Murder Dunes: Clint Rugbee Mysteries, #4

By A.M. Holloway

Severed hands, five victims, one crime family, and an extra body.

 

Detective Rugbee's day started out like any other until the call came into dispatch about hands on the beach. He wasted no time in responding to the distress call. Upon his arrival, he found two men, one on the ground, unresponsive, lying next to fingers poking up from the sand.

 

The men are friends and have been for decades. Since retirement, they search for treasures on the beach. This morning, they found severed hands on a dune, and the finder had a heart attack. After Rugbee secured a ride to the hospital for the men, he returned to the scene.

 

There were three sets of hands, two males and one female. One of the female hands boasted a starfish tattoo in the webbing between the index finger and thumb. When Rugbee found out their fingerprints had been removed, he turned to the starfish tattoo. He would identify the girl by the tattoo.

 

As the investigation goes forward, more bodies turn up on the beach, but this time it was a plane crash. It claimed two people, a boy and a girl.

Once Rugbee and Bonner had IDs on the victims, Rugbee began the task of notifying families. That's when things went sideways. All five deceased people belonged to one family. Three kids from one brother and two from another.

 

The investigation doesn't end there. Hitmen arrive in town with one objective, and that is to finish what they started. That puts Rugbee and Bonner in the crosshairs, along with the brothers.

 

Rugbee and Bonner fight to control the situation until the last piece of the puzzle falls into place and it's something no one expected.

• Language: English
• Publisher: A.M. Holloway
• Release date: Jun 6, 2024
• ISBN: 9781956648317

Book preview

Prologue

Two guys set out on their typical early morning adventure. They were avid treasure hunters, searching along the dunes for rare finds, putting miles on their sandals.

Royce and Rowan had been friends since elementary school. Both men worked in the same industry and married local girls. Now that they survived until retirement, that meant the hunt was on.

The beach was their second love, and they spent their early morning hours scouring the sand with their metal detectors. Rowan, where do you want to go this morning?

Royce tilted his head as he checked his small notebook. We’ve not been over by the motel in months. Besides, we’ll be closer to home if the weather turns.

Sounds good to me. The men climbed into Royce’s jeep, and off they went, just like they’d done for over fifty years.

When they entered the public parking lot, Rowen pointed to the dark clouds meandering over the water. We’d better get a move on if we want time on the beach today. Those clouds look ominous.

The men grabbed their gear and walked north one mile. Then they turned south, and the search began. They’ve done this so many times. They knew the drill. Spacing themselves at six-foot intervals, the men walked side by side. This was by design, so they missed nothing.

After an hour, the men took a break, wiped the sweat from their foreheads, and guzzled a bottle of water while other folks jogged or enjoyed their daily walk. Some they’d seen before, but the others were unfamiliar.

Halfway back to the parking lot, Royce’s metal detector chirped. He raised his hand to alert Rowan. He waved the detector across the last chirp. Then he turned it further out toward the sea.

Rowan, this is strange. Help me dig. Rowan nodded because he sensed Royce’s uncertainty.

Rowan had always been the follower. Royce was older but only by months, but Rowan felt Royce was more intelligent. If you asked Royce who’s smarter, he would tell you Rowan was. And the debate continued.

The men took their utensils from their bags and began the tedious work of sand digging. When Rowan’s trowel touched something, he said, Royce, I found something.

They discarded the trowels for a sifter and a paintbrush. Within a few minutes, the men lifted a severed hand from the sand.

Royce stared at it while Rowan backed away, holding his chest. This is not what I expected. Royce declared.

When Rowan didn’t respond, Royce glanced at him. Rowan, are you okay?

Rowan’s eyes rolled back in his head. Then Royce jumped into action by calling 911. A dispatcher answered the call and sent an ambulance to Royce’s location. Then Royce explained the hand in the sand. The dispatcher froze briefly and then advised an investigator would also come to his location.

While Royce waited for help, he dialed his wife, explaining the situation. She promised to go next door and tell Rowan’s wife, and then they’d meet the men in the emergency room.

Royce sat in the sand, holding Rowan’s head in his lap. When he heard the sirens approach, he stood, waving his arms above his head. Hurry! He yelled when he heard doors close.

The EMS workers carried the stretcher over the sand, dreading the return trip. When Royce explained the events leading to this episode, the attendants began treating Rowan.

