Shaken, she stood up, staring in the direction of the explosion. Her fathers bar was down that way...
In the direction West had taken when hed kissed her goodbye and then headed for work.
Chapter 2
The abandoned hardware store had been totally flattened. West thought it looked as if a giant stomped on it, squashing the roof, toppling the walls and shattering what was left of the broken windows.
West was so focused on solving the Groom Killer case, on finding Demi Colton, that he figured her into every crime that affected Red Ridge. Blowing up a building to take the focus off the murders would allow her to sneak around the city more easily, hunt down the grooms whod refused to hide their love and relationships.
But Demi hadnt done this, unless she graduated to high-tech explosives.
Then again, Demi Colton was a smart woman, a clever bounty hunter, and anything was possible.
Lights flashed from RRPD patrol cars and fire trucks lining the dirt road in front of the abandoned hardware store. Nearby, several tent canopies sat over tables for collection of evidencethe command postalong with an industrial generator. Yellow crime scene tape had already been strung up along the perimeter, where a crowd of curious bystanders started to gather. He recognized some of the hard-core patrons from Rusty Coltons bar and gritted his teeth. Drunk civilians were a pain to deal with, and worse at a crime scene.
His pulse raced as he parked his black Ford truck. West grabbed his kit, climbed out and then skirted around the side to let out Rex. The Lab jumped out and stood close to his side as West surveyed the detectives and cops already milling around the scenethe abandoned building he and Rex had jogged by earlier this morning. He raked a hand through his hair and sighed.
At his side, the dog gave him a reproachful look as if to say, I told you so.
Hey, I checked it out, he told Rex.
He took a deep, calming breath. Steady now.
Every time he investigated an explosion, he remembered that day when he was seventeen, and his entire family had been killed by a bomb. He had been the sole survivor.
Surviving only because hed been out with his girlfriend, parked at the local lovers lane. The sex had been good, and quick and forgettable.
What he saw when he arrived home had not been forgettable.
Focus. Priorities. Safety first. West took another deep breath and glanced at Rex.
Lets do this.
Every inch of the scene had to be processed, numbered and documented. His dog would alert him where the most evidence of the bomb was, while other investigators would sort out the scene for shrapnel embedded in the building and dirt.
But not until he and Rex checked out the scene for unexploded devices.
Ducking under the tape, he headed for the staging tent and grabbed a white hazmat suit and put it on, along with booties. Then he took the specially made booties hed ordered for Rex and attached them to the dogs paws, fastening them with Velcro. The booties would not only protect Rexs paws from broken glass and debris, but helped preserve the integrity of the crime scene, as well.
Chief Finn Colton saw him and headed to the tent. He glanced at Rex.
Weve divided the building into four quadrants. Need you and Rex to search for secondary devices. When you give the all clear, I want you to search for evidence in the fourth quadrantthe southwest corner.
No prob. West motioned to Rex and they entered the blown-out building.
The bomb had been a big one. Glass windows had been shattered from more than two hundred feet away and the boards that blocked the windows were now shards.
Any hopes this was a prank pulled by kids were immediately dashed. Kids who liked to blow things up wouldnt cause this kind of destruction.
No, theyd take a pipe bomb into the woods and then explode it, watching the destruction from afar.
He recognized Cal Flinders from the district Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms office. Cal was one of the few he trusted.
West nodded at Cal and gripped Rexs leash. Safety first. If there were any unexploded devices on scene, his dog would detect them.
Find, he ordered Rex, still gripping the leash.
Rex combed through all the sectors, searching for secondary devices. When he finished, he remained standing. West stared at the wreckage. No bodies today.
Not like at his familys house, where hed screamed and tried to break past the barricades, get to his father, mother, two little sisters...
Focus. Rex looked up at him expectantly. All clear, we okay? the dog seemed to ask.
Quadrants one, two, three and four all clear, West called out.
Next, he began scouring the area of the building assigned to him. Rex sniffed through the debris. The bomb had detonated in the buildings center, where the worst damage was, but shrapnel traveled far. Patterns of the damage indicated how powerful the explosion was. Fortunately, no one had been injured.
