Free Pretty Dead by Anne Frasier Page B

but cabs were expensive. And anyway, in a recent televised press conference she’d been forced to watch in the bar, her father had stated that the victims had been prostitutes and drug addicts. No need for worry.
    But the weird guy was still coming toward her.
    Decision made, she dove into the car, slammed the door, and locked it. “Thanks,” she said breathlessly.
    Her rescuer smiled, put the car in gear, and pulled away.

CHAPTER 11
    B ody is no longer in full rigor mortis,” John Casper said after a brief, preliminary on-site evaluation. “I’d say she’s been dead close to forty-eight hours.”
    David’s phone had rung at 6:30 a.m. with a report of another murder, and now here they were. Sometime during the night the nude body of the female victim had been displayed on a narrow strip of beach along the Savannah River, the body discovered just after dawn by an unfortunate group of Girl Scouts.
    “Judging from the lividity, the victim was moved after death,” John added.
    “Seems like the killer might have waited until she was close to full rigor to display her,” Elise said.
    Early morning, a chill in the air, wind coming in off the water, sun still low in the sky, seabirds calling overhead while sandpipers scurried along the river’s edge. Beauty and horror.
    John nodded. “Looks that way.”
    Same MO. A young woman, nude, displayed in a public place. Body covered in a single word, just like the others.
    “Cupio . ” Coffee mug in one hand, David pulled out his phone and did a quick search of the word. “It means ‘desire’ in Latin.”
    Avery broke in. “Got an ID on the vic,” he said with an odd look on his face. He lived closer to the crime scene and had arrived thirty minutes before Elise and David. “Caroline Chesterfield.”
    “The mayor’s daughter?” Elise asked in disbelief. “You sure?”
    Avery turned his phone so she could see the headshot of a young woman. Blond hair, smiling at the camera. “Matches the missing person report. We still need family confirmation, but I’m betting it’s her.”
    Things were a little strained between Elise and Avery, but they were both doing a good job pretending the other night had never happened. She wouldn’t mention it, and hopefully he never would either.
    David lowered his coffee. “Who reported her missing?”
    Avery pocketed his phone and flipped through his notes. “Roommate—after getting a call from the bar where the victim worked. She didn’t show up for her shift. Roommate didn’t report her earlier because she figured she’d stayed the night with someone. As far as a timeline . . . looks like Caroline was last seen two nights ago walking home from work.”
    “Have an address?” David asked. “I’d like to talk to that roommate.”
    Avery tore a sheet of paper from his small notebook and handed it to David, who examined the address before tucking it into his breast pocket. “That’s a pretty shady area for the mayor’s daughter to live.” The whole story was odd.
    “Excuse me.”
    David looked up to see a young female officer standing with one hand on her belt. “I overheard you discussing the identity of the victim,” the woman said. She looked upset. “It’s Caroline Chesterfield.”
    “How certain are you?” Elise asked.
    “A hundred percent. I know the family. My younger sister and Caroline were best friends for years. She used to stay at our house. It’s her.”
    “Don’t release any information yet,” Elise told both Avery and David once the officer left. “Until I break the news to the mayor.” She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “Call me if you come across anything substantial.”
    Avery nodded.
    Wanting to talk to Elise in private, David fell into step beside her as she headed for the parking lot, her car, and a waiting Jay Thomas Paul.
    “The mayor’s daughter,” Elise said. “What the hell?”
    “Think it’s calculated?”
    “Could be a coincidence. She was just in the wrong