Last Girls Alive (Detective Katie Scott #4) - Jennifer Chase Page 0,36
wrote.
“So, the mansion was actually built in 1894 with the landscaping completed in 1895. It is 403 Elm Hill Road.”
“Okay, makes sense.”
“The original owners were German immigrants Emily and Frederick Von Slovnick. He made a considerable income in the railroad and building business—so he built this beautiful mansion for his bride.”
“That was a big deal back then.”
“This is where it gets unusual. According to available records, Emily had several miscarriages with no living children. Then Frederick poisoned his wife and took his own life.”
“Wow, tragic,” he said.
Katie stepped back and said, “The only thing that seems to stand out about the house is that the building plans differ—from the original to the submitted. It seems that there is a discrepancy in the staircase.”
“Placement or size?”
“It’s actually smaller now.”
McGaven thought about it for a moment. “We’ll have to check it out and see what’s what.”
“Okay, this is who we have so far…” she said, and continued her lists.
Current People of Interest:
Unknown man/boy that Candace Harlan met and ran away with.
Robert (Bob) Bramble – construction foreman for the Elm Hill Mansion Project. Found body.
Amy Striker—emergency contact for Candace Harlan (dentist office)—address 1457 Green Street at the Parker Division.
Unidentified man – hooded runner at Parker Division.
Tanis Jones—only local foster girl. Last place of employment (current) Sunshine Gifts & Antiques.
Shelly McDonald—in prison, confirmed that there were disciplinary actions and police were dispatched. Linked to Deputy Hugh Keller.
Sara and Jonathan McKinzie – previous owners of Elm Hill Mansion.
Deputy Hugh Keller—dispatched to Elm Hill Mansion domestic disturbance, disturbing the peace, missing persons report. Implied relationship with Shelly McDonald? Was relieved of duties just after the mansion closed down for good. Works as a bartender at The Well.
“I think that’s about it for now,” she said. “It’s—” She stopped talking and struggled with her lists.
“What’s wrong?” McGaven asked.
“I’m not sure.”
“Well, we’ll just have to keep pushing forward and see what shakes out. This isn’t all of it—just what we know now.”
“I guess you’re right. Have you found out anything else about ‘hunter-gatherer’?”
“Just what you have, but I’m searching social media, blog sites, and chat rooms to see if there’s any connection with special groups or crime sprees—anything of interest. I’m also searching the tri-county area for other homicides that might resemble ours.”
“As a stroke of luck, I asked Shane at the county archives if ‘hunter-gatherer’ meant anything and he said that there are six books in a series with that name from the 1940s about a young man and his travels.”
“That’s interesting and convenient. Those books sound so abstract, but I’ll see what else I can find out,” he said.
“The killer taking the extra steps to carve those words on his victims’ backs—and his fascination with Italian. Says something…”
“Like he’s crazy.”
Katie chuckled. “No, it says something about his life, an event, or his childhood.”
“You mean some defining moment?”
“More like some type of a lifestyle he hates or loves, the way he was brought up, or something that isn’t so obvious. But it is big for him.” Looking back at the board, she said, “Everything has been set in motion because of Candace Harlan. We find out where she is and I think everything will begin to fall into place.” Glancing at her watch, she said, “Let’s get out of the office.”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
“John is having some type of meeting with his tech so I can’t ask him about the evidence, and I haven’t heard from Dr. Dean about Mary Rodriguez’s autopsy. And it’s a bit too early to catch Hugh Keller at work… So let’s see what we can find out from Tanis Jones. We may need to have patrol check in on her periodically. I want to make sure she and the other girls are safe.”
“On it. I’m still trying to track down Heather Lawson and Terry Slaughter.”
“Oh, and I have a surprise for you,” she said, smiling and gathering up her keys, phone, and notes.
Standing up and slipping his jacket on, he said, “Can it get any better?”
“Cisco is going to join us.”
“That’s epic.”
Twenty-One
Wednesday 1705 hours
A light mist filtered over the countryside, covering the sky and making the hour seem later than it was. The leaves were falling at a quickened pace and the usual brilliant shades of nature’s greens were just a bit duller than normal. Katie flipped on the windshield wipers and grumbled that the blades were in dire need of replacing as every swipe made a grinding noise and streaked her view.