Scene of the Crime: Black Creek

Cassie reached up and touched a strand of her blond hair and then twisted the unfamiliar wedding ring on her finger. There was no question that she could pass for one of the dead women’s sisters. She hoped the team that had been assigned to watch Mick and her cabin was on top of its game.

She’d never done anything like this before. She’d never gone undercover and certainly not in a situation where she looked like a potential victim.

She glanced over at Mick. “Have you done this sort of thing before? You know, been undercover?”

“Several times. The longest was for four months when I went undercover as a homeless man to find a killer targeting that group of people. What about you?”

“No, I’ve never been undercover,” she replied.

“It’s like being an actor or an actress. You take on the role of the person you’re playing and you eat, sleep and drink it. Are you nervous?”

Cassie hesitated a moment and then finally replied, “Maybe a little bit.”

He nodded, as if satisfied with her reply. “You should be. You have to remember that this isn’t the case of if you don’t play your role right you get fired. This is a role that if you don’t do it right you could either get one of us or somebody else killed. You should be nervous. I’m just hoping you’re up for this challenge.”

“Don’t you worry about me. I’m definitely up for the challenge,” she replied as a new surge of irritation swept through her. Was he questioning her capabilities? She was a trained agent and she knew exactly what was at stake. The last thing she intended to do was screw things up.

* * *

THE CLOSER THEY GOT to Cobb’s Corner, the tighter the anxiety in Mick’s stomach twisted. Initially he’d been disappointed when he’d pulled up and he’d seen Cassie standing in the parking lot as if at attention. She’d looked tense and was dressed like she was going off to take notes at a business meeting.

She would have to work a little harder to take on the persona of a young, beautiful bride on her honeymoon. Most people considered their honeymoons one of the happiest times in their marriages. He wouldn’t know about that, since he’d never married.

He just hoped she was up to the challenge. And this case was definitely going to be a challenge. They had to consciously attempt to catch the attention of a killer or killers.

Physically they both looked the part, but nobody knew for sure exactly what had drawn the killer to those particular couples besides their outward appearances. Had the couples offended somebody in town? Was it possible their physical appearance was just a coincidence and had nothing to do with why they’d been chosen for death?

So many questions, and he hoped that Sheriff Edward Lambert would be able to give them more clarity on the matter. He also hoped the Dew Drop Café served good food. They’d made no stops along the way, it was well after noon, and he was starving.

They’d spoken very little on the trip, other than the first flurry of conversation. Cassie appeared to be one of the most self-contained women he’d ever met. Unlike his sisters, she apparently didn’t feel the need to fill every silence with idle chatter. He liked that about her.

She was hot and quiet, definitely his kind of woman, but he knew better than to go there again. He couldn’t forget the utter contempt she’d shown him after their one night together.

Besides, she possessed other qualities that he knew would make him crazy in a short period of time. He had a feeling she was not only tightly controlled, but also controlling.

Around the office she had the reputation for being Ice Queen material. She didn’t have drinks or meals with other agents. In fact, she didn’t socialize at all with any coworkers.

She was always up for overtime, indicating she had no social life at all and didn’t seem to be looking for a relationship of any kind with any member of the opposite sex despite the fact that he knew she’d just turned thirty years old.

It had been Mick’s experience that most women had a little wedding-bell alarm that rang in their heads by their thirtieth birthday, but Cassie didn’t appear to be the norm. She didn’t seem to possess the desperate “I’m thirty and not married” madness.

“You hungry?” he now asked, breaking the long silence of the trip as they reached the outskirts of the small town of Cobb’s Corners.

“Starving,” she replied, and then pointed out the window to the left. “There it is.”

The Dew Drop Café had a red awning announcing the establishment. It didn’t appear too busy at this time of day and Mick pulled into a parking space directly in front.

“I’m not sure what I’m more eager for, information on the crimes or a big juicy cheeseburger,” he said as he turned off the car engine.

“I definitely know what I’m eager for. Information that will let us get this job done quickly and successfully.” She opened her car door and got out.

