Betrayed Read online

  It took over an hour for them to set up their equipment and place a grid over the location that appeared to be a grave, including a few columns and rows outside of the primary site in case wildlife fed off the remains. The framework was made of metal stakes with rows and columns of string pulled taut to make the grid pattern. This let the team document a precise location on the paperwork to indicate where every piece of bone was found. Besides the grid, a photograph was taken with the bone in the grave and after being removed. It was essential that every step of the excavation of the skeleton was documented because the anthropologic team was deconstructing evidence and then reconstructing it once it was in the bone lab.

  Most facilities didn’t have a budget for a forensic anthropologic department. Jaxson assumed that was why Heather used interns in the field. Every team member meticulously removed each piece of bone or fragment. Dr. Kamille used a magnifying glass to inspect a small bone Tom had handed to her. She used her fingers to feel the surface of the bone and then lifted the bone to her nose and smelled it. He shivered at the sight.

  A tent stood above her to protect the area and keep it as free from contaminants as possible. After a few moments, she turned around. In a raised voice, she said, “Ranger Wyatt?”

  Jaxson turned. “Yes?”

  “I understand you need to know approximately how long this body has been here, so I have inspected a rib bone and my educated guess is more than a year, but less than three years. Of course, I won’t know for sure until I send a sample and perform a radiocarbon dating test.”

  “That’s fine. Jon and I will head back and start looking for a missing person that fits this killer’s MO to narrow down your dental comparisons for identity verification.” Jaxson started to leave, then stopped. “Heather, do we know yet if this skeleton is female?”

  “It’s going to be awhile before we unearth the pelvic region but let me take another look at the brow line.” She moved toward the grid that held the head. She leaned into the area to get a closer look at the skull. She stood and faced Jaxson. “From what I’m seeing, this will be a Caucasian female, but I will have to see the pelvic region to confirm.”

  “Thanks. We’ll get started on a potential list of victims.”

  “Before you do that, you don’t happen to have a Texas Ranger you can spare to help us here, do you? I have two interns out with the measles, of all things, and this would go a lot faster if we had someone who could photograph our steps for us.”

  “Texas Ranger Crew Evenson will be perfect. I’ll send him over. I can spare a second Ranger if you would like each intern to have their own photographer and that way there will be two Rangers here. And they can also help secure this area since I know your team will be out here late. I’ll also send a team back here with lights.”

  “Perfect. One last thing. Did I hear a cadaver dog located this body?”

  “Yes, why?” he asked.

  “A cadaver dog rarely finds skeletal remains. Although these bones have a hint of decay on them, I doubt it would be strong enough for a dog to pick up since the skeleton was buried. Did anyone photograph exactly where he was sitting or lying down?”

  Jaxson’s heart raced. Shit, he’d forgotten to take photos. What a horrible mistake. His eyes closed and he took in a deep breath while preparing an answer.

  “I did, Dr. Kamille. I only had my iPhone, but I took a photo,” Jon said as he walked up behind him.

  Jaxson turned around and mouthed, “Thank you.”

  Jon gave a crooked smile and then passed the phone to the doctor, who had ventured over to where they both stood.

  Heather scrutinized the photo for a while, turning to the grid and comparing the area to the phone. Finally, she said, “Can you send this photo to me?” She reached into a hidden pocket on the side of the suit near her waist. She pulled out a card and handed it to Jon. “Text it to my cell.”

  “Sure.”

  “What’s the problem?” Jaxson asked.

  Heather hesitated for several seconds before replying. “There might be another body under where he was lying—a body more recently buried and with decaying flesh.”

  Chapter 33

  A tall, lanky redhead stalked toward Jon and Jaxson. Her stride was deliberate and fast paced. She planted each foot confidently in the thick undergrowth and didn’t hesitate her forward momentum.

  “Please tell me ya’ll didn’t call my team out here before the bone crew is finished?”

