The Missing…A Thermopolis Konan mystery…unedited, incomplete…

Trapped in the dark, Mary lost track of time. She strained her ears for any sound that would signal she wasn’t alone. There was nothing but the drip of water.

It was enough to drive her mad.

Konan finished his breakfast and changed into jeans, a tee, and his boots. He lived mere moments from the waterway. Per his normal routine, he started his day with 25 pushups. Then, he walked out to his red Dodge flatbed truck and drove to the waterway.

A dirt road led to the banks of the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway. It appeared as if the entire Fredericksburg Police Department, and Sheriff’s Department had deployed to the crime scene. Konan pulled off the road and walked to the large gaggle gathered on the banks of the river.

Janko, Tia Mather’s replacement, watched as Konan walked toward them. After his visit he returned to the crime scene.

“Nice of you to join us,” Janko said.

“Where’s the body?”

“What’s left is strapped to the rocks down there,” Janko said. He lifted his chin in the direction of the body.

Without a word, Konan walked toward the body. It didn’t take long to find it. The torso was strapped to the rocks. What was left of the head hung down by a strand of flesh.

“Animals feasted on the body,” Tammy Bowen said.

“Yeah, looks like it. What exactly tore into her?”

“Gators most like, some coyotes, Lord only knows what else.”

“Any idea how long she was dead?”

“She was reported missing three weeks ago. A rough estimate of T.O.D. is two weeks ago.”

Konan frowned and scratched his beard. “Why wait until now to pose the body?”

Tammy Bowen watched Konan. It was apparent that he was deep in thought. Konan looked around. The body wasn’t underneath the bridge, but it couldn’t be seen from the bridge.

“They brought the body in at night. Whoever did it is local. The only other logical explanation was that they took a chance on the location and got lucky. That doesn’t compute though.”

Konan sipped his coffee. There were too many questions that begged for answers. Right now, though Konan needed a refill and a look at the other bodies.

Preferably, one that hadn’t been a Snak-Pak for Mother Nature’s beasties.