Going to Extremes Page 10

  She waited until he’d disappeared down the hallway, then she turned back to the elevator, wondering what on earth she would find to talk about with Phillip Becker for an entire evening.

  She’d worry about that later. Right now she had a date with a dead guy.

  The morgue was located in the basement and Kait lyn knew the procedure. She stepped up to the counter to sign in.

  “Kaitlyn?” Dr. Lake had just come out of her office down the hall, and she paused when she saw Kaitlyn. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m here to see you. Do you have a minute?”

  “I have a feeling I know what this is about,” she said warily. “I’m not sure how much I can help you, but come on back. Word sure travels fast,” she muttered as Kaitlyn trailed her back to her office. “I assume you’re here about the John Doe that was brought in last night?”

  Kaitlyn nodded. “What can you tell me about him?”

  “Not much, and anything I do tell you has to be off the record.” Dr. Lake went over to the coffeepot behind her desk, poured them each a cup and motioned for Kaitlyn to take a seat. “Sheriff Granger has asked us not to release any information to the public until we can make an ID and notify next of kin. You can’t print anything without clearing it with his office.”

  “Understood.” Kaitlyn had a good working relationship with both Dr. Lake and Sheriff Larry Granger. They knew they could trust her, and, consequently, often found themselves revealing more than they’d originally meant to.

  Dr. Lake took a sip of her coffee. “The victim is a male Caucasian, probably somewhere in his late forties to mid-fifties.”

  “Cause of death?”

  “He hasn’t been autopsied yet, but it appears to be exsanguination. X-rays show that his carotid and jugular were severed.”

  “His throat was cut?” Kaitlyn winced. “That’s…brutal.”

  “Yeah, it’s brutal,” Dr. Lake agreed. “And it gets worse.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Dr. Lake got up to close the door. When she came back to her desk, she perched on the edge, dangling one leg as she cradled her coffee cup in both hands. “He was found near an old hunting lodge up by Devil’s Canyon.”

  “Devil’s Canyon. That’s where…” I was found, Kaitlyn started to say, but trailed off as a sudden vision flashed through her head. For just a split second, a building materialized in her head, rustic and seemingly abandoned except for a light gleaming from a front window.

  “Kaitlyn? Are you okay?”

  She shook off the vision and glanced up at Dr. Lake. “Yeah. I was…just trying to picture the area in my head.”

  Dr. Lake nodded. “It’s pretty remote, and the terrain is rugged this time of year. The killer probably thought the body wouldn’t be found until next spring.”

  “So who found him?”

  “A couple of bounty hunters, as I understand it. I guess they were up there looking for the fugitives.”

  That made sense. Aidan had said that he and his colleague were already in the air searching for Fowler and the others when they got word of her. They’d probably gone back to the area to conduct a more thorough search.

  “Do you have any idea how long he’d been out there?”

  “Judging from the condition of the body, I’d guess anywhere from forty-eight to seventy-two hours. The nights are getting pretty chilly, especially in the higher elevations, and the cooler temperatures would help slow decomposition. On the other hand, all this rain can accelerate putrification. Do you want to hear about the maggots?”

  Kaitlyn’s stomach recoiled. She’d been about to take a drink of her coffee, but now she slid the cup away. “Uh, no, that’s okay.” She stared down at her notes for a moment. “You said earlier that it gets worse. What did you mean by that?”

  “The body was buried in a shallow grave, but the rain and wild animals had partially exposed his head and upper torso. His face is severely damaged, including a missing mandible.”

  Kaitlyn looked up with a frown. “Are you telling me scavengers carried off this poor guy’s jaw?”

  “Only part of it, and no, I’m not saying animals did it. Unless some scavenger was also able to burn off his fingerprints with acid.”

  “My God.”

  Dr. Lake nodded. “Someone went to a lot of trouble to make sure this John Doe wouldn’t be identified by his fingerprints or dental records.”

