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wearing?”
He skimmed the page. “A black minidress, boots, fishnet tights and a green wig.” He closed the folder, stuffing it back into his bag. “No one saw her leave the bar. The crowds were too heavy and everyone was drunk.”
“And if everyone was costumed, it would be difficult to recognize anyone. Especially a witch—” Dr. Hughes slapped his arm. “Sorry. You were about to get bitten.”
“Thanks.” He flicked the dead fly from his sleeve. “If I recall correctly, the sexy witch costume was very popular.” He caught Dr. Hughes’ eye. I bet you probably went as a skeleton.
“And what about the other missing guy? The psychotic one?” Dr. Hughes asked. “Was he the same size as Heather?”
Ethan shook his head. “No. He was a big guy, at least six feet tall.”
“Well, if the skeleton is fairly intact, we should be able to at least rule out one of them in situ. ”
His step quickened. The case had been one of those that haunted everyone who heard of it. When he was transferred to Cold Case last year, Heather Rigby’s file was the first one he had pulled up. He had pored over the witness statements, reviewed the security footage from outside the bar and contacted police forces across the country to see if there were any new leads.
Nothing.
Now the question of where she had disappeared might finally be answered. And a slew of new questions would arise.
He wanted to be the guy to help solve this case, bring closure to Heather’s family— if it is Heather lying in that bog, he reminded himself. He wanted to get his hands dirty every way possible and do some good, solid police work. He wanted a case to rekindle his passion for the job.
Not only was he eager to get started, he was relieved that something had finally come his way that would force him to work 24/7. A case that would fill up those empty evenings and sleepless nights, when memories of Kate Lange drifted into his mind.
Inevitably, he would jump on the treadmill and run. Despite the endless miles he clocked, he couldn’t chase her out of his thoughts.
He was frustrated as hell. He hated to even admit that he was lovelorn a year later. What was it about Kate that kept him wanting her?
He knew she’d had a thing for Randall Barrett—but the guy had upped and left town. He was crazy, leaving Kate all alone, after everything she’d been through.
But if Randall was stupid enough to turn his back on a woman like Kate, it was his problem.
Ethan had punished himself long enough for the mistakes he’d made with Kate.
He was ready to take a chance.
And try one more time.
Ahead, yellow crime scene tape fluttered in the breeze, the water of the bog surprisingly blue and clear within its confines. Dr. Guthro stood in water up to his knees, the rolled-up cuffs of his khakis dark with wet, studying a hummock with his usual unflappability.
“Ah, Dr. Hughes, Detective Drake,” he said, as if ushering them into his study rather than a bog. “This is quite a case we have here.”
Dr. Hughes grinned. “Tell me about it.” The two doctors exchanged glances. Their excitement was palpable. “Is this the site of the remains?” Dr. Hughes nodded toward a thick, spongy hummock.
“It’s been rather cleverly hidden.” Dr. Guthro pointed to the small hole that the high school student had dug to remove the plant.
Dr. Hughes walked into the pool of water that was the center of the bog, and crouched down until she was eye-level with the hole. “Nice,” she said, when she saw the mask. “Someone had a sense of humor.”
Detective Constable Lamond—Ethan’s former Homicide partner until he was switched to Cold Case last year—edged toward them, pacing in small circles by the yellow tape, his gaze glued to a three-inch radius in front of him.
“Find anything, Lamond?” Ethan called over.
He didn’t glance up. “Just test tubes.” Then he added, “The girl who found the body was collecting water samples for a science lab. When she discovered the body,