. That’s been turned over to the lab for analyzing. Hopefully they can identify it.”
“The change in location was also a difference,” Finnegan drawled. “Does this mean he’s branching farther abroad?”
“It means he went to a lot of trouble to scout locations for the crimes before he ever began carrying them out.”
Nate jerked around when Risa’s voice sounded behind him. He hadn’t heard her come in. Hadn’t expected to see her at all today. The quick once-over he gave her was as involuntary as it was instinctive. She’d been to hell and back in the last several hours. Her voice was far raspier than normal, probably from the smoke she’d inhaled. Those incredible eyes had dark shadows beneath them, and there were some scrapes and bruises on her face. But she was alive and standing. He’d been assured she was fine. But seeing for himself had relief swamping him.
It took effort to return his attention to the front of the room and continue his report. “Parker’s car hasn’t turned up much in the way of trace evidence. His blood was identified in the trunk. We eliminated the prints for him and his wife. There are plenty of others, but nothing that popped on the Automated Fingerprint Identification System. Forensics isn’t done with it but it’s not looking hopeful.”
“Why’d it take so long for impound to make the connection?” Shroot wanted to know. There was a murmur of agreement in the room.
“The plates that were on it had only recently been reported as stolen. And the Vehicle Identification Number had been changed. Professional job, too. That’s the best lead we’re probably going to get from the car. It’s possible our offender has a record for auto theft. Maybe he’s affiliated with a local chop shop. In any case, Alberts and Finnegan, take a look at parolees in the area released in the last three years with something similar on their sheet.”
“Brandau and Shroot.” His gaze encompassed the two men. “We’re trying to trace the former