The coroner had just started photographing the scene. Tess told him she’d already done a quick walk-through.

“We’re kind of in a hurry,” she said. “There’s a missing woman involved.”

“I’ll move as quickly as I can.”

It was a little tight, what with the narrow hall and small doorway. After a couple of minutes, he put the camera down and donned a pair of gloves. It was during the inventorying of Blakely’s property when things got interesting.

The first thing that came out of his pocket was a thick wad of hundred-dollar bills. The coroner counted out two thousand dollars.

“Where would he get that kind of cash?” Jonkey asked.

“The gunman who is outstanding, Ice, perhaps—he had a bunch of cash as well. My bet is, our suspect was aided by Blakely. How they met up, I don’t know, but maybe he paid Blakely for his help, then killed him.”

“And left the money?”

“He was running for his life.”

“You think Blakely picked our shooter up and got him out of the forest?” Bender asked.

“Had to; it would explain a lot. And it proves that there’s no honor among thieves. Blakely saved the guy’s bacon and got shot for his trouble.”

“Nice guy,” Bender commented.

But the next item the coroner retrieved was the most disturbing. It was a handwritten note, addressed to Garrett Cooper.

I’ve got Janie. I want all the money you owe me or she dies.

The coroner looked up at her. “Is there going to be another body somewhere?”

“I hope not. But we need to tear this mobile apart.”

He stood, scratching his nose with the back of a gloved hand. “Have at it. My crime scene is right here. It’s obvious this is where he was killed. I’ve got lots of evidence bags you can use. It’ll be a few minutes before I’m ready to move the body.” He stepped aside.

Tess turned to Gabe. “You and I can take the back. Becky, you take the kitchen. Janie’s purse is under the table.”

They stepped over Blakely and went their respective directions. It wasn’t long before they recovered a lot of evidence.

Gabe and Tess found wet, bloody clothing in the trash. Clothing that would fit a tall, lean man, similar to what Tess had pulled out of the knapsack. Becky recovered a Kevlar vest, pockmarked with buckshot, and a bloody, torn leather jacket.

“He’s getting sloppy, leaving all this behind,” Tess said. “We’ll get some good DNA evidence off this stuff.” She turned to Jonkey. “Look up vehicles registered to Blakely, put out a BOLO. Dollars to donuts, the killer took the truck.”

“But where’s Janie?”

Tess looked at Bender, heart heavy with the fear that Janie was now as dead as Blakely.