by Vakey, Jenn
“What about Andrew Fields’ family?”
“His parents are still on their way in to claim his body,” Rilynne said. “Their flight is scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning. As far as we know, no one connected to him was even in town last night. We’re running their finances now. I don’t think it’s likely, but they could have hired someone to kill him if word got out he had been released. With it so early in the case, though, I doubt they even knew he was a suspect.”
Wilcome groaned and ran his hands across his face.
“We should have a better idea of where to start looking as soon as we hear back from the lab,” she continued without waiting for him to respond.
“Have you heard anything back from them yet?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I saw them bringing in several boxes of evidence. With what little they found in the living room, which is where the shootings took place, that leaves me hopeful they found stuff relevant to the other cases me may have been involved in. I don’t expect to have to wait much longer.” She glanced to her watch. “I know Ben came back in to help Summers process everything.”
He nodded.
After a few moments, it became obvious that he had nothing more to ask, so Rilynne turned back to Matthews.
“Gut instinct,” she said, leaning forward onto her desk. “If you had to pick one person out of the stack to start looking at, who would it be?”
Matthews groaned. She could see the wheels turning in his head.
“Honestly, there are too many people on the list right now for me to even know where to start,” he stated. “What does that clever little mind of yours see?”
She studied his expression, trying to decide if he was teasing her. If he was, he gave no hint of it. “Since he was shot in the face, chances are it was someone with very personal motives. There’s anger behind it.” She paused and stared at the stack of papers on her desk. “I think we should start with the people he’s victimized. Just look at how scared Miss Taylor was. That feeling, that level of fear; some people will go to great lengths to overcome it.”
“That doesn’t really narrow the list much,” he groaned. “Not to mention, we have no idea how many people he could have attacked who were too afraid to report it.”
Before she could respond, her phone chimed.
“Ben has some results for us in the lab,” Rilynne said as she read the text message. She pushed her phone back into her pocket and walked out the door.
She was filled with excitement as they rode the elevator up to the fourth floor. At the same time, she was still reeling with disappointment.
“What did you find?” she asked when they walked into the lab.
Ben spun around in his seat and motioned them over. “These were found in a box at the top of his closet,” he said.
Rilynne took the evidence bag from his hand and look through it. Inside she saw close to a dozen driver’s licenses.
“Before you ask,” he said, “I found your girl in there. The one who changed her story about Teich attacking her.”
“He kept their ID’s so they would be less likely to turn him in. He knew exactly who they were and where they lived,” she said, handing the bag to Matthews. “I’m guessing either him or his buddy reached out to Libby Taylor and threatened her before she could come in and pick him out of a lineup. I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone in this bag has received a visit since Andrew Fields died.” She knew their suspect pool for Teich’s murder had just grown.” It’s funny, not a single person mentioned their ID being taken. They must have been living in terror.”
Matthews shook his head and handed the evidence bag back to Ben. “We’ll call her back in and see if she will be more receptive now that he can’t hurt her. I’ll make sure we find out where she was last night, too. Chances are, some of these people probably moved. It may take a little while to track the rest of them down,” he said. “Did y’all find anything else linking him to past crimes?”
“This was among the clothes Summers found in Marshal Teich’s hamper,” Ben said, laying the black shirt out on the desk. “If you look right here,” he ran a black light over it, “you can see a blood smear. It would appear that he wiped something consistent with the knife we recovered on his shirt to clean it. I’m running the blood now, so we should have the results back in the next day or two. There’s also what looks like a snag here on the bottom. I examined the fibers and they are consistent with the ones collected from the blade of the knife.”
While it seemed like the Fields case was wrapping up neatly, it didn’t leave Rilynne as satisfied as she had hoped.
“Have you found anything about Teich’s murder?” Matthews asked.
Ben shrugged and placed the shirt back in the evidence bag. “Summers is going over the blood spatter right now to see if he can determine anything about the perpetrator. He’s hopeful that he will be able to estimate the height of the shooter by the angle of the wounds and the spatter,” he stated. “I haven’t gotten a report back on the case, though.”
“I’ll let Wilcome know,” Matthews said as he started toward the door. “Thanks, Davis.”
Ben waited for Matthews to disappear before turning to Rilynne. “Are you all right?” he asked. “You don’t seem exactly thrilled with the results.”
Rilynne spun in circles on the stool and shrugged. “It wasn’t my ideal outcome for the case,” she replied honestly. “I’m glad he won’t have to opportunity to do it again, but I still wish we had been able to charge him with his crimes. I was so looking forward to seeing the look on his face when the bars closed in front of him.”
Ben reached out and stopped the stool. “At least this guys off the streets. Steele and Tylers will be back in town tonight. Why don’t you see if they can take over his case?” he asked. “I know you could use a couple days off. Don’t bother denying it.”
She started to argue but knew he was right. As much as she didn’t like taking time off, she knew she could use it. This case had left her emotionally drained. It would also give Matthews some time to himself, which she knew he desperately needed.
