She forced her gaze up and realized…a jacket had been placed over the victim’s face and chest. Not just any jacket, though. “That’s a letterman jacket.”
“That’s a letterman jacket for the Pirates,” Cedric corrected as he crouched near the victim. “The kind of jacket that a football player would wear.”
“He covered her face.” A sign of remorse? Most psychologists would say so. But…it could also be that the perp had covered her face because…
He doesn’t want her to see what he did. He doesn’t want her looking at him.
“How does she fit into the Bad Deeds case?” Joel asked.
“I think she started it all.” A crime from years ago had led to multiple murders now.
A black SUV rushed to the scene. The brakes squealed. A moment later, the driver’s side door was thrown open.
“Great. Here we go.” Cedric rose to his full height. “Someone finally dragged his head out of his ass and joined the party.”
Paul Richardson jumped out of the vehicle. “Get them away from there!”
She glanced heavenward. “You’re welcome,” she told the agent. “Don’t worry, Richardson. I assure you that Cedric, Joel, Mickey, Cujo, and I were all happy to assist you in finding this murder victim.”
“Get away from there!”
Hmm. His response didn’t sound like a thank you.
She stepped back. Reluctantly. Joel moved in unison with her. Just as reluctantly.
Richardson spared a fast glance for the uncovered grave before he turned his back on the vic. “Two dead bodies, today, huh? Guess you’re rolling high.”
“Two?” Chloe repeated. What was he talking about? They’d only uncovered one dead body.
“This vic…and Judith Key. Two dead bodies.” When Richardson made that stark announcement, he stared straight at Joel.
“Judith isn’t dead,” Joel snapped back. “I saved her. Get your facts straight. She’s in the hospital. She’s stable. She was doing just fine when I—”
“She died thirty minutes ago. That means you did not save her.”
Pain. Chloe saw it flash on Joel’s face. He took one fast step back, and his retreat made her heart ache. She knew how much he’d wanted Judith to survive. How hard he’d worked to save her.
“That’s not possible,” he said, his confusion clear. “I…her vitals were good. She was in recovery.”
“She didn’t recover. She died. And you know what, Joel? I think this is a good time for you to come down to the station with me.”
“How is this possibly a good time for that?” Chloe asked.
At the same time, Joel barked, “Why the hell would I come to the station with you?”
Richardson appeared smug. Never a good sign.
“No.” Chloe shook her head even as dread settled around her. “Joel doesn’t have to go to the station with you.”
Richardson sent her a sideways glance. “Sure, he doesn’t have to do it. I’m not arresting him…yet.”
“Arresting me?” Joel laughed, a rough and humorless sound. “Damn straight you’re not.”
“But if Joel doesn’t come to the station—willingly—it will look suspicious, and I’ll have to write that in my files.”
She didn’t like where this was going.
“Chloe can tell you,” Richardson added, all oily smooth, “if you cooperate, it goes better for you. You come down to the station, you answer my questions, and hey, maybe it ends right there. Maybe you set me straight.”
Joel looked at Chloe. “What’s happening here?”
She was still holding his hand. An open grave waited a few feet away—his worst nightmare. She knew that Richardson had picked this moment, this spot, deliberately. He’d wanted to hit Joel when he thought the other man was weak.
Your mistake. He’s not weak.
What was happening? Easy. “Richardson is trying to rattle you. He somehow has it in his mind that you might be a suspect in this case.”
Once more, Joel laughed.
Chloe didn’t.
Neither did Richardson.
Joel’s head swung back toward the agent. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it? Then come with me to the station. Answer my questions. Show me how ridiculous it truly is…”
“I’m not a killer!” Joel snarled.
Richardson glanced back at the grave. “Are you sure? Because I believe you once killed a man, at a scene much like this one.”
Joel pulled his hand from Chloe’s hold and lunged for Richardson.
Chloe grabbed his back and held on tight. “Don’t.” She pressed her body to his. “Don’t let him get in your head.”
“Oh, I don’t have to do that.” Even his voice had turned smug. “Dr. Gordon Jennings has already done that.”
Joel stiffened.
No, no, no.
“He’s waiting down at the station, Joel,” Richardson added. “He had so very much to say about you. He was quite concerned when I told him what was happening down here.