Echoes of Guilt

  ECHOES OF GUILT

  Welcome to Lake Pines.

  A fictional small town in Northwestern Ontario that is home to both year-round residents and summer cottagers. Hidden secrets, private lives, and tension lay the groundwork for treacherous crimes. But there are more than secrets buried in this small town.

  Order of Books in this series:

  LAKE PINES MURDER MYSTERY SERIES

  Murder At First Light

  Death At Deception Bay

  Murder Of Crows

  The Dead Of Winter

  The Night Is Darkest

  Conspiracy of Blood

  Deadly Past

  Echoes of Guilt

  ECHOES OF GUILT

  A gripping Lake Pines Mystery

  Echoes Of Guilt © 2022 by L.L. Abbott. All Rights Reserved.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  Cover designed by Warren Design

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  L.L. Abbott

  www.LLAbbott.com

  Publisher: Hemlock & Ash

  eBook ISBN 978-1-989325-77-3

  Paperback ISBN 978-1-989325-78-0

  For people who have come before us.

  For without them we would not be here,

  and our guide for where we should go would be unclear.

  “Very few of us are what we seem.”

  - Agatha Christie

  Sections of yellow tape, bowed and bent between crooked poles, wrestled with the wind. Other than the noise caused by the flapping with each gust, the whistling gale dulled every sound across the field. Murmurs between two officers who intentionally kept their voices hushed were inaudible from where Kerry stood, and she could only speculate as to what they were talking about. Eventually, the awkwardness of the moment quieted their conversation and they stepped away from each other.

  Simon directed the five officers who arrived from the station, scattering them across the meadow. Some were tasked with blocking access to the field, while others repositioned the poles and yellow tape when it became apparent that more space would be necessary.

  The ends of Kerry’s hair whipped around her face, each strand stabbing at the base of her jaw. She tried to ignore the fragrant breeze combined with the warmth rising on the back of her neck, not because it was unpleasant, but because it seemed misplaced.

  Lake Pines was emerging from an extended winter, one that had stretched into April and where temperatures dipped below the normal average.

  In fact, the warmth was a welcome sensation when she rushed out the front door that morning. But as Kerry stood a hundred feet away from where the forensic team was working, she wondered if a cold steely gray sky would be more in keeping with the mood that was rapidly collapsing over everyone at the crime scene.

  No one spoke. Everyone averted their eyes from one another as they remained transfixed around the crime scene. They were inescapably mesmerized by what was happening in the field, just beyond the perimeter of the flapping yellow tape.

  Kerry remained motionless as the forensic team had reached another body.

  Another grave.

  Another stabbing question.

  Her job as the coroner, required her attendance at the site, as it did for every crime scene in Lake Pines. However, when she received the call six hours earlier, it was because a hiker and his dog came across a partially buried body. That body arrived at her lab several hours ago. It was what the police had found shortly after the first body was removed from the ground that prompted her return to the field.

  It was a haunting clue of a different crime. This one was much older than the one that the police were called about earlier in the day and Kerry instinctively knew it would generate more questions once the exhumation was complete.

  They were standing at Belvedere Field. Although there wasn’t an official town sign posted at the edge of the property, the vacant lot next to the forest had been called that for as long as anyone could remember.

  Twisted trails in the dense forest paths opened onto a clearing where rough-hewn benches were perched along the shoreline, welcoming visitors to sit and enjoy the view at the scenic bend in the river. It was a place of peaceful relaxation.

  Over the last few years, the forest became a popular area where dog owners could run with their pets. Unencumbered by leashes or rules as they challenged themselves over rocky mounts, steep gullies, and fallen trees. Kerry had ventured through these same trails several times on a hike or a run. Sometimes she was alone but most times it was Raven’s need for exercise that drew her to these trails. However, his propensity to chase squirrels eventually cautioned her against off-lease runs.

  Now, looking down at the land which was dotted with unearthed patches of ground, it was difficult to imagine the happier moments spent on the field. Kerry tried to conjure up memories of sunny picnics and impromptu soccer games but the harshness of the moment pushed them away. Instead, she was focused on the small rectangles of grass that were peeled back revealing a sinister clue of a buried crime.

  Kerry wondered how long the body had remained concealed, literally under everyone’s feet. She’d have to wait until she examined the remains in her lab before she drew any conclusion of what it was that lay underneath the most recent thaw. The remains were definitely human, but the reason for their placement in the public park would be the question at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

  More than one crime cast a shadow over the field. Neither of the crimes had occurred at the same time nor by the same perpetrator, but the implications of what lay beneath the windswept land could no longer be ignored.

