Free Healing Her Spirit (Serenity Springs Book 2) by Dawn Sullivan Page A

dressed and fixed her hair.  Clint was still sleeping, so she left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.  As soon as she was in her car, she tried to call Katy back, but there was no answer.
    Somehow, Lacey knew another body had been found.  Her suspicions were confirmed the minute she walked into the police station and saw Creed in a heated discussion with the town mayor.  Clayton stood in front of Creed, his hands on his hips, a scowl on his face.  “You need to catch this fucking lunatic now, Creed.  We can’t have a killer on the loose in our town.”
    “Don’t you think I know that?” Creed snarled as he got in the mayor’s face.  “I’m trying Clay, but when the bastard leaves no clues, there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it.”
    “The council is getting upset, Creed.  I don’t know how much longer I can hold them off,” Clay said quietly.
    Shaking his head in disgust, Creed replied lowly, “I have interviews with two people next month, until then, I have already deputized Ryder.  Now, if you don’t mind, Mr. Mayor, I have a killer to hunt down.”  Turning to Lacey, Creed said, “Lacey, I’m riding with you this time.  Everyone else is already at the scene.” Ignoring Clay, Creed walked out of the police station, Lacey following closely behind him. 
    “Where are we going?” Lacey asked quietly after she got in her van.  Who had the killer gotten to now?
    “A house out in the country.  Wesley Wallace’s niece.”  Throwing his Stetson on the dash, Creed said, “Her mother stopped by this morning to visit and drop off some flowers.  She found Lela tied to her bed, her body cut into pieces.”  Slamming a fist into the dash, Creed growled, “I have to find this bastard before he hurts someone else.”
    “How did the mayor and city council know about this already if you haven’t even been out to the crime scene?” Lacey asked in confusion as she turned onto the rock road that would take them to Lela’s house.  Lacey had driven by it on her way to the Caldwell ranch just this morning.  
    “Because Lela’s mother called Wesley, who called not only the council but also the fucking press before anyone bothered to call the police.  They were all out here before our deputies showed up thirty minutes ago.”  Glancing over at her, he said, “If you had shown up to work today, you would have known all of this already.”
    Lacey chose not to respond as she caught sight of the circus up ahead.  The road was lined with news crews and gawkers, several which looked in their direction as she drove past and turned into the driveway.  The van had barely rolled to a stop before Creed was sliding his Stetson back on and getting out.  “Do you need help carrying anything?” he asked.  When she shook her head, he slammed the door shut and quickly made his way across the lawn to talk to Jace and Cody who stood at the bottom of the front porch steps.
    Ignoring the stares aimed in her direction, along with the reporters and their cameras, Lacey opened the back of her van and pulled out her coroner’s case.  Wondering why the hell she had decided to become a coroner in the first place, she stalked across the lawn, up the steps, and into the old house.  Katy and Ryan stood at the bottom of the stairs just inside the entryway, somber expressions on their faces.  Gulping, Ryan said, “I think I will wait down here while you do your preliminary exam, if that’s okay, Lacey?” 
    “That’s fine,” Lacey replied as she started up the stairs.  “I’ll holler when I am ready for you.”
    “I’m coming with you,” Creed said as he entered the front door.  “Jace said as far as he can tell, no one has been in the house besides the mother.  Somehow I don’t believe that with as many people who knew about the situation before they even bothered to contact the law.”
    “I’m sure there will be a YouTube video up soon, if it isn’t already,” Katy said sarcastically