"We know why they lie all the time, but we can't tell anyone," said Joseph.
Nick said, "Joey, you can't do that to us."
"I just did."
"Bastard."
"Should I tell dad you said that?"
"Double bastard."
"I guess that means 'no'."
"Good afternoon, gentlemen, I am Sheriff Henry Fond, and these two gentlemen are from our State Police, Mort Singer, and Drago Profolino."
"Good afternoon, Sheriff Fond, and gentlemen, I am Special Agent Peace, and these are Special Agents Waters, Lemon, and Streaker. We are here at the behest of the U.S. Government, because the two young adults who were murdered in your jurisdiction were residents of New York State, which means the murder occurred across state lines, and brings us into your investigation. We will not interfere with your investigation; we only hope to add to it in any way we can. If you need anything from us, we will happily give it to you, just ask. We are here to help you, not hinder you."
"That's good to hear Special Agent Peace, because my previous relations with the FBI have all been just the opposite. I hope this one goes well, because these two kids deserve it. We just found some evidence that needs to get to the State Lab for verification, but I know what it is already. It just has to be certified for when it goes to trial, after we catch these bastards. We know the keys we found are from the Plymouth automobile they left behind the cabin, untouched, which is a mystery to all of us. The other keys, on the key ring, go to the front door of the cabin and to the kid's apartment, back in the Bronx. Both parents agree on that.
We found the remains of zippers. The copper was partially melted on the thin ones, which I believe belonged to women's garments, because the tabs were missing and so were the bases. The teeth were short and probably belong to shorts or sweaters. The other zipper we found was totally intact, from the tab to the base. It had substantial teeth and definitely belong to a male garment, probably jeans, because the tab said Levi's. However, it could have been a jacket.
We found a male belt buckle, partially melted because of the heat of the fire, but is fully recognizable. Everything I told you will be catalogued and put into evidence.
Then there are the fibers. In my estimation they are all longline cotton fibers, more than likely from towels that were bunched together and thrown into the fire, en masse, in hopes they would burn into ash. It didn't happen that way, because they were bundled too tightly together.
The only good news is we didn't find any human bone material in the area we searched in the pit. We haven't searched the entire pit, and we only searched 3 feet down so far. But I don't believe these 4 guys would have gone down there and dug any deeper themselves. I just believe they threw everything they could into the pit, poured all that fuel oil on it, and lit it on fire, hoping to cover their tracks completely. It almost worked, almost, but not completely. We know the kids are dead, now we have to prove it, and find them."
"Do you think they would have thrown them into the lake, to dispose of them?"
"I don't believe they would be stupid enough to do it that way, because they would know that bodies will float to the surface, sooner or later. I think we'll find the kids someplace in the swamps."
Deputy Profolino said, "I disagree. I don't believe these guys would want to get that dirty. The way they cleaned the outside of the cabin, and the area around it, shows how meticulous they are. They are not going to get their shoes and clothes filthy, by walking through the mud and muck of the swamps, while carrying two bodies, and then disposing of them. I believe will find them in the forest."
Mort said, "I hope you're right, Drago. Hopefully, we can find them on the first sweep of the forest."
Mel asked, "There is going to be more than one sweep of the forest?"
Dave Kelly said, "Absolutely, if we don't find them the first time around, we will turn the Grids 90Β°, and search them again. If Drago is right, the kids will be hidden, in the forest, and we will find them."
"Why are you so sure there are only four men involved in these murders," Agent Peace asked?
"We found four separate stains on a large carpet that was in the living room. They turned out to be semen stains of four different blood types. That's how we determined that there were four men involved, and that Carolyn was raped multiple times, before her death."
"There still could have been more men involved, sheriff, you just didn't find evidence of their involvement."
"That is possible, Peace. The way the cabin was put back together 'Perfectly', the exterior of the cabin cleaned, and the grounds around it picked up to look as if nature had left it manicured, there could have been more men there than we thought. It could have taken a small army to do all that work, unless they took a week to do it all. They must have thought no one would be looking for those kids, and they had all the time in the world to clean that place up."
"They definitely knew the kid's timeline."
"They must have befriended them, before they killed them."
Sheriff Fond said, "Dave, find out who those people were, who were signed into the forest, the same time the kids were here."
"I already tried, Hank. Fake driver's license, phony addresses in Philadelphia, and fake hunting licenses, issued by the State of Pennsylvania. Who has the power to do that Hank? I have no idea? All I know for sure, is they were rich as hell, because they left here in limousines, as I was coming on duty this past Tuesday."
"Do you think a bunch of rich guys, out hunting, would have pulled off these murders?"
"It doesn't sound likely, but why sign in using all fake identification and documentation, if you're so goody-goody?"
"It's an interesting conundrum. Let's go to dinner, and think it over."
The sheriff led everyone to the restaurant where the men were finishing up dinner, and their wine. They were told to stay, and relax, while the 14 of them had their dinner. They would all return to a hotel close by, where they would spend the evening at the state's expense. Then they would begin another look at Grid 1 in the morning. The men were not too happy about those words, but it was something they knew they had to do.
The Motel M is close to Gouldsboro, on Pennsylvania 413, 11 Β½ miles north of Tobyhanna. It is used as a resort, during the summer season, and for travelers during the rest of the year. Since it was approaching October, the owners were preparing to close down one half of the motel, because it would not be in use until next May. The sudden influx of 46 people took them totally by surprise, and they had to scurry around setting up beds, and turning on plumbing to make sure everything was ready for their guests, especially since the State of Pennsylvania was paying for their visit.
While the owners were doing their chores, Joseph led everyone into Gouldsboro to purchase shaving equipment, toothbrushes, and any other sundries they wanted for their overnight stay. He paid for everything they purchased out of his own pocket. There was no arguing with him.
The next morning everyone ate a hearty breakfast, before heading back to the Ranger station. Joseph had the bus driver stop at a local Sporting Goods and Outfitting Store, so everyone could purchase boots or sneakers for this day's walking. The store did not have enough of either item in the sizes necessary to outfit each of the men, and had to ask some local shoe stores to supply the extras. It took nearly 90 minutes to get everything done, but everyone would be more comfortable walking through Grid 1 today, than they were yesterday. Again, Joseph paid for everything.
Ranger Kelly explained the difference in their walking directions, both in their ingress and egress of the forest. He wanted them to be cognizant of crossing their trails from yesterday, because it would give them a reference to show them that they were traveling in the correct directions. He didn't want anyone to miss any section of Grid 1, because it would not be searched again. They would be traveling towards the edge of the forest towards State Road 423, where Grid 1 ended on its southeastern side. The Greyhound bus, cars, and jeeps would pick them up at that location starting at 4 PM.
When Robert and Carolyn's relatives heard that their section of forest would not be searched again, it put extra pressure on them. They were not expert trackers. They were all former members of the military, except for Dominic, who was too young to serve. They all knew what to look for, but hadn't done it for more than 11 years. Now they would have to remember all those lessons, learned under the harshest circumstances imaginable, and put them to use, again.