  A gust pushed against Kerry’s back, and the trees in the forest boughed to the chaotic pattern of the wind, tipping their tops toward the unearthed graves below. She pulled her shoulders close to her neck and folded her arms across the front of her body. The determined course of the wind cascaded over the field, flattening the long grass in waves that came with each shift in direction. Its power was only interrupted by the disturbed areas of ground where the first body, and then subsequent remains, had been found. The motion of the grass mirrored that of the water just beyond the edge of the property at the bottom of the hill. Ominously reminding everyone standing on that field that nature was still in control. With each gust, Mother Nature screamed as if to say she was a witness to a crime that no one had discovered until today.

  There were indications of an older crime that was concealed below the most recent grave. Clues and fragments that would have gone unnoticed, had it not been for the discovery of the most recent murder victim.

  Lake Pines’ latest killer had buried the body in haste, leaving a thin surface of soil defenseless against the harsh lake wind, and caused the accidental discovery of the victim. The hiker was shocked when he came upon his dog tugging at the frayed sleeve protruding from the ground, and he pulled the Border Collie away before any damage had been caused to the victim’s arm. As he clipped his dog’s leash to its collar and pulled him to the top of the hill, he phoned the police and waited, averting his eyes away from the protruding arm. Simon arrived with another officer and after recording the man’s statement, allowed the shaken hiker to return home while he called Kerry and the forensic team.

  No one predicted that the horrific scene that was discovered early in the morning would
be made worse by the end of the day. But it had.

  Simon came toward Kerry, ducking under the flimsy stretch of yellow tape, and stood beside her.

  “Josh is on his way with some tents,” Simon glanced toward the sky. He was growing concerned about the rapid shift in the weather and the approaching rain clouds. “I think a storm is blowing in and I want to get the area covered before we go any further.”

  “Any idea what we’re dealing with here?” Kerry pointed to the unearthed ground.

  Simon shook his head, “At first thought, I’d say that the killer rushed to bury a body and maybe didn’t realize how often this field is used. Even at this time of year.”

  “Can you tell if there’s something else buried with the older remains that can help us identify the body?”

  “It’s too soon to tell, but I left a message for Peter. I’m going to call in a favor.”

  “Why would you call the Superintendent of the Provincial Police department?” Kerry asked. “I know he once ran the Lake Pines Police Department, but how can he help here? We’re not even sure what we’re dealing with.”

  “The province has a ground-penetrating radar machine and I’m going to see if he can have it delivered. We’ll be able to scan the area and determine exactly where we should dig. It could save us several hours of aimless digging.”

  “A machine? There’s only one?” Kerry asked, holding up her index finger.

  “Yeah, that’s why I need the favor. I called just before you arrived and I was told it wasn’t available until next week.”

  A rumble rolled above, diverting their eyes away from the field and toward the sky. As Kerry pulled her jacket closed, a heavy dampness and the earthy scent of impending rain chilled the air, replacing the warm breeze that started the day.

  An officer waved in their direction and Simon returned to the field where three officers were kneeling on the ground. Kerry remained at the top of the hill, her focus rapidly shifting toward the west. As the month straddled the seasons, the weather changed quickly, often shifting from a comfortable warmth to a tense chill in a matter of a few hours.

  Storm clouds replaced the blue sky that had initially stretched awkwardly over the field and had seemed a traitor to the dire mood that was spreading from one person to the next.

  Kerry turned around and walked briskly to her car. There was a body waiting in her lab, and her duty to the first victim that was unearthed earlier in the day hijacked her interest in what was laying in the ground in Belvedere Field.

  The dark shadows from the clouds that rolled over the forest, heralded a foreboding sense of the unanswered questions that loomed ahead. Having borne the weight of time, the older set of remains would be subjected to the harshness of the elements, making the determination of who the victim was, or what ended their life, more difficult. But not impossible.

  Her first thought was that the approaching storm was more welcome in the space where bodies had been concealed in Lake Pines.

  Her second thought was, that up until today, the secrets that lay hidden deep inside the graves were known only to the murderer, or murderers, who placed them there.

  A thin deep gash stretched across the victim’s neck, extending three-quarters of the way around his throat. Even with the traces of dirt and mud that had accumulated from the shallow grave, it was obvious that the wound had been wiped clean before the victim had been buried.

  No scratches or jagged movements marked the victim’s neck or the perfectly straight line that severed his two carotid arteries. The wound rested just below the angle of the victim’s jaw and was flawlessly aligned with each of his ears.

  Almost as if it had been drawn with an artist’s pen over his skin.

  It was a perfect slice and because of its placement over the vocal cords, it was a wound that would ensure a silent death. The pain would have come in a flash, and the victim would have been aware of what was happening. Even though he wouldn’t have been able to survive the loss of blood or been able to elicit a scream, there should have been an instinctive reaction to fight back. Kerry ran a gloved finger along the edge of the wound, gently feeling the surface of the victim’s skin and the precision was unsettling.

  The extended cut should have revealed some sign of a struggle.

