“Of course.” Pranav closed his eyes and let out a sigh. “She was here,” he said and again he broke down crying. Tracy and Kins waited. When he had recovered enough to speak, Tracy suggested they sit and talk. Pranav gestured to the table in the dining room and told Nikhil to grab additional chairs from the kitchen.
Tracy and Kins sat across from Pranav and Himani. Nikhil, Sam, and the grandfather filled in the remaining seats. The grandmother went into the kitchen to make tea. From behind Tracy, light streamed through two sidelights, the shafts illuminating dancing dust motes and creating prisms in the beaded chandelier centered over the table. Tracy prompted Pranav with a simple question. “Was Kavita familiar with the Bridle Trails State Park?”
He blew out a breath, as if exhaling evil spirits. His hands formed a temple and he stared at it as he spoke. “Kavita loved that park,” he said, voice soft. “When the children were young we used to take walks, pick blackberries and salmon berries.” He looked to his sons. They did not speak. “We hunted for chanterelle mushrooms.” He returned his attention to Tracy and Kins. “It was a quiet place where we could be together as a family, a quiet place to enjoy each other’s company.”
Pranav broke down again and hung his head. His shoulders shook. Himani, though seated beside him, did not rub his back or otherwise reach out to console her husband.
The grandmother entered carrying a tray with a gray ceramic kettle and tea mugs. She placed the tray on the table at Pranav’s side, poured her son a cup, and handed it to him. She poured a second and handed it to her husband. Himani and the boys declined. Tracy and Kins accepted. It had been a long night and she knew the grandmother wanted to feel useful.
Pranav set his mug on the table between his hands without tasting the tea.
“We used to make jam from the berries,” Himani said, as if to explain. “We would can them and give the jars to the neighbors.” She looked to Pranav before looking again to Tracy. “How did you find her?”
“The phone carrier was able to trace her cell phone,” Tracy said, “and provide us with the longitude and latitude.” She did not mention the app on the phone or give specifics about the hole in the ground.
Sam raised his head, as if puzzled, or intrigued, then lowered it again.
Nikhil sat up, elbows resting on the table. Tracy watched him closely. Though Nikhil had shed tears, his sorrow did not appear to be as intense as that of the rest of the family. Maybe that was to be expected. Maybe he was displaying a strong front as the oldest son. He seemed to be elsewhere, deep in thought, and his gaze fluctuated between the tabletop and the picture window, though he did not appear to be looking at anything in particular.
He turned his head and engaged Tracy. “How did she do it?”
“I don’t understand your question,” Tracy said, though she did. She couldn’t provide the family with specifics of Kavita’s death either. Kelly Rosa had not yet completed her analysis, and the details would be something only her killer knew.
“How did she kill herself?” Nikhil asked.
Tracy kept her eyes on the young man, but in her peripheral vision she saw Pranav and Himani raise their heads, looking between their son and Tracy. Nikhil had served. It was Tracy’s turn to return the volley. “Why do you assume she killed herself?” Tracy asked.
Nikhil frowned. “It seems obvious, doesn’t it?”
Tracy played dumb. “What seems obvious?”
Nikhil squinted, as if trying to figure out what game she was playing, or perhaps he knew what game and didn’t appreciate it. “The last time you came you told us Kavita was upset. Aditi told us Kavita left their apartment upset.”
That was true. And Tracy had considered it possible that, overwrought, Kavita took her own life. “We don’t know the details of Kavita’s death,” Tracy said. “The medical examiner hasn’t completed her analysis.”
“You must know something,” Himani said from the other end of the table. “You saw her? You were there?”
“Yes, we were there,” Tracy said.
“But you won’t tell us?” Nikhil said.
“We don’t know if Kavita took her own life,” Kins reiterated. He was the detective they did not know and, therefore, the authoritative voice who could tell them about rules and procedure, without apologizing for it. “You have to understand this is a process. It will be a process. And that process is just getting started. We have specialists who are performing their work—”
“And do any of these specialists know whether Kavita used a gun, a knife? It isn’t a difficult question, Detectives,” Nikhil said, his voice rising and his gaze fluctuating between the two of them.