Rex nosed beneath a piece of wood and sat. West hunkered down and examined the evidence.
Caked with dust and soot, it was heart shaped and partly bent. A womans gold compact, with a butterfly design. West photographed the item and then studied it. It was covered with a film of white powder.
Bomb residue.
A woman had been here. Possibly slept here, or at the very least, stayed here for longer than a few minutes. He started to put a marker by the place where it had been, and hesitated.
Maybe Demi Colton hadnt planted this bomb, but this suggested she might have worked with the unknown suspect, the unsub. Or another woman had.
His cop instincts tingled. The RRPD assumed he was simply an FBI canine officer temporarily assigned to Red Ridge while one of their officers recovered from an injury.
No one on the force knew he was secretly investigating to see if the RRPD and Chief Finn and the other Coltons were deliberately dragging their heels on the Groom Killer investigation. If this compact belonged to Demi Colton, it might vanish before it could even be processed as evidence. Were the Coltons protecting their own? He didnt know. Hell, he wasnt even sure if his own secret fiancée was keeping her half sisters whereabouts to herself. Better to be safe and bring the compact back to the district office to test it.
Looking around to make sure no one saw, West bagged the evidence and carried it separately instead of dumping it into the official evidence collection bag he carried.
Why blow up an abandoned building? What was the deal with the overkill? Was someone testing out how to cause as much destruction as possible?
Was it Demi Colton trying to diffuse attention so she could target her next victim without the cops on red alert for her?
He couldnt remain there staring at the debris. He had to do his job. An RRPD cop in a hazmat suit came over as West removed an item from his kit.
Nice. The officer whistled. You feds have the funding for the latest equipment.
West looked at him. Youre contaminating my crime scene.
Chief sent me over to see if you need help.
I dont.
Grunting, the cop left. West switched on the ion mobility detector and swept his assigned quadrant. The machine could pick up trace amounts of chemicals, helping him determine what kind of bomb had exploded.
I dont.
Grunting, the cop left. West switched on the ion mobility detector and swept his assigned quadrant. The machine could pick up trace amounts of chemicals, helping him determine what kind of bomb had exploded.
The unit sucked in air to test for traces of chemicals. It didnt take long.
Swearing under his breath, he switched off the machine. Just as hed suspected, but the job required details, more details and more details.
Returning to the command post, he told Finn Colton what hed found. Then West glanced at the man standing just outside the crime scene tape, staring with avid interest at the bombed building.
He jerked a thumb at the man. Curious bystander?
Finn shook his head. Witness. Hes already been interviewed. Drove right past before the bomb exploded.
After the chief summarized what the man had said, West decided to talk to the witness himself. Experience taught him it was best to get firsthand information himself, before memories grew dim. Peoples detailed memories got muzzy real quick. Besides, if someone saw something linking Demi Colton to this explosion, and that interview got buried...
West peeled off his gloves and chucked them into a biohazard container, heading for the middle-aged man.
Slightly chunky, with quick, eager green eyes, the man looked around as if this were entertainment arranged just for him. West knew the typeself-important, glad to help, wanted to get his name in the paper. Still, he took a moment to study the witness. Though West had been in town less than a month, he didnt recognize him.
West introduced himself and scribbled the mans nameSanto Nestor. A cigarette dangled out of the corner of his mouth. He puffed constantly.
Nicotine addict.
What were you doing at this end of town?
Keeping his voice mild, he studied the witnesss eye movement. The man stared earnestly back at him.
I was headed into the city to grab a bite, Nestor said in a thick Hispanic accent. Im a salesman. Thought maybe I could scope the place out at the local eatery, make a few contacts. I sell aluminum siding for houses.
Better than bridal supplies in this town. West made a few notes. What did you see?
Nestor prattled on the same thing hed told detectives.
Black smoke after the explosion? West asked.
The man shook his head. White smoke. I was so afraid, I almost wet my pants. Oh, Dios mío, I was damn lucky, I was right in front when it blew. Ive been all over the country, never seen anything like this. What kind of place is Red Ridge, anyway, with terrorists bombing buildings?