  “I did, ma’am,” he answered. “We need to know if he left any clues here before he kills another pregnant woman. Captain Lewis and I concluded that the forensic team could get started on the peripheral area—everything outside the grid. You always do the body last anyway—when there is a body.”

  “Was there much contamination of the area with everyone stomping around searching and then wanting to get a look at what the cadaver dog found?”

  “No. We contained the area. By the way, I’m Texas Ranger Jaxson Wyatt. My partner is Ranger Jon Torres—he’s the one pretending he’s working on his phone.”

  She finally smiled at that. “I’m Officer Jennifer Phelps.”

  After nodding her way, Jaxson said, “None of the Rangers were anywhere near the grave except me to verify a body existed and which team to call. Torres had the other Rangers tape off the area as a crime scene so no one would cross the tape. We then had them stand guard to enforce anyone who might try to slip under.” He glanced over his shoulder at the anthropology group and not one of them were paying any mind to this situation. Their concentration was focused on the job at hand.

  Jennifer tucked a loose strand of hair under her cap. “Good. We’ll get set up and call as soon as our job is completed. Do you have a card?”

  He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a leather card carrier, flipped it open and slipped a card out and then handed it to the forensic supervisor. “What else do you need from us?” Jaxson asked.

  “Ya’ll stay out of our way. We’ll be here for hours.”

  Chapter 34

  Piper sat at a table at Starbucks, sipping on a Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher, as she ate a Spinach, Feta, and Cage-free Egg White Wrap. She turned to the first page of the Austin Statesman and read the story that she turned in to Wyndon last night to see how bad he crucified her work. After she read her story, a sense of pride washed over her. She didn’t notice but a few minor changes in the piece. There was a great deal more she had wanted to state in that piece, but as an investigative reporter, she had to stick to facts, not opinions.

  Piper folded the newspaper and then took a sip of her refreshing concoction. The sweet dragon fruit and sour lemon played over her tongue and had her saliva ducts shooting extra juice at the unexpected tart flavor. Her cell vibrated on the table and she glanced to see who was calling.

  “How’s my favorite Texas Ranger?” Her cheeks grew hot at just the memory of what they did to each other last night.

  “Busy. I can’t make our lunch date. I’m sorry for calling last minute.”

  “No worries. I just had breakfast. But, what’s up that you have to cancel?”

  “It’s just a busy day. Jon and I have a lot of evidence to process and we need to find …” Jaxson stopped talking. “Almost got me there. I almost shared something I shouldn’t have. Hold on, I’m getting another call.”

  Piper returned back to her paper as she waited.

  Only a second later, Jaxson returned. “Piper, I’ve got to go.” He disconnected their call without waiting for her to reply.

  Chapter 35

  “Jaxson Wyatt here.”

  “Ranger Wyatt. Heather here. Are you close by?”

  “Yes. Jon and I are on the edge of the preserve in the Texas Rangers’ tin can.”

  “Bad news. Found two more skeletons. The spot where the cadaver dog laid was on the grave of a decaying body—he didn’t hit on the skeletons; he hit on a semi-fresh body. Looks like our man has a particular place he likes to bury the bodies. My team
will leave with the two skeletons to get them to my lab in a few minutes. The body with tissue will be handled by the forensic team. I’m staying behind to organize a search for more bodies. We’re going to need a team to search the area. I have about two dozen steel probing rods. Depending on how we do with those and what we find, we may want to get a ground penetrating radar machine for additional help. Our office doesn’t have one—they are pricey. And, they are expensive to use because they generally won’t let anyone operate the machine except their technician. The facilities not only charge for renting the machine, but they charge for a tech, too.”

  Jaxson’s mouth was so tight, his lips were nothing but thin lines. “I’ll let my superiors know and we’ll get a team together to probe for graves.” This is going to kill Piper. Maybe Keri was right, and she should have gone back to Austin with her sister.

  “Everything will be ready for them when you’re ready.”

  After clearing his throat, he said, “Thanks, Heather. Thanks for the call.”

