River of Bones by Dan Padavona (books you need to read TXT) 📕

break-in is related to the stolen money.”

“Paul Phipps’s wife?” Darren rubbed his chin. “I hadn’t considered the possibility. Wouldn’t that be something if it’s the same guy?”

“We can’t have people breaking in,” said Scout, shifting her chair. “Not with sensitive information on the computer. I say we place two security cameras outside and send the feeds to our phones. That way we can monitor the guest house from anywhere. Better safe than sorry.”

“Doesn’t Thomas have cameras aiming into his backyard? He installed them after the Jeremy Hyde murders.”

“He has ‘em,” LeVar said. “Problem is, they don’t cover the guest house.”

“So we need a monitoring system. I’ll place an order this afternoon. We should get them within seven days.”

Raven shook her head.

“That’s too long to wait, since LeVar already had a break-in. There’s a place in Syracuse that stocks everything we need. I’ll swing past after work.” She turned her head to Darren. “You mentioned monitoring the trails at Wolf Lake State Park. What’s the status on that?”

“My shipment of trail cameras will arrive this afternoon. I want two cameras covering the trails in and out of the gorge, in case our killer returns to the burial site. I’ll stick a third camera between the campgrounds and the trail leading toward our…headquarters.”

“Ain’t nobody getting past me, anyway,” LeVar said, puffing out his chest. “Now that we got a monitoring system, let’s catch a killer. What about these two women Skye Feron went to school with?”

“Justine Adkins and Paige Sutton,” Raven said. “According to Sheriff Gray, the three girls were close friends during high school. Something happened that placed Skye in danger. It’s conceivable her friends are hiding evidence.”

“What do we know about Justine and Paige?” asked Darren.

“Paige Sutton lives in Wolf Lake. She’ll be easy to track down. Justine Adkins moved outside Rochester, but she returned to Wolf Lake earlier this week to visit. We need to figure out where she’s staying.”

“Didn’t someone break into Paige’s house Wednesday night?” Scout asked. “That’s the rumor on the village message boards.”

“I heard the same rumor. No way I can ask Thomas without tipping him off.”

“The break-in has to be related to our investigation. Was anything stolen? Is the killer warning Paige that she’s next?”

Darren held up a hand.

“Wait. We’re assuming a lot here. Our skeleton is a Jane Doe. The bones might not belong to Skye Feron.”

“But if they do,” said Raven. “We can catch the killer by determining his motivation. What happened between the three girls that put Skye in danger?”

“We should start with their backgrounds. Dig into their pasts.”

“That’s where I come in,” said Scout, swiveling her chair around and wheeling herself to the computer. She called up a browser and clicked a link. “Wolf Lake High alumni members maintain an unofficial message board. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of Facebook or Instagram. But graduates use the message board to chat about the past and plan reunions.”

Raven rose from her chair and leaned over Scout’s shoulder.

“I wasn’t aware of the website. Then again, I grew up in Harmon. How far back do the messages go?”

“A decade.”

“Damn. Those are a lot of messages. But if the message boards hint at what happened to Skye, the sheriff’s department already knows.”

“We’re not searching for messages about Skye. We’ll target messages which mention Paige and Justine by name, since they may be the keys to this investigation.”

“All right. LeVar and Scout, the ball is in your court. Scour the forum and learn everything you can about Skye’s friends. Focus on significant events that preceded Skye’s disappearance.”

Scout glanced at LeVar, who gave the girl a high five.

“What do you want me to do?” Darren asked.

“Set up those trail cameras and figure out who’s moving through the state park. While you work on that, I’ll purchase more cameras and aim them at the guest house.”

Darren folded his arms.

“Hey, LeVar. Do the Harmon Kings use the state park trails to move drugs through the village?”

“Nah, bro. Not saying Rev doesn’t push drugs or have contacts in Wolf Lake. But they don’t use the state park.”

“Are you sure? The forest around Lucifer Falls is a great place to hide a body.”

“That’s not how Rev operates. If Rev puts a bullet in your head, he damn well wants the world to know. He’s all about sending messages, making sure his enemies don’t cross him.”

Raven opened her mouth to respond when LeVar’s phone rang. The teenager’s brow lifted when he glanced at the screen.

“I gotta take this. Y’all work out the details. I’ll be back in a second.”

The door closed. Scout, Raven, and Darren glanced at each other.

“Anybody know what that was about?” Raven asked.

Scout lifted a shoulder, and Darren shook his head. Raven muttered a curse under her breath. She’d become protective of LeVar since he left the Kings. He had a steady job with Ruth Sims at the Broken Yolk, and he’d declared a college major. A year ago, she couldn’t have pictured LeVar attaining his GED or enrolling in college. The truth was, she’d believed he’d die before his twenty-first birthday, if he didn’t leave the Kings.

A minute later, LeVar returned. His calm expression appeared painted on, and his fingers clawed at his blue jeans.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah. Why do you ask?”

Darren stood up from his chair and circled the table.

“What are you hiding, LeVar?” Darren asked.

“Nothing.”

Darren gestured at Scout.

“The Mourning family lives next door. If you’re in trouble, you need to consider the people around you.”

LeVar’s jaw worked back and forth.

“I ain’t in trouble. Told y’all. I gave up the Kings and put gang life behind me.”

Raven softened her eyes and touched his shoulder.

“Then who called?”

LeVar stared at Scout, then lowered his eyes.

“That was Anthony.”

“Anthony Fisher?”

“Yeah.”

Anthony Fisher was the youngest member of the Harmon Kings. When LeVar ran with the gang, he protected Anthony from Rev, the notorious leader of the Kings.

“What did he want?”

LeVar pushed his hands into his pockets.

“Anthony wants out of the Kings. He figures, if I could do it, he can too.”

“I can’t