“Okay,” Danny said. “What do we know so far?”

“First of all, we know we’re talking about murder now,” Nick said. “And second, we know that one killer is probably responsible for all three of the recent murders—the similar ages of the skeletons make it possible, and the common modus makes it almost certain. Third, we know the killer is a copycat—he learned his technique from somebody who lived a long time ago. That means he has historical knowledge of the area and he’s probably a native.”

“I’ll get the behavioral science services unit to start working up a profile,” Danny said.

“That’s a good idea, Danny—this guy doesn’t fit the traditional serial killer profile.”

“You two keep me posted—I’ll see you both at the noon briefing.”

They watched as Danny took out his cell phone and headed off across the field.

“That concerns me,” Nick said.

“He’s only trying to do his job.”

“No, not that—he never asked me what Braden said. I wonder why?”

“What did Braden say?”

“He said he has no information about this graveyard. Mrs. Braden said the same thing.”

“Do you believe them?”

Nick paused. “Actually, I do.”

Kegan leaned closer and grinned. “You never told me—what was she wearing?”

“I have no idea.”

“You didn’t even notice? What are those glasses for, anyway?”

“Not fashion assessment.”

Kegan shook her head. “It defies explanation.”

“I’m a man,” Nick said. “That’s all the explanation I need—now let’s get back to work.”

18

18

“Are there any other developments I should be aware of ?” the senator asked.

“No, sir. I think that about covers it for now.”

Braden sat in his wingback chair with his forearms resting on the padded leather and his legs crossed casually at the knee. Victoria and Brad sat across from him in low-backed Savannah chairs covered in cotton twill. All of them stared at a triangular black conference phone sitting on a pedestal table between them.

“Good work, Danny,” Braden said. “You don’t mind if I call you ‘Danny,’ do you?”

“No, sir, that would be just fine.”

“Well, I appreciate the update. You’re doing good work out there, son—I’ll make sure the director knows about it.”

“Thank you, sir, I really appreciate that.”

“You keep me posted on any further developments, hear?”

“Yes, sir—you’ll be the first to know.”

Brad leaned forward and pushed a button on the center of the phone. “What do you think, John?”

“I think we’ve got one certified mess out there, that’s what I think.”

“It might not be as bad as it sounds,” Victoria said.

“Now how do you figure that, darling? I count four dead bodies, and there might be more.”

“Bodies that could be fifty years old,” Victoria said. She turned to Brad. “We need to make sure we emphasize that.”

“The media will say twenty,” Brad replied.