Tracy watched him closely, analyzing his words. Were they sincere? “The medical examiner’s analysis will take time,” Tracy said again. “As Detective Rowe indicated, when that analysis is completed, we’ll provide you with a copy. Until then we would just be speculating. As hard as this is to hear, you’re going to need to be patient.”
“You mentioned a gun,” Kins said to Nikhil. “Do you know whether your sister owned a gun?”
“No,” Nikhil said. “I don’t know.”
“Do you think Kavita could have been murdered?” Pranav asked.
“We’re proceeding under that assumption,” Tracy said, “until we learn otherwise.”
“Who?” Pranav asked. “Who would kill her?”
“Our investigation is just getting started,” Kins said. “We’ll keep you up-to-date as much as we can, when we can, but we have to proceed under the assumption that your daughter did not take her own life until the evidence proves otherwise, as Detective Crosswhite said.”
“This is ridiculous.” Nikhil sat back. “Kavita obviously took her own life. Look at the circumstances. Look at where you found her. She was upset and confused. And it would be just like Kavita to do something like this.”
“Don’t say that!” Sam’s voice snapped. High-pitched with emotion, it cracked like a whip. “Don’t say that about her!” Sam pushed his seat away from the table and quickly stood. He spoke to his parents. “Why couldn’t you just support her? What was so terrible about her being a doctor?”
“Sam,” Pranav said, starting to stand.
“No!” Sam said. “She wanted to be a doctor but you wouldn’t give her any money and you tried to force her to move home and get married. You’re responsible for this.”
“Sam!” Himani said.
Pranav had moved toward his son, arms extended, but Sam turned from him. Nikhil grabbed his brother’s arm but Sam broke the grip and ran to the front door. He pulled it open and quickly departed, flinging the door shut. The house shuddered.
After a moment of silence, Pranav turned to Tracy and Kins. He looked slightly embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Detectives. This has been a tremendous shock for us all.” He took another deep breath. Then he asked, “When can we see Vita? When can we recover her body?”
“We’ve positively identified her through her DMV records and photographs so there’s no need to identify the body. I’ll provide you with the phone number of the King County Medical Examiner and the name of a woman with our Victim Assistance Unit. She can assist you as you go through this process. She can advise you when the medical examiner is finished and releases Kavita’s body,” Tracy said.
“Finished?” Himani said. “Finished doing what?”
“Examining the body,” Tracy said.
“We do not want an autopsy.” Himani looked stricken. She turned her attention to Pranav. “We do not want Kavita’s body defiled.”
“In these circumstances,” Tracy said, “when the cause of death is in doubt, the King County Medical Examiner makes the determination whether to perform an autopsy. It isn’t a matter of choice. It’s a necess—”
“And we have no say in it?” Himani said, pressing her palms flat against the table, becoming angry.
“Unfortunately not,” Kins said. “But the most important thing is to determine what happened to your daughter.”
/> It was a standard line that did little to appease Himani. Pranav raised his hands. “Of course we want to know what happened,” he said. “Thank you for coming, Detectives. As I know you can appreciate, the family now needs time to be alone.”
Tracy and Kins stood. “You may get calls from the news media,” she said. “You’re under no obligation to speak to anyone, and we would recommend that you not do so. The victims advocate can assist you.”
“What about friends and family?” Himani said. “What can we tell them?”
“Certainly you can speak to them,” Kins said. “But do not tell them anything that we’ve discussed. Do not provide any details—”
“We don’t have any details,” Nikhil interrupted, his voice mocking. “We haven’t discussed anything.”
“What do we tell them?” Pranav said.
“Blame us,” Kins said. “Tell them Kavita has died and the police are investigating the circumstances and we have asked you not to provide any details until the investigation is completed.”