  Jon leaned against the work desk and watched Jaxson. They were both in the tin can, as most of the Rangers called the vehicle. In fact, the tin can was HQ on wheels. A first-class mobile headquarters. It had Wi-Fi, a satellite connection, computers, a satellite phone, and a cellular phone bank specifically for the vehicle. Luckily, it had a working air conditioner system, or they would be baked Rangers within an hour.

  Jaxson could tell by Jon’s changing expression that he guessed at least part of the answer. He tucked his cell phone back into the phone holster he kept it in.

  Jon stated, “She found another skeleton?”

  “She found two skeletons and a partially decaying body. That’s what the cadaver dog hit on—not the skeletons.”

  “Chingado!”

  “Jon, no need for that kind of language just because you lost the bet!”

  “It’s just hard to find out a serial killer was practically under our noses and we didn’t even know it.”

  “I know. There’s nothing we can do about the past, but we can catch him now. While you were doing research, did you find any men who went to court or are still in jail because they have a missing significant other—a pregnant significant other?”

  “Yeah, I found quite a few. I didn’t only look in Texas. I checked neighboring states you mentioned: New Mexico, Nevada, and Oklahoma. It’s not that far-fetched.”

  “Good thinking. What did you find?”

  “When I first loaded the information into the system, there were way too many to process quickly. So, I had to get very specific. Blonde, blue or hazel eyes, age range sixteen to twenty-eight—you get the picture. I finally got the number down to thirty-four possible hits. Out of that, I narrowed it down to years missing.”

  “The problem with that is we don’t know how far to go back. We don’t have the profile yet.” Jaxson walked to the coffee area and poured a cup of coffee. “Want a cup, Jon?”

  His partner shook his head no. “I took a guess and went back ten years.”

  Jaxson sat back down. “How many hits with that criteria added?”

  “Nine. Six from Texas; one each from New Mexico, Nevada, and Oklahoma.”

  “Were they all pregnant women?”

  “No. Some just matched the way he killed Angela. Those matches may not fit with this case. I wonder if any of the bodies we found this morning will be on this list?” Jon crossed his arms and added, “I had the DNA of the nine women sent to the forensic lab.”

  Jaxson scrubbed his face with his hands. “We need more information so we can stop this maniac before he kills again.”

  Chapter 36

  Piper set her drink back on the table as her phone rang. “Hello.”

  The caller’s voice was disguised. She couldn’t make out whether it was male or female.

  “I know who killed Angela.”

  Her heart raced and Tazz popped up from her down and placed her head in Piper’s lap. After a second, she said, “I can meet you at whatever time you want to meet today.”

  “No one can ever know who I am. Do you promise to keep my identity a secret?”

  “Of course! I would go to jail before giving up a source.” Piper paused and she had to breathe deeply a few times. This was the first time she had ever agreed to meet a source since her attack. “Just decide the time—but I get to name the place. Starbucks on West Parker Road. Do you know where that is?”

  “Yes. I’ll be there in two hours.”

  Before Piper could respond, she heard the slightest click. Tazzie put both paws on her master’s thighs. A telltale sign she wasn’t handling the stress well. She scolded herself. “Okay, Piper. Take a deep breath,” she murmured aloud as she petted her furry lifesaver.

  The Sheltie licked her leg just below the hemline of her shorts to help keep her calm. The problem? Tazz had terribly bad breath. Piper actually found herself chuckling over how bad her breath stank. Her hands had stopped shaking and her heartbeat thudded at a reasonable rate. She gave her the commands sit and then down. And her little girl minded like an angel.

  Piper pulled her laptop from her Dooney and Bourke tote bag. Of course, she had always considered it a disgrace to call it a tote when it was made out of European Vachetta leather. The gold signature logo plate still gleamed under a zippered pocket with taupe as the background color. The interior was just as lovely. It wasn’t something she could afford at this time in her life, but when she bought it two years ago, she could. The appealing thing about a purse or tote at this caliber was they lasted forever. That’s why she had chosen the taupe over the two other colors that she wanted—French blue or Bordeaux. She figured taupe went with anything and would stand the test of time.

