“A young girl was just reported missing by her mother. The young woman spent the night at her mother’s home last night but was gone when the mother and sister woke up. The mother got worried and started making calls to some of her daughter’s friends. No one has seen Casey, so she called me.”

“Casey?”

“Casey Andrews. She’s nineteen, blond, and has a prior issue with substance abuse.”

“She’s been gone less than twenty-four hours?”

“But she fits the profile of the two Jane Does at the morgue. Hence the call. Could be nothing but doesn’t hurt to share information.”

Jordan switched lanes. “Can you send me her photo?”

“Sure. I know the mother wouldn’t mind a visit from the police. She’s pretty upset.”

“Send me the mother’s home and work addresses. I’m on it.”

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER TEN

Wednesday, April 14

3:30 p.m.

When Spencer heard about Walker’s death, he drove directly to the crime scene, and when he arrived, the medical examiner’s technician was waiting for him. Jordan Poe was the investigating detective on the case.

He hurried up the three flights of stairs, working his fingers into latex gloves. On the third floor he noted the cop standing outside the door and the flash of a camera in the room.

When he reached the room’s threshold, the two medical technicians were standing in front of the body, which had been placed on an unzipped body bag. There was a rope still coiled around Walker’s neck.

As Spencer entered, the techs moved aside and gave him his first good view of the body.

Spencer stared at Walker’s body, searching for signs that this was not a suicide. The body itself showed no visible signs of trauma other than the hanging, but that would be for the medical examiner to determine. Walker’s bare feet were a dark blue, an indication he had been hanging when his heart stopped, and the blood had settled to the lowest part of the body.

“When did you cut him down?” Spencer asked.

“About five minutes ago. Detective Poe gave us the go-ahead to do what we needed.”

“Where is Detective Poe?”

“She’s following up with Alana Stone, the woman who found the body. Ms. Stone was sent to the hospital to be treated for an overdose.”

Two years of investigating this drug-trafficking case was coming to a halt. He had been close to arresting Walker, and if he had, he would have used the potential jail time as leverage to get the name of his supplier.

Spencer left the room and was on the phone to Detective Poe before he reached his vehicle. The call rang three times, and he was waiting for voicemail when he heard, “Detective Poe.”

“This is Ranger Spencer.”

“What can I do for you?” Detective Poe asked.

By the sound of it, she was in a car. “Walker.”