  Kaitlyn let out a breath. She certainly hadn’t expected this when Sherry had sent her over here. From Dr. Lake’s description, this was no routine homicide, if there was such a thing. It was sounding more and more like a professional hit.

  “What about DNA tests?” she asked.

  Dr. Lake shrugged. “That only provides help with identification if you’ve got something to compare the results to.”

  “Have you checked the missing person reports?”

  “I’m assuming Granger is doing that even as we speak. But last I heard he hadn’t turned up anything. There is one thing, though. The x-rays I took showed that the victim was severely injured recently, probably within the last year. He had pins in his right femur and a shattered patella, as well as fractures in his right clavicle and humerus. He also had a lot of scarring on his upper torso. My guess is he was in some sort of accident, most likely a car crash. That could help with the ID.”

  “I’ll do some checking and see what I can find out,” Kaitlyn said as she gathered up her notes and pen and stuffed them into her bag.

  “If you find out anything, let me know, okay? Some how it always bothers me when they don’t have a name. I don’t like thinking of somebody’s husband or son or brother lying in the cooler with a blank toe tag.”

  “I’ll let you know,” Kaitlyn promised. “And I won’t print anything without clearance from Sheriff Granger.”

  “Thanks.”

  Dr. Lake stood up to walk her out, and as she opened the door, loud voices drifted down the hall. Two men in dark suits stood at the front desk arguing with one of the orderlies.

  “Is there a problem?” Dr. Lake called out.

  At the sound of her voice, the young orderly looked up in relief. “Dr. Lake, these two men are with the FBI. They claim—”

  As the two men turned, Kaitlyn stepped quickly back into the office. Dr. Lake didn’t seem to notice. She hurried down the hall toward the desk.

  “You’re Dr. Lake?” Kaitlyn heard one of the men ask her.

  “I am.”

  “I’m Special Agent McHenry. This is my partner, Special Agent Clovis. We have a court order authorizing us to take possession of the John Doe that was brought in here last evening.”

  “But I haven’t even autopsied him,” Dr. Lake protested.

  “Our pathologists will take care of that. But we will need your file on him, including your notes, x-rays, photographs…everything.”

  “That’ll take some time. There’s paperwork to be filled out, and I’ll have to have someone prepare the body for transit—”

  “We’ll take care of that, Doctor, if you’ll just show us where the cooler is. And one more thing. We’d appreciate the discretion of you and your staff. In fact, it would be better for everyone concerned if you just forget you ever saw this guy.”

  Chapter Nine

  As soon as Kaitlyn got back to the paper, she headed straight for Ken’s office. She knocked once, then barely waited for his gruff “Come in” before she flung open the door and strode in.

  “I need to talk to you about my assignments…” Her words trailed off when she saw that Allen Cudlow once again had his skinny butt firmly attached to the chair across from Ken’s desk.

  Crap! Kaitlyn thought. What fresh hell was the man cooking up for her now?

  Allen Cudlow had been a thorn in her side for so long now that she barely paid attention to him on most days. He was only a few years older than she, in his late thirties with bad posture, a receding hairline and a sneer that seemed to be permanently affixed to his face.

  I
n the five years she’d worked at the paper, Kaitlyn didn’t think she’d run across a single soul who liked the man. He seemed to go out of his way to rub people the wrong way.

  Kaitlyn knew very little about his personal life, and had absolutely zero desire to learn more. In fact, the less space Allen Cudlow took up in her brain, the better.

  “I’ll come back later,” she said abruptly.

  “No, wait.” Ken motioned to the second chair across from his desk. “As a matter of fact, Allen and I have been discussing some assignment changes, and this concerns you.”

  Kaitlyn frowned. “In what way?”

  “Have a seat and we’ll talk about it.”

  Kaitlyn didn’t like the sound of that. She hadn’t forgotten all the times Cudlow had gone behind her back with Ken’s predecessor to sabotage her and she wouldn’t put it past him to try to do the same thing with Ken. Luckily, the new editor in chief seemed immune to Cudlow’s machinations…unless Cudlow had come up with a new tactic.