“You always look out for me,” she said sweetly. “You might consider taking your own advice, you know. You’re going to work yourself to death at this rate.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m out of here for one night and the entire lab gets filled with bubbles. Could you imagine what would happen if I took a few days off?” He laughed and looked around. “I think I would actually be under even more stress just from worrying about it.”
“Have I told you how adorable you are?” she asked, hoping off the stool. “And yes, I will see about transferring the case to Tylers and Steele. I can’t honestly say that I would be able to perform a completely unbiased investigation.”
“Sure you would,” he said confidently, walking with her toward the door. “And I would say devilishly handsome is more accurate than adorable.”
“It could go either way.”
Ben leaned down and kissed her on the cheek before heading toward the evidence room to log the shirt back in. Rilynne watched him until he rounded the corner before pushing the down button on the elevator.
“Hey,” she called out to Matthews as she stuck her head through the homicide office door. “How would you feel about passing the case to Tylers and Steele?”
Matthews looked almost shocked by her suggestion. She knew why. Rilynne usually went out of her way to get cases. He had never seen her willingly pass one off.
“We already solved the Fields murder,” she continued. “If we hand it off, no one can claim we were working a biased investigation. Besides, you really look like you can use some sleep.”
He turned toward the mirror on the wall just behind him and nodded. “You’re right,” he said. “I’m beginning to look like a zombie. Yeah, I’ll talk to Wilcome about it. I’m sure he won’t take issue. Are you going to call it a night?”
“Yeah,” she said, stepping the rest of the way into the office. “It’s
been a long day and I really want to go for a bike ride before it gets dark. It’s been so long since I took it out; my bike’s starting to collect a layer of dust. You should really think about heading home as well. Take advantage of having the house to yourself.”
“If you insist,” he said, almost jumping from his seat. There was a youthful excitement in his eyes. “Have a good ride. If you need me, call someone else. I plan on sleeping for the next twelve hours.”
Rilynne laughed and grabbed her purse. Matthews was already across the room and standing in front of Wilcome’s desk by the time she walked back out of the office.
The murder was the talk of the station as she walked through it. Although no one seemed at all mournful for the man, they all seemed to find it incredibly intriguing. She understood why. It wasn’t often a suspect ended up murdered just after being released. She heard several people throw out the word ‘karma.’
Traffic was unusually heavy despite having no obvious cause, and it took Rilynne much longer than expected to make it home. By the time she did, she had given up on the prospect of taking her bike out. There was just under an hour of daylight left, and she knew she would inevitably wind up finishing the last leg of her trek in the dark. She was clumsy enough when she was on her feet.
Instead, she slipped her running shoes on and headed out the back door. Like the streets, the trails were uncommonly busy. It more than likely had something to do with the weather. Though it was nearing the end of June, the temperate was hanging around the low end of the eighties. Ben called it the coldest summer they had seen in years.
Rilynne made her way along the trail and didn’t stop until she reached the lake. There were several groups spread out along the banks, with another handful splashing around in the water. Rilynne used to consider jumping in on hot days, but had given up on that idea all together after they pulled a body out a couple months before. She had a feeling she would never be able to look at it the same way again.
“Hey!” she heard a voice call out to her from a few yards away. Rilynne turned to find Lori sitting on a blanket between two trees. Beside her was Joe, the handsome man who lived next door to Rilynne. Shortly after Lori moved to Addison Valley, Rilynne made a point of making sure Lori and Joe were properly introduced. It wasn’t long after that they started dating. “I thought you were working a case?”
Rilynne grinned and walked toward them. As she did, she saw Joe’s son, Harper, and Kim chasing each other around just a few feet away. When Kim saw Rilynne approaching, she gave up on her attempt to catch Harper and ran toward her.
“Auntie Rye, Auntie Rye!” she yelled.
“Hey sweet girl,” Rilynne said, scooping the bouncing child up. Kim wrapped her arms tightly around Rilynne’s neck before squirming to get back down. The moment her feet hit the ground, she took off running after Harper.
Rilynne shook her head and turned her attentions back to Lori and Joe. “Didn’t you hear?” she asked. “The victim was my suspect for the murder we were working yesterday. I thought it best to give the case to the guys since they are coming back tonight.”
“You’re joking!” Lori exclaimed. “That creep you called out in the middle of the office? He was today’s vic? Wow.”
“Hence passing the case off,” Rilynne said.
“Dad, can we go swimming now?” Harper said, running up toward them.
“No,” Lori said abruptly. Rilynne laughed. Like her, she was sure Lori’s mind was on the Brittney Price case.
Joe seemed to find her asperity amusing as well, because he groaned and started to chuckle.
“We’ll make a trip out to the big lake next week and take the boat out,” he said. “Go finish playing before it’s time for us to head back.” He watched him run off again before turning back to Rilynne. “Sit down and join us,” he said. “There are a few beers left in the cooler.”
“Thanks,” Rilynne said as she lowered herself down on the corner of the blanket. “I didn’t really expect to see so many people out. Usually the paths are pretty clear by this time.”