  Some resistance.

  Instead, the deep gash suggested the use of a large sharp blade on an unconscious victim.

  The absence of bloodstains on the victim’s clothing also struck Kerry as odd. Murder scenes were never easy to take in, even with the wealth of experience Kerry brought to each case, she always prepared herself for the shock that would inevitably come. The dull waxy flesh, vacant eyes, and blood-soaked clothes were gruesome clues that a person’s life had ended violently. But they were clues, nonetheless.

  However, Kerry was looking down at a body that seemed to have been prepared for death in the same manner that it appeared to have been prepared for burial.

  Initially, Kerry had thought the murder may have been the result of an act of passion. Most of the signs were there. A swift attack, a frantic killer, and a hurried burial.

  Now she had to consider a more frightening thought. What if the murderer intended for the body to be found in Belvedere Field and maybe the lack of crime scene evidence on the body was a chilling invitation? Could the killer be taunting the intelligence of those investigating the crime?

  At first, Kerry thought the location of the body in the open field seemed like an odd choice for a killer looking to quickly dispose of a body. But the extra cold winter kept many people indoors and the open field may have easily been mistaken for an unused plot of land. It may have been thought to be far enough away from the town and the residents where the murderer could conceal their identity along with the body.

  It was even possible that the victim and murderer weren’t from Lake Pines. With the increase in cross-country car trips, more strangers traveled through the town in recent years, adding another layer of probability to the identity of the victim. Whether it was a tourist, traveler, or resident, Kerry still needed to find a clue that would help identify the cause of death and hopefully give the victim a name.

  Each piece of the victim’s clothing was placed on the adjacent table as Kerry examined them for clues. In addition to the absence of a wallet or any identifiable jewelry, the victim wore a pair of faded jeans, a plain navy cotton shirt, and a brown jacket that was stylishly frayed at the collar and sleeves. Each item was non-descript and the person wearing them would easily blend into a crowd. There was nothing in any of the victim’s pockets. No wallet, keys, or credit cards. Kerry would have to rely on her autopsy examination, dental records, fingerprints, and photo images to identify the man on her examination table.

  The little information she did possess was that the victim was male, close to thirty years of age, and had been dead less than forty-eight hours. His short sandy brown hair was freshly cut and angled at the base of his neck, tapering to a fade. He had blue eyes and fair skin that was free of tattoos or scars, and there were no signs of bruising anywhere on his body.

  Luckily the dog had only managed to grab hold of the victim’s sleeve, leaving the man’s hand unmarked. If Kerry was going to establish who had killed the victim, she needed to determine where he had been. Traces of particles that the victim may have picked up during a struggle with the killer was her main focus.

  Kerry swabbed the victim’s blackened tongue and took samples of the fine film coating the inside of his mouth. She drew some blood and tissue samples, narrowing her scan to focus on traces of poison or barbiturates. While she awaited the test results, Kerry swabbed the surface of the victim’s skin, mouth and then clipped samples of his hair and nails.

  She worked in a trance, moving from one process to the next, and soon her mind drifted to the memory of her friend. Wayne had been dead for less than a year and Kerry was still having difficulty coming to terms with his absence, both on the job and in her personal life. br />
  He bridged the gap between her and some residents of Lake Pines who were initially uneasy at accepting an outsider as part of the community. There was an instinct from some senior residents to distrust and be leery of people who moved to Lake Pines. Especially if it was someone with no family connections in the area.

  Kerry was an unknown commodity when she replaced Doctor Crampton as the town’s coroner. Older residents voiced concerns about her inexperience when they protested her appointment to the job. But in the end, Peter held firm to his opinion that she be hired as the town’s coroner and Wayne continued to build trust between Kerry and members of the community.

  Even though Lake Pines was now her home, she still longed for the connection Wayne bridged to the town and its people.

  Kerry was happy that Wayne’s brother Josh and his husband decided to move to Lake Pines. Josh’s work in the police department was the connection that Simon needed to Wayne, and Kerry’s instant friendship and connection to him and Thomas was the link she needed. But Kerry knew it would take patience and time before her memories would elicit a smile as opposed to tears.

  The computer’s timer signaled the completion of the tests and the results tumbled from the printer below the counter. Kerry blinked away the dampness rising in her eyes, refocusing on the information she had gathered on the unknown victim.

  Skin swabs confirmed the presence of chlorhexidine digluconate and isopropyl alcohol which were compounds found in antibacterial washes. But what were the strong disinfectants doing on the victim’s skin?

  Her eyes drifted to the second sheet and she saw that not only were the medical-grade antiseptic compounds registering on the surface of the victim’s skin, but they were also present on his hair and inside his mouth. The final results showed traces of thiopental in the victim’s blood, confirming Kerry’s suspicion that the victim was unconscious when his throat was slashed.