Once Buried

Riley sat down, and Meredith wasted no time getting to the point.

“There was a murder this morning. It happened on the public beach at the Belle Terre Nature Preserve. Are either of you familiar with the place?”

Jenn said, “I’ve been there a few times. A great place for hiking.”

“I’ve been there too,” Riley said.

Riley remembered the nature preserve pretty well. It was on the Chesapeake Bay, just a little more than a two-hour drive from Quantico. It had several hundred forested acres and a wide public beach on the bay. It was a popular area for outdoor types.

Meredith drummed his fingers on his desk.

“The victim was Todd Brier, a Lutheran pastor in nearby Sattler. He’d been buried alive on the beach.”

Riley shuddered a little.

Buried alive!

She’d had nightmares about it, but she had never actually worked on a case involving this particular type of grisly murder.

Meredith continued, “Brier was found at about seven this morning, and it looked like he’d only been dead for about an hour.”

Jenn asked, “What makes this an FBI case?”

Meredith said, “Brier’s not the first victim. Yesterday another body was found nearby – a young woman named Courtney Wallace.”

Riley suppressed a sigh.

“Don’t tell me,” she said. “Also buried alive.”

“You’ve got it,” Meredith said. “She was killed on one of the hiking trails at the same nature preserve, apparently also early in the morning. She was discovered later in the day when a hiker came across the disturbed earth and called park services.”

Meredith leaned back in his chair and swiveled slightly back and forth.

He said, “So far, the local cops don’t have any suspects or witnesses. Other than the locations and the MO, they don’t have much of anything. Both victims were young, healthy people. There hasn’t been time to find out if they were connected in any way, other than that they were both out there early in the morning.”

Riley’s mind clicked away as she tried to make sense of what she’d just heard. So far, she had too little to go on.

She asked, “Have the local cops closed off the area?”

Meredith nodded.

“They’ve closed the forested area near that trail and half of the beach to the public. I’ve told them not to move the body on the beach until my people get there.”

“What about the woman’s body?” Jenn asked.

“It’s at the morgue in Sattler, the nearest city. The Tidewater District medical examiner is at the beach right now. I want the two of you to get down there as fast as you can. Take an FBI vehicle, something conspicuous. I’m hoping that if the FBI is visibly on the scene, it will at least slow this perpetrator down. My guess is that he isn’t done killing yet.”

Meredith glanced back and forth at Riley and Jenn.

“Any questions?” he asked.

Riley did have a question, but she didn’t know whether she should ask it.

Finally she said, “Sir, I’d like to make a request.”

“Well?” Meredith said, leaning back in his chair again.

“I’d like Special Agent Jeffreys to be assigned to this case.”

Meredith’s eyes narrowed.

“Jeffreys is on leave,” he said. “I’m sure that you and Agent Roston here can handle this between the two of you.”

“I’m sure we can,” Riley said. “But…”

She hesitated.

“But what?” Meredith said.

Riley swallowed hard. She knew that Meredith didn’t much like it when agents asked for personal favors.

She said, “I think he needs to get back to work, sir. I think it would do him good.”

Meredith scowled and said nothing for a moment.

Then he said, “I won’t officially assign him to the case. But if you want him to work with you on an informal basis, I’ve got no objection.”

Riley thanked him, trying not to be too effusive lest he change his mind. Then she and Jenn requisitioned an official FBI SUV.

As Jenn started to drive south, Riley got out her cell phone and texted Bill.

I’m working on a new case with Roston. Chief says it’s OK for U to join us. I want you to.

Riley waited for a few moments. Her heart beat a little faster when she saw that the message was marked “read.”

Then she typed…

Can we count U in?

Again the message was marked “read,” but there was no response.

Riley’s spirits sank.

Maybe this isn’t a good idea, she thought. Maybe it’s still too soon.

She wished Bill would reply, if only to tell her no.

Chapter Five