  “Oh my God,” she said, a little loud in the quiet coffee shop. Several people turned to stare at her. I’ve been writing too many fashion articles to care about the description of my tote bag that much!

  She clicked on her Angela file with the mouse pointer and went to work on her next article.

  Chapter 37

  Nearing midday, the coffee shop had nearly emptied. When a table opened up in the very back, Piper moved to the farthest table from the door as possible. She wouldn’t be an easy target to drag outside. She wouldn’t take a chance on getting kidnapped off the street. She wouldn’t be a victim. Not again.

  The only people who remained were those using laptops or tablets. Even with a ninety-five-degree outside temperature, a die-hard coffee drinker would come inside once in a while and order a cup of hot, steamy coffee. The blends of hazelnut, mocha, and vanilla had tempted Piper to grab a nice hot cup. However, her good sense chose a cold brew mocha on ice instead.

  Musical notes from her mom’s favorite song filtered through the ceiling speakers. Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” was her mom’s mantra. Dad beat all of us and threatened we would fall apart and live on the streets without him. Mom proved him wrong in every way.

  She continued to work on the latest story her boss, Wyndon, expected by end of day, getting anxious with every passing minute as she also waited for her contact. Tazz stayed near, always touching her with some part of her furry body to comfort her master. She sipped her cold mocha and let the rich coffee and chocolate melt over her taste buds and let it calm her vexed nerve endings. Every time the bell dinged on the door, she raised her gaze to see who entered. She must have scanned the front a dozen times, so when the thirteenth time came to pass, she hesitated.

  Then she heard, “Piper?”

  Glancing from her screen, she stared wide-eyed and her mouth opened a tad before she could stop the reaction.

  Keri stood before her in a light-pink jacket, white blouse, and light-blue Capri jeans. Her light-pink Louis Vuitton handbag hung on her shoulder with a black strap. The leather pink bag was accented with some type of snake leather on the top third of the purse where the heritage tuck lock and discreet, yet distinctive, signature appeared.

  Piper shook her head at Keri’s extravagance. It had to be at least a
three- to four-thousand-dollar indulgence—an indulgence Piper didn’t think her sister could afford. “How did you find me?”

  “We need to talk. You won’t answer my calls or texts. So, I had to get creative to get you to listen to me.”

  Piper leaned back in her seat and took a sip of her coffee. “You’re the source? You tricked me?”

  Keri sat in the seat across from Piper, then scooted her chair closer to the table. “Unless you want to make a scene, you have to listen to me.”

  “Not for long. I can leave.” Piper closed her eyes and just listened to the mantra “I will survive” finishing. She closed her laptop and slipped it into her taupe shoulder bag. “You came here because you assumed you could corner me and that I wouldn’t want to argue in public.” In almost a yell, she added, “Think again!”

  She stood and slipped her case straps over her shoulder. Tazzie stood next to her, ready to follow Piper anywhere. She picked up her coffee cup and started to head toward the door but stopped. “Jaxson and I talked. We compared notes when we left. You contrived the whole thing. Are you evil? Are we even related?”

  Quicker than her sister, Keri blocked her exit. Tazz barked.

  “Piper, please give me a chance to explain. Give me as much courtesy as you do the people you report on. You let them tell their side of the story. Can’t you let me tell mine?”

  Letting out a deep sigh, Piper knew Keri was right. If she were reporting this story, she would let both sisters tell their story and then let the readership decide. She remembered that sometimes people were kinder to strangers than to their own family. Furious at Keri for invading her privacy, Piper wasn’t sure she could ever forgive her. But she knew she had to at least hear her side of the story.

  Turning, she took two steps back to her table and sat down. Tazzie sat next to Piper’s chair and then on her master’s silent command, she went into a down.