They placed a canular in his nose and rubbed a balled fist in the middle of Rowan’s chest. He moaned, and Royce breathed a sigh of relief. The EMS folks sliced Rowan’s shirt up the middle, giving them access to his chest. They placed pads in multiple areas, watching his heartbeat on their screen.

We’ll transport him to the hospital. But it looks like his heart is settling down after the scare. The doctors will monitor him. The EMS attendant explained.

I walked up just as the EMS guy finished speaking. Then he said, Rugbee.

Hiles. What do we have? I asked, looking at the folks standing around.

This guy here appears to have suffered a mild heart attack after they found something in the sand. He pointed to the dune.

Okay. Let me see the find. Royce looked at Rowan, then back to me.

The attendant reiterated they were taking Rowan to the ER and he could come later. Royce didn’t want to leave Rowan, but he understood. So, we helped get the gurney to the ambulance. Rowan opened his eyes when the gurney hit the asphalt. While he didn’t speak, he knew Royce was there.

After they pulled away, I glanced at Royce. So, tell me what happened. I held my pen and notebook, waiting for information.

Rowan and I have been friends for decades, and we love to treasure hunt using our metal detectors. Today, we started one mile north of the parking lot and were halfway back when my detector chirped. So, we dug out the find, not realizing it was a human hand. Rowan’s heart couldn’t take it, and you saw what happened after that.

I nodded as I jotted notes. I’ll need your contact information for the report and if I have further questions. Please show me the hand, then you can go to the hospital with your friend. I’ll catch up with you later.

Royce appreciated my concern. We walked back to the dune in silence. Then Royce pointed to the hand. There it is, Detective. I guess my detector picked up on the rings.

Thanks for showing me. Hope things go well for Rowan.

As Royce leaned over for Rowan’s detector, it chirped. Royce glanced at me. Can you wave that thing over there again? I questioned.

Sure. Royce swung the machine away from his body. Then it pinged. It’s here.

I placed a seashell on the area. Thanks again. I let Royce leave before dialing Jud. He’s one of our crime scene techs, and this is something he would love.

Jud, are you working today? I’ve got a good one for you.

For you, Rugbee. I’m always on. But Emily is supposed to be back today if you’d rather have her.

I paused because I liked Emily, but she’d been away for months. I think this one suits you, Jud. Meet me on the beach, a half mile north of the public parking lot.

On my way. Then he clicked off without asking about the case. I chuckled because that kid loved his job, no matter what the crime.

While studying the hand, I guarded the area while waiting for the crime scene unit to arrive. It was Caucasian, presumably female, because of the rings on the fingers and the size. Whatever or whoever removed the hand wasn’t after the jewelry. It was something else entirely. Then I looked at the hand from another angle. That’s when I spotted the starfish tattoo between the index finger and thumb.

While I jotted that tidbit in my book, Jud called my name as he and his two-person team walked toward me. Jud. Thanks for coming so quickly.

Rugbee. You always get the best cases. What do we have?

A hand.

Jud’s head snapped around to face mine. A hand? Like without a body?

Exactly. But I’m hoping you find the body. I pointed to the area where the seashell rests.

Jud walked close, but not close enough to disturb the scene. Are these your footprints, Rugbee?

Mine and three others. Two men were treasure hunting when a metal detector picked up on the rings. They dug up the hand, and one guy had a heart attack. So, they’re at the hospital. When Royce, one of the two guys, picked up Rowan’s detector, it chirped. I let him leave to be with his friend, but I marked the latest chirp with the shell.

Whoa. What a story, Rugbee. So, I have one hand, and another find in the sand. Jud nodded as he instructed his unit on their jobs. Jud loves training others in his profession, so the two guys with him are interns while they’re finishing up their college forensic studies.

I spoke with Bonner and Maisie, giving them updates on the situation. Bonner advised he was en route to my location. He reminds me of Jud. Anything to stimulate the brain cells was worth the drive.

The crime scene techs took their time with the scene. They roped off the area from onlookers before beginning their dig. Just as Bonner arrived, Jud called, Rugbee, you better come over here.

I groaned because Jud’s tone told me what to expect. Good timing, Bonner. Jud called me over.

Without a word, Bonner stood beside me. Oh hey, Bonner. Glad you’re here. We have a problem.

We know that Jud. That’s why you’re here. Remember, we found a hand in the sand. I stated.

About that, Rugbee. Jud stepped to the side, revealing his concern.

It left me speechless. But Bonner spoke for us, Jud, is that three sets of hands on your table?