  It was a little strange—and certainly suspicious—that he hadn’t said anything since Kaitlyn had entered the office. Usually, he would have been at her by now, but instead, he seemed content to lean back and wait for her to squirm.

  She sat down, folded her arms and sat perfectly still. “What’s this about, Ken?”

  “Like I said, we’re making some changes, and now that you’re back, you need to be brought up to speed.”

  Kaitlyn had a bad feeling these “changes” had something to do with the fact that Cudlow had covered for her at the warden’s press conference. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear the man had made a pact with the devil to give him control over the weather. But that would be giving him too much credit. He was just a sneaky little opportunist who knew how to get under Kaitlyn’s skin. Big-time.

  “What kind of changes?” she asked suspiciously.

  “For one thing, I’m axing the Petrov story.”

  Kaitlyn gasped. “What? Why? Petrov is huge.”

  “He’s too huge,” Ken said. “He’s got reporters from every major news outlet in the country, including the networks, covering every move he makes. They’re all over the guy. There’s no way we can compete with that kind of coverage. If we can’t offer a unique perspective, then what’s the point?”

  “But I’m still working on an interview,” Kaitlyn said. “Not even the networks have been able to get a sit-down with him.”

  “If you can pull that off, then you’ll get the front page of every newspaper in the country, including this one,” Ken said. “But in the meantime, we need to get back to what we do best…covering local news.”

  Kaitlyn groaned inwardly. She’d attended enough school-board elections and chili cook-offs to last her a lifetime.

  Ken sat back and folded his hands behind his head. “If we took a poll in this county, what story do you think would occupy the top spot in order of importance?”

  “The flood,” Kaitlyn said automatically.

  “Normally, yes, but what else do you think is on people’s minds these days?”

  “The prison break,” Cudlow said, and shot Kaitlyn a look.

  “Bingo,” Ken said. “People are on edge thinking the fugitives could still be in this area. It’s all anyone around here can talk about.”

  Kaitlyn frowned. “It’s also national news, just like the Petrov story.”

  “No, not really. The media is in love with Petrov, and every other story out there, no matter how big, gets overshadowed by this guy.” Ken leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. “Which means we can own the fugitive story. The search is being conducted in our own backyard and nobody knows the territory as well as we do.”

  It was odd, Kaitlyn thought, that Allen Cudlow was still being so silent on the subject. He was up to something.

  “I don’t want a regurgitation of what comes off the wires,” Ken said. “I’m giving you two a chance to do some real investigative reporting. Talk to the feds, the cops, anyone you can think of who might have information regarding the search. I want you chasing down leads, interviewing eyewitnesses, beating the bushes for tidbits the national media might miss. This is our chance to shine, and I expect you both to bust your asses to make me look good. Any questions?”

  “Just one.” Kaitlyn looked at Ken. “You don’t expect us to work together, do you?”

  “I expect cooperation and coordination,” Ken said sternly. “I don’t care what your petty differences were in the past, that’s over and done with now. From here on out, we work together as a team.”

  When hell freezes over, Kaitlyn thought.

  ONCE KEN’S MIND WAS made up, there was no dissuading him, and Kaitlyn didn’t waste her time trying. A few days ago, she would have jumped at the chance to do the kind of investigative reporting that he was suggesting, and she would have been all over the fugitive piece. She had her own reasons for wanting Boone Fowler caught and sent back to prison, and she would have done everything in her power to make sure that happened.

  But working with Allen Cudlow…that put a damper on what would ordinarily have been a huge opportunity for Kaitlyn. She couldn’t stand the man, she didn’t trust him, and she still had a bad feeling that he had orchestrated the whole thing for some ulterior motive that she didn’t yet understand.

  She knew one thing, though. Experience had taught her that Cudlow would stab her in the back at the first opportunity. Her best defense was to get out ahead of him on the story.

  To that end, she put in a call to Eden. When she couldn’t reach her at the office, Kaitlyn tried her cell phone.

