Destined (The Rangers of Ridge County #1)

Chapter Eighteen

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

EMMETT

“ J ustine Walters called in an abandoned vehicle on Highway 82 between here and the Valley,” Theo reported. “I thought it best to let you know right away given our Jane Doe from this morning.”

“Meet me at my cruiser in five, we’ll go together,” I said before heading back to my office for my keys and coat.

My day had been hectic since the moment I walked into my office. There were deputies stationed in each of the towns in the county, but Ranger Ridge had the largest population. Because of that, I’d chosen it as my home base—just like all the Ridge County Sheriffs before me.

Before eight this morning we’d been notified of a Jane Doe found behind Lenny’s Fuel Station on the more commonly used route between the Valley and Ranger Ridge. Deputies from both towns were dispatched.

After roping off the crime scene, we bagged what little evidence we found around the body and waited for the coroner. I had my deputies canvas the area while I questioned Lenny and his employees.

We were able to quickly secure a warrant for the building’s security footage, but the tapes hadn’t been of any use. Unfortunately, there was only one camera, and it was pointed in the opposite direction.

After my trip to Sips, I went to see the county’s medical examiner for an update on the autopsy of our Jane Doe. Mike wasn’t finished with the examination but had been able to give me a time and cause of death.

Our Jane Doe had been dead for approximately eight hours before her body was reported—which put her time of death at around midnight. The cause of death was asphyxiation, but her neck had been broken post mortem. Even without a medical degree, I’d been concerned about the deep cuts along her face and upper body.

She was found without any personal belongings besides her clothes. No bag, wallet, or car. Which meant the gas station was likely where her body had been dumped but not where she was killed.

Maybe this abandoned vehicle would be connected to our case. I needed some answers because right now, all I had were questions.

So much for the hot meal Millie brought.

As if I conjured her by thought alone, she walked back into my office. And what a vision she was. Still in her deep red coat and tight jeans with her hair now in a low ponytail I wouldn’t mind tugging on. I was not sure if her cheeks were flushed from the cold or from the tortured look I was surely giving her.

While I didn’t have time for a relationship, I still had eyes. And a dick that hadn’t seen any action other than my fist in far too long. Which must have been exactly why I was having these thoughts about a woman who hated me a mere twenty minutes ago.

I needed to get laid.

“We’ve had a potential break in our case,” I said, reeling my thoughts in. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to take a raincheck on our dinner date.”

“I understand and should probably be getting home anyway,” she replied. “It looks like we’re in for more snow. I’ve been lucky so far, but I’m far from skilled when it comes to driving on the stuff.”

“Drive safe,” I commanded, immediately concerned about the curves on our road. “I can pick you up anytime. Or arrange for someone else to. And I’m saying that as your friend and sheriff.”

“Thanks, buddy,” she replied with a smirk.

Nope. Didn’t like that .

She gave me a megawatt smile and laughed like she knew the term had hit its mark.

I just stood there staring at her.

She laughed harder, and I felt it tug somewhere deep in my chest. It was a foreign feeling. I had been attracted to a number of women in my thirty-four years, but never once had I been captivated by a woman’s joy.

Fuck .

Being her friend was going to be the easy part.

Keeping my thoughts innocent and neighborly—not so much.

After seeing Millie off, I took a moment to clear my head before climbing behind the wheel of my cruiser.

I needed to be fully focused on the case by the time Theo and I got where we were going. I couldn’t afford to let my thoughts linger on Millie. Or how she made me feel.

Because we were just friends .

Barely even that.

This case demanded my full attention. Our victim deserved justice. And the monster behind this needed to be punished to the full extent of the law.

My phone rang, and I answered—immediately recognizing the county medical examiner’s office contact on my screen.

“Sheriff,” Mike offered in greeting. “I’ve got some information you’re going to want to hear.”

“Go ahead, Mike,” I responded. “You have me as well as Deputy Carver on the line.”

“I’m still waiting on toxicology,” Mike announced. “However, I wanted to relay that a majority of the wounds on our Jane Doe occurred post mortem. They appear to have been caused by her body being pulled across a rough surface at what I assume would have to be a notable rate of speed to inflict abrasions this deep. Also, I found small rocks and debris embedded inside the wounds that I’ve collected and bagged as evidence. ”

Theo and I shared a puzzled look.

“Mike, are you telling me these wounds on our victim are road rash?” I questioned, quickly focusing my eyes back on the road.

“Yes, all signs point to that scenario,” he stated.

“Anything else?” I clipped.

“Not at this time,” he sighed. “I’ll reach back out when I know more.”

I thanked him for the update, and he disconnected the call—leaving a deafening silence in the wake of his findings.

A case lost a lot of its momentum when we weren’t able to answer the big who, when, where, why questions early on.

So I had to find answers. For the victim, her family, my community, my deputies, and myself.

“Our killer suffocated this woman, which typically indicates a personal motive,” I puzzled. “Then disposed of her body in a very detached manner. Yet, was able to inflict damage severe enough to delay identification.” Either our killer was extremely disorganized, or they were purposefully trying to derail our investigation.

I couldn’t have these kinds of crimes plaguing my county. I didn’t want the people of Ridge County living in fear. I was determined to prevent a psychopath from preying on the people under my jurisdiction—because only a psychopath would do something this deranged. And I had this nagging hunch it wasn’t our killer’s first or last crime.

“I don’t think we’re dealing with a first-time offender,” Theo muttered, drawing the same conclusion.

The black Ford Escape had been abandoned on the highway where I first met Millie.

While the memory shouldn’t have been my first thought as we approached the vehicle, I couldn’t get her off my mind.

I palmed the flashlight clipped to my utility belt as we rounded the car and immediately noted a few things despite the surrounding darkness .

There was damage to the rear bumper, and the driver’s window had been shattered. I spotted shards inside the vehicle—indicating it had been broken from the outside.

“Emmett, get over here!” Theo yelled. “There are drag marks leading away from the vehicle and into the grass.”

I jogged his way, turning on the flashlight in my hand. And our eyes landed on the blood in the grass at the same time.

“I’m radioing this in, Theo,” I growled. “We’re standing in the middle of another crime scene.”