She made a note of the information in her phone. “Thank you.”
“Cyn,” Hunt called, waving her to come to him.
She tucked her phone in her pocket and braced herself for what came next.
Hunt pulled her into his arms and spoke quietly. “The other family that arrived to see if the woman is their missing daughter, they can’t give us any definitive information for an ID that isn’t similar to Angela’s description.”
They didn’t want it to be their loved one. She understood that all too well.
“I looked, but I can’t be sure one way or another because the body’s been out in the elements too long. Is there anything you can think of that would make me be sure? Does she have a tattoo we don’t know about? A scar or mark on her that would identify her? Anything you can think of.”
She leaned back and looked up at him. “I’ll know if it’s her or not.” She slipped past him and headed for where they’d placed the body behind a truck so the families didn’t have to see it.
She felt Hunt right behind her as she approached the officers surrounding the gurney. They backed off immediately and let her pass. She kneeled on the ground, stared at the black body bag that had been left unzipped but still covered the person inside. There was an acrid odor that wrinkled her nose and turned her stomach.She sat on her heels, her hands on her thighs, and gave herself a second.
Hunt squatted beside her. “You don’t need to do this. We’ll ID the body another way. This was just to help us determine who we should still be looking for. If it takes a few more days, it takes a few more days.”
She reached up and put her fingers over his mouth to make him stop talking and let her do this. He kissed her fingers and held her hand. She took a couple of breaths and tried to feel if it was her sister, the way she felt her when they were together. But there was nothing.
Cyn tried to think of a way to know if this was Angela. “Angela has a beauty mark on her right earlobe right next to where her ear is pierced. Last I saw her, she was wearing the earrings I gave her as a push present when she gave birth to Lana. They’re goldLs. She loved them and wore them all the time.”
Hunt squeezed her shoulder and kissed the side of her head. He pulled the flap on the body bag up just enough to take a peek without Cyn seeing anything of the body. He gently laid the flap back down. “The ears are pierced but no earrings. Because of the state of the body, the dirt and grime and decomp, it’s hard to tell if there’s a mark on her earlobe.”
She sighed, her stomach in a knot, a lump in her throat. “Let me see her hair.”
“Cyn,” Hunt warned without spelling out how much he didn’t want her to see her sister or anyone like this.
“It’s okay. I can do this.”
“I don’t want you to have to.” But Hunt lifted the flap carefully, exposing just the top of the woman’s head.
Cyn forced herself to look. “Angela’s hair is two shades lighter. She has long bangs. This girl’s hair is all one length and her roots are dark. This isn’t Angela.”
Hunt closed the flap and took her in his arms. “I’m sorry to put you through this, sweetheart. I promise you, I will not stop looking for Angela. We will find her.” He held her tight and kissed her on the forehead.
“Please tell them I’m sorry for their loss.” She pushed away from him, tears streaming down her face. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”
“Wait for me.”
She put her hand on his chest. “I need to go.” She rose and ran away, her heart breaking for the family who lost their daughter, and the man who lost the woman he loved.
Rage washed through her that Angela was still missing and Rad refused to do the right thing.
She’d find him and make him.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Hunt conferred with the officer in charge of the search and gave him the information Cyn gleaned from looking at the body. He hated that she’d been so desperate for the truth that she’d put herself through that. He’d have spared her that if he could have convinced her to wait for the official identification from the coroner’s office.
But Cyn showed her strength and perseverance and did what needed to be done.
And then she ran. He didn’t blame her. She couldn’t be here and see this and not think she might have to do it again for her sister.
He needed to find her and make sure she was okay.
The Harmons stopped him on the way to his car.
Mr. Harmon stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Was it her?”