  “Eden McClain,” she responded curtly.

  “Eden, it’s Kaitlyn. Bad time?”

  “The new poll numbers just came out and we lost ground on almost every issue, so I’m not exactly having a great day,” Eden grumbled.

  “Should I call back later?”

  “No, of course, not. I don’t mean to take my bad mood out on you. I’m glad to hear from you. I take it this means you’re doing okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Kaitlyn said as she unlocked a desk drawer and took out a CD. It was labeled MMFAFA, and she’d kept it under lock and key for the past five years. “I’m back at work…which is why I’m calling. I need a favor.”

  “Name it.”

  “I’m working on a story about Boone Fowler’s escape from the Fortress, and I’d like to get Governor Gilbert’s reaction.”

  “He issued a statement almost immediately,” Eden said. “I can fax you a copy if you want.”

  “No, I already have his public statement. I want something more. Something no one else has.”

  “I hope you’re not asking for an interview,” Eden said. “Because that would be impossible. We’re entering the final stages of the campaign, and every moment from here to Election Day is already packed.”

  “It doesn’t have to be a sit-down interview,” Kaitlyn said. “We could do it over the phone. Wouldn’t take more than five minutes.”

  Eden sighed. “You don’t ask for much, do you? Does this mean you’re giving up on the Petrov interview?”

  “Not if you’ve got something for me,” Kaitlyn said quickly.

  “I’m doing my best, but I’m not a miracle worker. Petrov has more handlers and bodyguards than the POTUS. I can’t get near him. But I think I can at least get you an introduction.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “You’ve heard about the governor’s big masquerade ball at the Denning mansion next weekend, right?”

  Who hadn’t? It was a huge event that Eden had orchestrated to give her boss several crucial days of saturated coverage. While his opponent schlepped his way from one bad barbeque to another, Peter Gilbert would be seen on the evening news and on the front pages of every newspaper in the state looking statesmanlike and regal as he hobnobbed with the rich and famous.

  “We had originally planned it as a fund-raising event, but the governor’s decided to donate the proceeds instead to a children’s-relief fund in Lukinbu
rg. The prince and his sister have agreed to come, and they’ve requested that we only invite a few members of the press so that the evening doesn’t turn into a circus. I can get you in and I can try to get you an introduction with Petrov, but that’s the best I can do. Take it or leave it.”

  “I’ll take it,” Kaitlyn said, jotting the date on her calendar. “And the governor?”

  “I’ll try to get you a few minutes alone with him as well. But, Kaitlyn…I’m going to need something in return.”

  “What is it?”

  “Immediately after the ball, the governor is heading out on his whistle-stop tour of the state. The reporters who are invited to the ball will also be allowed to accompany him on the train trip, and, in light of some of the hostile press he’s been receiving lately, I’d like to make sure there’s at least one friendly face in the crowd.”

  Kaitlyn frowned. “What exactly are you asking me to do?”

  “I’m not asking you to slant your coverage in favor of Peter,” Eden assured her. “I wouldn’t do that. I just want you to give him a fair shake.”

  “Agreed,” Kaitlyn said. “So how do I get into this shindig anyway? With Petrov and his sister in attendance, the security will be a nightmare.”

  “I’ll send you a ticket,” Eden said. “And I’ll make sure your name is on the guest list. All you have to do is show up with your ID.”

  They chatted for a few more minutes, and then Kaitlyn hung up. She sat for a moment staring at the disc she’d recovered from her drawer. All the notes and research material she’d accumulated five years ago on the MMFAFA was contained on that disc, but after Jenny’s disappearance, Kaitlyn had lost her stomach for the story.

  With Boone Fowler’s escape, some of the information she’d uncovered five years ago had suddenly become relevant again. But did she really want to go digging up all that old pain and guilt? Did she really want to invite the ghosts of her past back into her life?

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Allen Cudlow approach her desk. Slipping the disc back into the drawer, she locked her desk and pocketed the key.