Mick did the same, the humid July heat slapping him in the face like a spurned lover. He was grateful for the dorky tourist shirt he wore. At least it was lightweight and breathed.

The Dew Drop Café was less charming inside than it had looked on the outside. The interior paint was old and peeling, the red bar stools sported rips, and the red vinyl booths also showed signs of wear and tear. Even though there were half a dozen people inside it was easy to spot Sheriff Edward Lambert, despite the fact that he wasn’t in uniform.

The older man, with a shock of white hair, sat at the back of the restaurant facing the door, intelligent brown eyes taking in everything and everyone in the room. Those eyes widened slightly as he caught sight of Mick and Cassie.

They approached his table, introductions were made, orders were taken by a waitress and then Cassie excused herself for the restroom.

“Ambience stinks but the food is great,” he said.

“That’s good to know,” Mick replied.

“I wanted to meet you two here instead of someplace in Black Creek so that we can keep this whole operation under wraps,” Lambert said as he wrapped big hands around the coffee mug in front of him. “Even though we’re a tourist trap and are still fighting over what the name of the town is eventually going to be, we’re also a small town where secrets are sometimes hard to keep. This whole thing won’t work if word gets out that the two of you are FBI agents.”

Mick nodded. “I completely agree.” The two men small-talked about the drive and the hot weather and by that time Cassie returned to the table.

“There’s no question that the two of you make the perfect bait physically,” Lambert said.

“Have you figured out if the killer’s trigger is something more than physical appearance?” Cassie asked as she reached out to align the salt and pepper shakers next to each other in the center of the table.

“Nothing so far. What we have learned is that the two couples pretty much followed the same kind of schedules while they were in town. I’ve got a list of places they visited and activities they did. I’ll give you each a copy before we leave here.”

“I read in the file that Jim Armond was an insurance salesman from Oklahoma, and Bill Tanner was a mechanic from Missouri. Any indication that the couples knew each other?” Cassie asked.

“None,” Sheriff Lambert replied. “At least none that we’ve been able to find so far. I’ve got a six-man force, all good men who have been working overtime to figure this out.” He stopped talking as the waitress appeared with their orders.

The decor inside the café might be questionable, but Mick eyed the thick cheeseburger and order of fries in front of him with appreciation. Cassie had ordered a salad, dressing on the side and Ed Lambert had ordered a piece of pie to go along with his coffee.

“I’ve got to admit that I’m understaffed and pretty much over my head with these murders,” the sheriff continued as the waitress moved away from the table. “I’ve been understaffed for the last couple of years as the town has gained more of a reputation as a hot spot for honeymooning couples.” He frowned. “When Mayor John Jamison got his bright idea about this Honeymoon Haven nonsense he turned our quaint little town into a mess.”

He paused and took a sip of his coffee. “There’s plenty of money flying around town, but none of it has allowed me to hire on more deputies and the petty crime rate has tripled.”

“Sounds tough,” Mick said.

The older man shrugged. “We do the best we can, but I want to assure you these murders are on the top of our priority list. Unfortunately, they aren’t the only things we can focus on with all my manpower. Your boss has assigned another couple to help with the investigation. They’ll be staying at the Super Eight Motel just north of town. Director Forbes indicated they would be your contact if you stumble across any information that might be useful.”

“Their names?” Mick asked.

“Agents Rick Burgess and David Ellsworth. They’ll be working with me and my team, but flying under the radar. The mayor is insistent that we keep this all as low-key as possible. Needless to say, we’re not eager for any publicity concerning the murders.”

Mick nodded. He was glad to know there were two agents working with the sheriff. He knew both agents, had worked cases with them before and trusted them. He had cell phone numbers for both of them and would check in with them once he and Cassie got settled in town.

“Your tech support team arrived this morning,” Ed continued. “Three men checked into the cabin next to yours. They let me know that they had their audio in place and were ready for your arrival.”

“Audio?” Cassie looked from the sheriff to Mick, who shrugged.

“According to the agent I spoke to early this morning they have placed listening devices in the room where you’ll be staying. They’ll be able to hear anything that happens, but also told me to let you know they didn’t bug the bathroom.”