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Chapter 482 Heads Up

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The search organization held a brief orientation for the volunteers on the procedures to be followed to sign up the volunteer searchers. There would be a separate orientation for the actual searchers and each volunteer group would have at least one member of the search organization along to help out and to make sure procedures were followed. This was to ensure that each area was properly searched and if items were discovered, they were carefully preserved for law enforcement. Scarlett helped sign up the volunteers including her father. David Hale was hovering around her so she introduced him to her father.

The searchers had only been out for a few hours when Scarlett got a text from her father telling her they had found some bits of fabric that matched the description of what Louise was wearing. Scarlett felt her heart pound hard in her chest and this feeling of sickening dread washed over her body. She didn't want Louise to be dead.

A few minutes later, her father sent her a message that they had found some bones and the search organization had contacted the county. A crime scene investigation unit from San Joa was being called in since she was found in an unincorporated area of the county. Scarlett sat there for several moments wishing there had been some different outcome for that poor girl.

She got up and tapped the door frame of David Hale's office. The door was open and his head was down reading a report.

"Come in Scarlett," he said looking up.

"I wanted to give you a heads up," Scarlett said softly, her voice sad. "My father sent me a couple of texts. They found fabric consistent with what Louise was wearing and he just texted me that they found bones. The county's calling in one of their crime scene units. They won't know until DNA or . . . dental records. I hoped so much that she was still alive somehow." Scarlett's anguish was clear in her voice.

David Hale looked at Scarlett with kind eyes.

"Are you OK?" he asked gently.

"Stupid. I didn't even know her, but I just feel the sadness of her family."

"You have such a tender heart," he said softly with a little wistfulness in his voice. He cleared his throat before he continued. "Will you hold off on informing Jax until I get official word from the county and I can tell her mother?"

Scarlett nodded.

Hale's phone rang and he motioned her to stay. He listened and spoke briefly before hanging up the phone.

"That was the county making it official that they believe Louise has been found. They'll be taking the lead in the investigation and we'll provide support. I'm going to notify Louise's mother that it appears likely that she's been found. I knew she was dead, but I still had a little hope that maybe it would end differently."

Hale got to his feet and walked over to Scarlett.

"You have a hard job," she said and touched his arm.

"Death notifications and murders are the worst of it. Luckily they are rare in Charming," he said. "You can let Jax know in twenty minutes."

"I'll do that," Scarlett promised.

She returned to her work area, but her mind was on Violet. She'd been found by her psycho ex shortly before Violet was killed and she'd been so messed up from finding her co-workers dead, she'd been unable to feel Violet's death. Now, she felt it in all its aching misery.

Her father had been pretty shattered when he'd identified Violet's body. She hated that he'd been in the group that found Louise. It would bring back memories of Violet for him too.

All Scarlett could think about was how much she wanted to rest her head against Jax's chest and feel his strong arms around her. That would make her feel better.

She'd just sent Jax a text message about Louise when Hale returned. He told the volunteers what the county told him. The search was officially over.

Poor Louise.