Find Me If You Dare (The Chronicles of Elizabeth Marshall Book 2) by Rachel Lucas Page B

clearly smell the sharp, metallic scent of blood.
    “Let’s clear the scene first,” Phillips ordered in a low voice, “we need to make sure the suspect isn’t still at the premises. We need to check for additional victims . Be careful not to do anything to disturb evidence.”
    “Stay here,” Logan told me in a firm tone as he took out his weapon and followed the other agents into the small apartment.
    I was left out on the landing with the landlord. He looked nervous and sweaty, probably not at all comfortable with having local law enforcement let alone federal agents snooping around the area. We stood there in a kind of strange silence. Small talk at this moment seemed unnecessary. I tried not to let my imagination about what was inside the apartment get the best of me.
    It wasn’t long before I heard Phillips give the “all clear” and start securing the crime scene.
    “Agent Carter,” Phillips started issuing orders, “let’s get your top forensic people out here. Sawyer, talk to the landlord. Find out everything you can about the man who lived here. Get a full background check. See if you can get a picture so we can send it out over to the coroner and see if it’s a match to our John Doe.”
    “Coroner?” The landlord gulped.
    I tried looking into the apartment through the open door. I couldn’t see much from my perspective. It wasn’t a very large apartment. The doorway opened into small living room area, then off to the right a tiny kitchen with a table that might seat one or two people. The table and kitchen counters were cluttered with dirty dishes and fast food containers. Flies were buzzing around rotting food.
    Into the living room area was a shabby-looking rusty brown couch and a scarred coffee table. An old television sat on an old bookshelf empty of books. The floor was covered in a light tan carpet. From where I stood, I could see several dark stains on the carpet.
    I was curious yet repelled at the same time. What had taken place in this small apartment? I took a step closer to see if I could get a better view but was immediately blocked by Logan standing in the doorway.
    “It’s not a pretty scene Caitlyn,” he whispered quietly to me with an apologetic look. I could tell he was debating with himself about how much he wanted me to see. His protectiveness towards me was warring with the possibility that I might be able to help this investigation in some way.
    “What can you tell me about the tenant that lived here?” Logan was back in detective mode and questioning the landlord.
    Sweat starting running down the man’s forehead as he shifted from foot to foot, looking around him as he tried to decide how much to tell.
    “I haven’t known Vinnie for long,” he rubbed his sweaty hands on his pants, “he moved in about three or four months ago, after he was released from Huntsville.”
    “He served time in the state penitentiary?” Logan asked, writing down the information in a small notebook.
    “Yeah,” the landlord reluctantly nodded his head.
    “Do you know what he served time for?” Logan pressed.
    “Director Phillips,” Agent Carter called from the back of the apartment , “we found a wallet with ID. We’re running the social now.”
    “Check with Huntsville,” Logan called, “he was a recent parolee.”
    Everyone had cell phones out and were making calls. Because the crime scene needed to be processed, the apartment landing became the place where the agents and Logan paced, reluctant to disturb anything more in the apartment until the forensics team arrived.
    I watched, feeling somewhat helpless, as the agents walked back and forth between the apartment and the van we arrived in, pulling out laptops, typing in information.
    Before long, several of the local law enforcement agencies that were at the other scene were showing up here. The growing number of police cars were starting to gain the attention of the local residents. It probably wouldn’t be long before the