Yes, Bonner, it is. We have three sets of hands with no bodies, and the hands are from three different people.

Chapter 1

I mumbled, Three sets of hands, three victims, and no identification.

Bonner stared at the hands. I’m guessing one female and two males.

Jud nodded in agreement. We need to move these to the lab before the storms hit. I hear today we’re due for some serious weather.

Get a move on, Jud. Bonner and I will stay here for a little while. Let me know when you have anything on the hands.

Always, Rugbee.

We stood off to the side as Jud and his crew loaded the hands for transport. Bonner stated, Could our victim’s torsos be in the dunes, too?

Anything is possible, but if someone went to the trouble of removing hands, I doubt the torsos would be in the same area. I shrugged my shoulder as I met Bonner’s eyes.

You’re probably right. That would make more sense. Bonner agreed.

Jud and his crew left the crime scene tape in place, so Bonner and I inspected the surrounding area. We poked and prodded the dunes with sticks but found nothing. I glanced at the sky just as the first raindrops fell.

Bonner said, See you at your place. Then he bolted for drier ground.

I followed him to the hotel, but there was no chance of staying dry with the size of those drops. Ralph met us at the door, holding towels. I thought you boys might need these. What was so fascinating that you were on the beach in a storm?

In unison, we replied, Hands.

Ralph paused, then countered, Hands? What on earth does that mean?

Bonner chuckled as I explained, Two men were treasure hunting when they dug up a hand. Then Jud found two more sets. They’re from different people, too.

Those hands were in our dunes. That’s unsettling. Ralph stammered.

Once the rain subsides, I’d like to return to the dunes and poke around some more, I stated.

That probably won’t be today. It’s supposed to storm off and on, all day and into the night. Ralph shared the forecast with me. I shook the rain from my hair, then looked at Bonner.

Bonner nodded because he knew what I would say. It sounds like a good day to spend in the lab with Jud.

I tilted my head. You knew what I was going to say. That’s not fair.

You always say that when it rains. So, let’s go. I don’t want to miss a thing. Bonner said, smiling.

We left Ralph at the hotel, wondering who would remove someone’s hands and why.

Bonner led the way to the lab, and I followed. Chief Bray called for an update. I offered what I had, even though I had little to share. But I promised I would meet her afterward to discuss.

When we entered the lab, Jud had his head over the table with a magnifying glass to his eye. He heard us open the door. Hey, guys. What kept you? I’m already working on the second hand.

I glanced around, hoping to see the hand, but it was nowhere I could see. Did you find anything useful? I asked.

They removed the first two with the same instrument. It appears to be a machete.

Bonner and I moaned. Then Bonner asked, Please tell me this was postmortem.

I’m still working on that, but I should have a definitive answer shortly. The first hand was from a male with no distinguishing marks or tattoos. It appeared the fingerprints were burned off. This hand is also male. But I found a foreign substance in the wound. I’ll have that analyzed and let you know the results.

I jotted notes in my book before asking, Have you inspected the female hand? There was a tattoo on it and rings. We might use them for identification.

Jud shook his head, Haven’t gotten to that one yet. I’ll snap a photo of the tattoo and rings for you.

Thanks, Jud. We’ll be in touch.

Bonner and I left without speaking on the trip to our cars. We stood at the door before we ran for our cars, and I said, Chief Bray wants an update. I’ll start there. Check out missing persons. The female hand had a starfish tattoo between her thumb and index finger.

Will do, Rugbee. Then we sprinted to our cars through huge raindrops for the second time today.

The rain pelted the windshield at such a rate. I had difficulty seeing the road ahead of me. Luckily, I didn’t have far to go. Bonner pulled into the space beside mine, and we hesitated, knowing the rain would drench us again.

Ember and Etta sat at the desk inside the police station when we rushed inside. Then they chuckled. When will you boys buy an umbrella or a raincoat? Etta asked, looking at both men.

We shrugged our shoulders and headed to the bathroom. Paper towels came in handy when rain-soaked your clothes. We dried off the best we could, then went our separate ways.

Chief Bray and I kept our personal lives out of the station, but everyone knew we were a pair. When I entered her office, she said, Rugbee. Did Jud offer anything substantial? However, her eyes said something totally different.