West took a long, thorough look at the man. Puffy cheeks, thick, dark brows, and a bulbous nose.
Drinker, as well as smoker.
White shirt, rolled up at the sleeves. Black hair slicked back with too much gel. Slight paunch oozing over his cheap leather belt. No tie. Black trousers, cotton, a bit casual for a salesman, but it was August in South Dakota and warm. His gaze scanned the trousers. Rumpled, maybe from driving a long distance.
Longtime smoker? West pointed to the cigarette.
Nestor shrugged, tossed the butt and ground it out with his leather shoe heel. Si. Road trips get long. My ex tried to get me to quit. No luck. Did get me to give up the Cubans. I love a good Cuban. You smoke?
West shook his head. Where is your next client? he asked.
The salesman flicked a hand toward the west. I dont have an appointment until next week in Cheyenne. I was checking out the town for prospects. Going to stay a couple of days. You know any places in town that are good?
You mean ones that dont blow up? West shook his head.
After taking the mans cell phone and home address, plus the name of his company, West closed his notebook. Santo Nestor returned to his car, tossed the cigarette butt out the window and drove off.
Litterbug. He loathed civilians contaminating the area anywhere near his crime scene.
Glancing with disgust at the cigarette, he bagged it and put it in his pocket as evidence just in case.
Then West returned to the rubble, again, picking his way through it carefully. White smoke suggested black powder, as in TATP, not TNT or C-4.
Dont jump to conclusions. But his instincts tingled. TATP was a low-heat bomb and it took more than five hundred grams to do this kind of destruction.
The distinctive bleach-like odor told him his gut was right. TATP didnt contain nitrogen and made the explosives easier to avoid detection by scanners.
When they found it, the packaging containing the bomb might reveal hard evidence. Tape or wires could also contain scraps of skin cells, sweat or even hairs. If they were lucky, the unsub left some kind of DNA on the fragments.
Was the unsub Demi Colton?
Who did this? Does it have anything to do with the Groom Killer?Upcoming wedding site? Maybe the killer wants to blow up wedding party members in the future?
As he continued to gather evidence, his thoughts flashed back to his family, the ruins of their home, the ruins of his former life. West deliberately thought of Quinn, her sweet smile, saucy attitude. It soothed him as he worked.
Relationships were all about power. He knew this even with Quinn. In bed, he dominated, but out of it, she ran the show. She held his heart and, man, he enjoyed every single moment of it.
Even though they were private about their relationship for now, he preferred to keep it that way. The less interference from her family, the better.
But he couldnt help but wonder if her half sister was behind this explosion, as preparation for something more deadly to come.
* * *
Working a crime scene was an arduous, grueling task. Shortly before one oclock, the chief ordered takeout for everyone.
Takeout from Good Eats.
His heart raced as he glanced up and saw Quinns white delivery van pull up in front of the tent. She jumped out and opened the back door. Someone hastened to set up another long folding table for the food. As she picked out the aluminum containers, her brother Brayden ran to help.
ATF agent Cal tracked her moves and whistled, making the outline of an hourglass with his hands. Nice dish.
West wanted to smack him. Hands off. Shes mine. He only grunted, and at the low sound, Rex growled.
Cal glanced down at the canine. Easy, boy. Im not going to take your chow.
But Ill take your head if you even try to touch her. West gripped Rexs leash harder. Hell, it was tough enough concealing the fact he was secretly investigating the RRPDs efforts to find the Groom Killer. Hiding his relationship with Quinn was agonizing. His instincts were to draw her away from the admiring glances, put an arm around her waist to signal that she was taken. Exclusively. By him.
And he didnt even dare do more than nod at her when he helped carry a warm container of something that smelled like roasted lamb. Their fingers touched as she handed it to him, and familiar sparks jumped between them. West sucked in a low breath.
Damn, he could smell her amid the chemicals and the dust and the delicious odor of grilled meat. Real meat, too, not that tofu she also served.
His fiancée smelled like apples and spice, everything delicious.
Quinn finished setting up the containers and unpacked the paper plates and plastic silverware.