Last Girls Alive (Detective Katie Scott #4) - Jennifer Chase Page 0,80
sentiments and personal growing pains from the author—it was more appealing to teens and the younger generation. The main thing she figured out was that “Hunter-Gatherer” referred to being alienated and left to fend for himself. Hunter-Gatherer had been cited as being alone in this world, surviving mostly by hunting and fishing, and harvesting wild food. The obviously young author used the title as a metaphor for the growing pains of his young life.
“What do you think?” asked McGaven.
“I think we might be reading something that the killer feels is his memoirs.”
“You want to see more?” asked Holmes.
“Yes, please.”
“Why didn’t you say so?” said the host as he approached one of the bookshelves, opened a small box and retrieved a small flash drive. “I have the entire series scanned into computer files.”
“That would be fantastic, Mr. Holmes,” said Katie. “We’ll return it to you when our investigation is over.”
Holmes gave Katie the drive and said, “My dear, if you ever want to mingle at one of my mystery parties, you just let me know.”
“I will, thank you,” she said, slightly embarrassed by the invitation. “I have one more question for you.”
“Of course. Anything I can answer that might help.”
“Have you ever had anyone else refer to or ask you about Hunter-Gatherer, either at one of your parties, or anywhere else, for that matter?”
He paused. Katie wasn’t sure if it was for dramatic effect or not, but he appeared to contemplate the question, searching his mind. “No, not to my knowledge and I’ve heard a lot of people talk about obscure books in my day, but nothing rings a bell.”
Katie gave him the book back and pocketed the flash drive. “Thank you, Mr. Holmes, for taking the time to talk to us and lending us the digital copy.”
“My absolute pleasure,” he said, and was suddenly gone. Vanished like a magician after entertaining an audience.
Katie and McGaven were finally on the road back to the department. It was beginning to get dark and Katie was exhausted, but her mind wouldn’t shut off from all the information they had learned today.
“What the hell does all this mean?” asked McGaven.
Katie noticed that he was looking even more tired as the day went on. “There’s definitely some clues and similarities for our killer. We’re getting to know more about him, what makes him tick, but no closer to finding him.”
“We’re getting closer,” he said.
“So what we have right now is… A book series about the feelings of what it’s like navigating life as a teenager and feeling like you’re all alone. Mary Rodriguez had a new boyfriend by the named of Ray – the same name of the person who Candace Harlan left the foster home with. The author of some obscure book series by the name of Ray. Coincidence?” She sighed. “That’s what we need to find out.”
“Don’t forget that two of the county employees that worked at Elm House confirmed the problems, abuse, and unsettling incidents that took place,” McGaven added.
“It gives us quite a bit to think about,” she said.
Forty-Two
Wednesday 0930 hours
Katie had already been working for several hours before McGaven arrived. She couldn’t sleep. There was too much information swirling around in her mind—she was beginning to feel the clock ticking down for a new victim. It was like walking around a time bomb.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the victims, looking just as she had found them, reaching out to her from their graves, begging for her to find justice for them.
Katie let out a much-needed exhalation—it was more out of frustration than being overwhelmed or uncertain. Again, they were facing a tremendous amount of information; each fact by itself didn’t mean much, but piecing certain ones together, it began to form a picture.
It occurred to Katie, as she scanned the freshly updated board as well as the notes in her file, that there had to be a way to push the investigation forward and flesh out evidence—in a way that the department would be in agreement with.
She ran scenarios as she chewed the end of her pen.
Adding questions nagging at her, she wrote:
Who is the unknown man in the black hoodie? Is he following the investigation? Why? Can we trap him?
Who left the piece of paper in my locker directing us to the company that manufactures the metal storage containers for construction sites? ETL Express?
Is Tanis or Candace the key to unlocking the secrets at Elm Hill Mansion?