Not really. He’s working on the three sets of hands. One is a female. Two are males. The two male hands were removed with a machete, while one wound had some sort of foreign debris. Jud is testing that. He hasn’t gotten to the female hand. But I can share the female wore rings and a starfish tattoo on the webbing between the index finger and thumb. After I showed her a picture of the girl’s hand, I winked. That was my sign since my back faced the office.

She grinned. Why would someone remove a person’s hands with a machete?

A machete would be my choice if I ever needed to remove a hand. It leaves a clean cut, and they cut through the toughest of materials. My biggest question is, why remove a hand?

Don’t tell me you’ve sat around thinking of ways to remove a hand. Maisie tilted her head as she waited for an explanation.

No, I haven’t, but I agree with the choice. If someone removed the hands, where are the bodies?

Rugbee, you’re asking too many questions. Go find the answers. Maisie waved me out of her office as her phone rang. As I cleared the threshold, I heard her say, Toby. You’re fine. Rugbee has an interesting crime scene. Call him.

When I heard Toby calling for Maisie, Liz popped into my mind. I wonder if she’d help me with the identification. We could use the tattoo and rings without mentioning the severed hands. As I passed Bonner’s office, he called my name.

No hits on any missing persons with that tattoo, Bonner explained. Now what?

I plopped down into a chair, facing him as I pondered his information. I just knew we’d get a hit on that tattoo. What are your thoughts on using Liz to help?

She might be our best bet, since we have no other way of identifying the girl. But the more I think about the situation, the more I feel the rest of our victims are still out there. There would be no reason to remove someone’s hand and keep them alive. The perpetrator might have murdered the victims and then dismembered them, making identification that much harder. Especially if they buried the appendages in multiple locations.

I moaned because that sounded daunting. Bits and pieces of these victims could be scattered up and down the coast. Check with the state police. See if they’ve received reports of body parts. Also, check in with any departments on the coast. If our machete-wielding folks like the beach, that might be our dumping grounds.

Bonner nodded, understanding my reasoning. I left him to it as I dialed Toby. Toby was the new town mayor after his predecessor was convicted of criminal activity, including murdering the Chief of Police. But he was my best friend first. He’s saved my life too many times to count from our military days.  

Rugbee. I heard you caught a mind-blowing case. Tell me about it.

So, I did. I shared everything we had, which wasn’t much. Then I asked about Liz. I have always discussed Liz with him since they were dating, and I have a love-hate relationship with her. She’s a news reporter, so I try my best to avoid her.

Toby considered Liz and said, It would delight her to help you, but don’t get your hopes up on finding the girl just by a starfish tattoo. I would think they’re popular.

I hadn’t considered that. We have enough officers to help with leads that come into the office. Oh, I forgot. Jud will send photos of the rings, too. That should help narrow the lead list.

That’s it, Rugbee. Use tattoos and rings. Those should be enough for Liz to highlight on tonight’s newscast.

After our call ended, I pondered the newscast idea. Was the ring custom-made, or were they store-bought? I needed a few people on standby for leads between the starfish tattoo and the rings.

I called Kellen and Cole on the radio, asking them to report to my office. It always sounded like I was calling them to the principal’s office, but I wasn’t. Instead, I needed their help. While I waited for the guys to show, I worked out the logistics. The call center would need staffing if Liz agreed to showcase the rings and the tattoo on tonight’s newscast.

Cole showed up first. Then a few minutes later, Kellon entered my office. There wasn't much room left with all of us in the small space. Bonner heard the commotion and joined us but remained in the doorway.

I explained the situation with the hands, rings, and the tattoo. Clearly, the case interested everyone. Cole asked, Were any of the ring’s custom?

Smiling, I nodded because I’d had the same thought. "I’m unsure. This meeting is to ask if you can help with the call center tonight. I’m asking Liz to showcase the tattoo and rings on the evening news, but if leads come in, we need people to decipher which leads seem the most plausible. That’s where you two come in. I’d like to see you work together on this one. If something comes in that you’re unsure about, notify Bonner or me. We’ll be available to make calls or handle follow up."

Kellen was already nodding. Count me in, Detective.

Cole repeated the phrase.

Ok. You’re off the clock. Take a break but return by 6:00 pm when Liz does her broadcast.

The guys left the office, and Bonner took Kellen’s seat. Nothing on body parts on the east coast. Jacksonville had a man wash up, but they expected him. He fell overboard while on a cruise.

So, we still have zip. I’ll call Liz and arrange for the newscast. Has Jud called with anything new?

Bonner shook his head as he answered Ember’s call. Dialing