Pranav led them from the room, cutting off further discussion. “We will do as you have asked,” he said and opened the door.
“I’m sorry to bring you this news,” Tracy said. “I’m sorry for your family.”
“What remains of it,” Pranav said, and he shut the door quietly behind them.
CHAPTER 34
Del walked into the A Team’s cubicle and found himself alone, which was disturbing. His coworkers were what he liked best about the A Team. Their banter and ribbing made an often-intolerable job tolerable. He suspected Tracy and Kins were running down the body Billy said they’d found in a park on the Eastside, though it sounded like they’d also likely lose jurisdiction. Faz and Gonzalez were both on administrative leave, one of them maybe for good.
With quiet time to think, Del wasn’t certain what to believe. He’d back Faz all he could. If Faz said he didn’t yell Gun!, then Del would support him. Still . . .
Del knew what it was like to work while grieving. He’d tried to work through the overdose death of his niece Allie, but some days he couldn’t concentrate. His mind would wander and he’d lose large blocks of time. Faz would say something and Del wouldn’t even know what the conversation was about. It got so bad he’d considered taking time off. He didn’t want anyone to get hurt because he was distracted.
And as much as he loved his niece, their relationship was nothing compared to that of a husband and wife. He couldn’t imagine the emotional strain Faz was experiencing.
So, was it possible Faz had yelled Gun! and he couldn’t recall doing so?
Del didn’t want to go there. He’d been there himself. He knew. It was possible.
He grabbed his chair with both hands and lowered himself with care, his back still tight.
“Del.” Johnny Nolasco walked into their cubicle.
“Captain,” Del said, slowly turning.
“How’s the back?”
“It’s okay,” Del said. “Still gimpy.”
“You heard we’re going to be shorthanded for a while.”
“Yeah, I heard,” he said. “That’s why I came in.”
“I just got word that the Times is running another article tomorrow morning about the shooting and contrasting it with the Justice Department’s recent commendation on the department’s improvement.”
“They’ll milk it for as much as they can for as long as they can.”
“The reporter already knows the suspect was unarmed.”
“I saw the article this morning. Do we know who leaked that information?”
“Sources,” Nolasco said.
The department had a leak. It always had a leak. It was like that folktale of the little boy sticking his fingers in holes to stop the flow of water. The department had long since run out of fingers and toes.
“So we can assume the article isn’t going to be pretty,” Nolasco said.
“When’s the last time they wrote something good about us?” Del asked.
“Yeah, well, the brass isn’t going to like it.”
“You think they’re looking to make someone a scapegoat?”
Nolasco made a face that told Del that possibility was likely. Then he said, “Nobody is sharing that information with me. I just wanted you to know.”
Del knew Nolasco was telling him so he could tell Faz. “Thanks, Captain.”
“In case anyone calls looking for a comment, refer them to Bennett Lee.” Lee was the department’s public information officer.
“Yeah, no problem,” Del said. “How long before we get Faz or Gonzalez back?”
“I don’t know,” Nolasco said. “It’s likely going to be a while. And you heard Tracy and Kins got a murder last night?”
“I heard. Heard the body was found over on the Eastside though. Why are we handling it?”
“Good question,” Nolasco said, clearly displeased. “But for the moment they’re going to be tied up. I may need you to jump in on some other files.”
“We still got Monique Rodgers,” Del said.
Nolasco shook his head. “Gonzalez shot the shooter last night.”
“We can’t prove it, not without a weapon.”
“CSI located a .38 special, a revolver, in Lopez’s apartment. Ballistics is running tests this morning. Call over and find out what they got and when we can get it. If they can match the bullet to the gun, we’re finished.”
Del shook his head, feeling out of touch, though he’d only been gone for a day. “We got witnesses saying the shooting was a hit, that Rodgers was outspoken about the gangs and the drugs.”
“Are you working any leads that can get us there?”
“We were just getting started, Captain. Little Jimmy’s name popped up and we know the people are afraid of him, that he threatened them.”
