Chapter Twenty-Three

The body found in the trunk of a burnt out car solved one murder yet raised other questions.

The hands of the male had been far enough away from the fire because of the position to yield fingerprints. The heat wasn't hot enough to destroy his DNA. The man had no identification but whoever he was, he was a murderer. His fingerprints matched an unknown set found at the murder scene of a ninety-four year-old man manually strangled to death in his own bed six months ago, a day before Hunter's birth. The skin found underneath the old man's fingernails matched the unknown man's DNA. Finding justice for this man, or sympathy was going to be a challenge. But finding out his name would give some clues as to why the elderly man was murdered.

The current victim was dead before the fire. His throat slit, his head nearly detached from his body. Alexx's opinion was the murder weapon was a hatchet or axe. The car and the plates didn't match. Both reported stolen a year prior. Frank said he would check with auto theft but it could be another needle in a haystack.

Hunter Caine was getting his six month vaccines today. Daddy would have to have a thick skin because he was the one taking Hunter to the clinic today. Aimee was giving more ASL lessons at an elementary school today. This time for the parents of students. The student who was non-verbal, a nine-year-old named Luna hadn't started at the school yet but was being introduced to some of her future classmates.

This is why this is a mommy job.

Hunter's wails broke his dad's heart. "I'm sorry, buddy," he told his crying baby, kissing his head. Hunter didn't stop crying for five minutes afterwards. He fussed all the way home and nothing comforted him when he got there either. Horatio gave the baby some Tylenol and settled with him in the rocker. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night. Not even mom or Kyle could make Hunter happy. This was one of the nights neither Cheyenna or Rachel didn't like their little brother. Aimee felt bad for her baby boy's pain but poor Horatio felt guilty. Keeping him there all night while he slept wasn't a safe idea but each time Hunter woke up the only way he would fall back to sleep was on his father's chest listening to his heartbeat.

"Stop feeling guilty," Aimee told him. She turned over and looked at him. "Someone told me once that being a parent meant protecting them. That's what you did today with his shots."

"So subtle, Mrs. Caine," Horatio yawned and smiled. "Using my own words against me."

The next morning there wasn't any match in missing persons for last night's victim with dental records either. A recreation of the victim's face didn't yield any names from the family or friends of the elderly man he killed. The car was also a dead end. Perhaps they were to have to accept the answers they did have in this case.

Hunter was feeling a little better today. But he had still been clingy with daddy, not wanting Horatio to go to work this morning, reaching for him when he was passed over to his mom. Cue another stab to daddy's heart.

"Go," his wife told him, kissing him. "I love you. I can handle this."

"I know. I love you, too. And you too, Hunter."

He was never taking any of the kids for shots again.