An Altar by the River
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The coven members made their court appearances on Monday. The judge ordered each to be held without bail until his or her next appearance. Three had turned out to be under-legal age and had been transported to a juvenile facility. The detectives spent days interviewing and interrogating them. Some gave information, but most did not. We had enough physical evidence and eyewitness statements to put most of them away for life.
Mandy Zubinski took an extended leave of absence to help heal her emotional scars. Everyone who had helped rescue her visited at least once. I stopped by a number of times and she was always grateful. Mason went through a debriefing, first by himself, then with the rest of us. He was Mandy’s hero for life, and doing fairly well overall.
Gregory and Jeffrey Trippen had a long session with Dr. Fischer and Pastor Trondholm. They provided the names of professionals in Vermont who had stellar reputations. Gregory was committed to getting Jeffrey into a trustworthy program, and thought he might try it himself.
Gregory also realized that their mother needed to face her own demons. Knowing Sparrow was dead was a huge relief for Gregory. Jeffrey didn’t seem to believe it.
We were able to locate a family member of Keith James Nutting, an early victim of the coven’s satanic rituals. He was from northern Minnesota. His family had feared for his safety all those years. They were aggrieved, but finally had closure.
Crystal Planer, the young woman Sparrow had written about in his journal, seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth.
It would be a long time before the coven members were tried, convicted, and sent to prison and things got back to a more routine level at the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department.
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Rebecca and Tina were more excited than I was when we went to the farm to pick up my new pet. They ran around the farm, looking at the animals and playing with the puppies. We all agreed Queenie was the smallest and cutest one in the litter. Queenie was the energetic English setter I’d had my heart set on for weeks. I couldn’t wait to bring her home, get to know her, and start her training.
I was sitting outside on my front step playing with Queenie, a week and a half after the traumatic mass arrest of the Wellspring coven, when Eric Stueman’s car pulled into my driveway and stopped. I stood up, wondering what he was doing at my place. He got out, waved, and came over to us.
“Hi. I could say I was in the neighborhood and stopped by, but you’d know that’s not true.”
I waited for the real reason.
“What a cute little puppy. I didn’t see him at your party.” He reached down and offered his hand. Queenie started playfully gnawing at it.
“She’s a her. Queenie. I just got her last week.”
“Queenie.” He stood and took a step closer to me. “I didn’t have your cell number, and your home number’s not published. Kenner said you were on days off.”
“So you were in the neighborhood and stopped by.”
He smiled. “I wanted to see you before this, but you know how crazy it’s been with the satanic cult cases. Collinwood said the highest number they’ve charged on a single crime prior to this was twelve.”
“So you were in the neighborhood and stopped by.”
His smile broadened. “I’ll come right out and say it. I’m here to ask you out on a date. How about tonight? Are you free?”
Smoke’s comeback came to mind, and I paraphrased it. “No, but I’m reasonable.”
Also by Christine Husom
Murder in Winnebago County follows an unlikely serial killer plaguing a rural Minnesota county. The clever murderer leaves a growing chain of apparent suicides among criminal justice professionals. As her intuition helps her draw the cases together, Winnebago County Sergeant Corinne Aleckson enlists help from Detective Elton Dawes. What Aleckson doesn’t know is that the killer is keeping a close watch on her. Will she be the next target?
Buried in Wolf Lake When a family’s golden retriever brings home the dismembered leg of a young woman, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department launches an investigation unlike any other. Who does the leg belong to, and where is the rest of her body? Sergeant Corinne Aleckson and Detective Elton Dawes soon discover they are up against an unidentified psychopath who targets women with specific physical features. Are there other victims, and will they learn the killer’s identity in time to prevent another brutal murder?
The Noding Field Mystery When a man’s naked body is found staked out in a farmer’s soybean field, Sergeant Corinne Aleckson and Detective Elton Dawes are called to the scene. The cause of death is not apparent, and the significance of why he was placed there is a mystery. As Aleckson, Dawes, and the rest of their Winnebago Sheriff’s Department team gather evidence, and look for suspects and motive, they hit one dead end after another. Then an old nemesis escapes from jail and plays in the shocking end.
A Death in Lionel's Woods When a woman’s emaciated body is found in a hunter’s woods Sergeant Corinne Aleckson is coaxed back into the field to assist Detective Smoke Dawes on the case. It seems the only hope for identifying the woman lies in a photo that was buried with bags of money under her body. Aleckson and Dawes plunge into the investigation that takes them into the world of human smugglers and traffickers, unexpectedly close to home. All the while, they are working to uncover the identity of someone who is leaving Corky anonymous messages and pulling pranks at her house. A Death in Lionel’s Woods is an unpredictable roller coaster ride to the electrifying end.
Secret in Whitetail Lake The discovery of an old Dodge Charger on the bottom of a Winnebago County lake turns into a homicide investigation when human remains are found in the car. To make matters worse, Sheriff Twardy disappears that same day, leaving everyone to wonder where he went. Sergeant Corinne Aleckson and Detective Elton Dawes probe into both mysteries, searching for answers. Little do they know they’re being closely watched by the keeper of the Secret in Whitetail Lake.
Firesetter in Blackwood Township Barns are burning in Blackwood Township, and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office realizes they have a firesetter to flush out. The investigation ramps up when a body is found in one of the barns. Meanwhile, deputies are getting disturbing deliveries. Why are they being targeted? It leaves Sergeant Corinne Aleckson and Detective Elton Dawes to wonder, what is the firesetter’s message and motive?