“We don’t have the resources to burn it. If you think there’s something there, get it buttoned up and send it over to narcotics. If there’s a link between Lopez and Little Jimmy, if Little Jimmy ordered the killing, narcotics has confidential sources in play to get it figured out.”
“And if there is evidence Little Jimmy called for the hit?”
“Then we’ll take it to the prosecutor.”
Del wanted to dispute Nolasco’s assessment. He wanted to offer a reasoned counterargument. Problem was, Nolasco was likely correct. Without Lopez, they didn’t have a suspect they could manipulate to get to Little Jimmy. And if the bullet and the gun matched, they’d solved Monique Rodgers’s homicide. If Little Jimmy had ordered the hit, narcotics would better be able to make that determination using their paid informants.
Nolasco gave Del a nod before departing the bull pen. When he did, Del picked up the phone.
Fifteen minutes later, Del hung up. He’d called Faz first and given him a heads-up about what the search warrant had uncovered. Then he’d called ballistics. They gave him the news over the phone and e-mailed the report. The gun and the bullet that killed Monique Rodgers matched. And thank God for that. With the press beating down on the department about the death of an unarmed suspect, at least they could say Lopez wasn’t an innocent man. He’d killed Rodgers in cold blood. They had the gun and they had the videotape. Lopez also came out of an apartment with a silver cell phone in his hand, which made it much more plausible that Gonzalez thought he held a gun. At least it gave her a viable argument.
But that was all wishful thinking. In eternally liberal Seattle, where the police were damned if they did and damned if they didn’t, the department could expect a shit storm, especially if some enterprising attorney found Lopez’s family.
For the moment, Del and Faz were done with the case. As instructed, Del would button up the file and send it to narcotics with a request that narcotics try to establish a link between Lopez and Little Jimmy. He stood from his chair, using the desk for support, and walked to the table in the center of their bull pen. On the shelves beneath it, the A Team kept their working binders. He bent and carefully pulled the binder for
Monique Rodgers. As the officer in charge, it was his responsibility to keep that file and the electronic file updated. Del still needed to write up their interview with Tanny from the convenience store, which would explain how they’d obtained the print from the Volkswagen that led them to Eduardo Lopez’s last known address. And he needed to add the ballistics report before shipping the binder off to narcotics.
Del brought the binder to his desk, slipped on cheaters, logged in to his computer, and opened the Rodgers file. He looked down the tip of his nose and saw an entry he had not been expecting. The file indicated he had logged in to his privatized files the previous day, which was not possible since he’d been at home, nursing a bad back. He picked up his cell, about to call Faz and ask if he had logged in to the files—they knew each other’s passwords—when his desk phone rang.
“Del,” Nolasco said when he answered. “Tommy Fritz needs help conducting interviews in that gang-related shooting a week ago. His partner is out. I told him you could lend a hand. Give him a call.”
“Yeah, not a problem.” Del hung up the phone, still staring at the computer. Then he yelled over the top of his cubicle wall to the team on the other side. “Hey, Fritz? Captain says you need some handholding this afternoon.”
CHAPTER 35
Tracy handed Aditi Banerjee brown paper napkins. The young woman continued to dab at tears, attempting but failing to compose herself. Tracy and Kins sat with Aditi in Adirondack chairs beneath the shade of a gold umbrella outside a coffeehouse called the Down Pour. It was a clever play on words, given Seattle’s propensity for rain.
Tracy did not rush the young woman. She empathized with her pain, but she was also evaluating her reaction. As Kins had voiced, the killer had to have known the park intimately.
Aditi sucked in a deep breath. It shuddered hard in her chest before she exhaled, shaking her head. She appeared stunned, in a state of shock. She sat back from the table, wrapping her arms around her as if she were cold, though the temperature was already warming, even in the umbrella’s shade.
Tracy and Kins had managed to get Aditi out of the house alone, though not without protest from Rashesh.
A Steep Price (The Tracy Crosswhite Series Book 6) Page 21