“It’s the weather,” Joe said, handing Rilynne a beer. “We aren’t used to it being so cool. I’m sure in a day or two it’ll be back in the nineties, so everyone is taking advantage while they can.”
Rilynne glanced over at Lori and grinned. She wasn’t used to such hot weather, and her expression showed it. “You’ll get used to it,” Rilynne said. “Before the end of the year, you will be so used to it, you won’t be able to handle the cold. Why do you think I was so uncomfortable when I went back to Bodker in February?”
Lori let out an unsure groan and looked down at her watch. “We better start heading back,” she said. “The sitter is supposed to be at my house in an hour. If last night was any indication, she will be at least fifteen minutes early.”
Rilynne downed her beer and tossed the empty bottle in the nearby trashcan. “I might as well finish my run,” she said. “You two have a fun night.”
After cornering Kim for one last hug, Rilynne started making her way around the lake. By the time she had made it back around, they were gone. Rilynne was glad Lori and Joe had hit it off, despite Ben’s still being outspokenly against it. Lori hadn’t had the best luck with men, especially after adopting Kim three and a half years before. When she moved to Addison Valley to escape a stalker, Rilynne couldn’t think of a better guy to try and set her up with.
She circled the lake another time before starting back toward her house. Unlike her trip an hour earlier, the path was now completely clear. She took a deep breath and started running as fast as she could through the trees. Her heart was pounding so hard by the time she made it to her back gate, it was nearly all she could hear.
She kicked her shoes off as she stepped through the backdoor and walked straight to the stereo in the living room. After turning on her favorite play list, she started pulling off her clothes, tossing them aside as she walked through her bedroom and into the bathroom. Her whirlpool bathtub took almost no time at all to fill with steaming hot water. In the time it took her to run to the kitchen for a jar of peanut butter and a spoon, it had filled to the desired level.
Slipping the last of her clothes off, she removed the lid from the jar and climbed in. Rilynne let out a deep, satisfying sigh before digging the spoon into the peanut butter and taking a bite. By the time she had cleaned the spoon, she could feel her eyes start to become heavy. She let them slide closed and listen to the music flowing in through the door, tapping her toes along with it.
In a few short moments, the room lit up again around her.
“Are you sure you want to know?” a man in a white lab coat said, sitting behind a large screen.
On the bed in front of him was Katy, her husband by her side. Matthews looked even more exhausted than he had been when she saw him hours earlier. Katy, on the other hand, looked radiant. The pregnancy was obviously taking more of a toll on him.
Suddenly the doctor’s face went blank as his eyes widened.
Matthews tightened his grip on Katy’s hand, both of them looking almost horrified. “What is it?” he asked, panic seeping through his voice. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” the doctor stated. “They both look very healthy.”
All of the color left Matthews’ face. “Both,” he said, reaching out and spinning the monitor around. “What do you mean both?”
Rilynne laughed so hard, she lost her grip on the tub and slid under the water. Coughing and laughing simultaneously, she quickly pulled the plug and jumped out of the tub.
“Poor Matthews,” she said, wrapping a towel around her. She knew she couldn’t keep it to herself, and there was only one person she could call.
“You will never guess what I just found out,” she said when her mother answered.
“Well, hello to you, too,” Amber joked. “What did you just find out?”
Rilynne took in a deep breath to try to ease her excitement. “Matthews is having twins!”
“Wow,”
her mother replied. “That’s big. How’s he taking it?”
“He doesn’t know yet,” she stated, pacing excitedly along the foot of her bed. “But there’s definitely going to be a little bit of panic when he finds out.”
“Ah,” Amber replied. She let out a chuckle of her own. “When is their appointment?”
Rilynne thought back to what Matthews had told her, though she had only been half listening. “I think it’s Tuesday,” she replied.
“How bad is he going to take it?” Amber asked. She could hear the smile in her voice.
“On a scale of one to ten… volcano.”
She laughed loudly. “What I wouldn’t give to be able to see some of the things you see sometimes.” She paused for a moment before her tone changed. “Tuesday… that’s several days away. I don’t remember you ever seeing something more than a day or two in advance.”
“That’s because I haven’t,” Rilynne replied honestly. She hadn’t realized it until her mother pointed it out. “Either my body thought I could use a good laugh after today, or things are just changing as I’m getting older.”
“What happened today?” Amber asked.
Rilynne groaned and climbed up onto her bed. As she dropped back on the pile of pillows, she took a moment to breathe in the smell of peaches coming from Ben’s pillow. Though it had been days since his head rested upon it, it was as strong as if he had just gotten up. “Matthews and I worked a case yesterday where a mugger killed a man. I saw who it was and we even had a previous victim who could identify him, but he used a buddy of his for an alibi and we had to release him.”
“I’m sorry, honey,” Amber said. “I know that couldn’t have been easy.”
“No, it wasn’t. To top it off, though, we got called out on a case today and our victim was none other than the same man we had to release the day before,” she continued.