by Debra Webb
‘A coward attacks from behind,’ Harper suggested.
Indeed. ‘Let’s see if we can find any evidence that confirms our theory.’
‘You know that murder weapon is worth some bucks.’
The victim’s apparently famous bat lay on the floor next to him, discarded as if it were worthless. ‘Proves our point that this wasn’t about money.’
‘Please,’ a female voice said from the door, ‘everyone knows that ultimately everything is about money.’
Jess turned to the newest arrival. ‘Good morning, Dr Baron.’
Sylvia breezed into the room, her form-flattering dress an understated tangerine color that complemented her tanned skin. Speaking of money, Jess would bet a million bucks that beneath those tacky shoe covers the doctor’s toenails matched perfectly manicured fingernails that sported the same sassy color as her dress.
How could any woman who spent most of her time with the dead look so elegant and classy? Did she sit up nights with her own private salon and spa staff? Jess was lucky to get a bath and shave.
Sylvia paused next to Jess and surveyed the victim. ‘Oh my. I’ll have to tell Daddy to mark him off the guest list for the Labor Day barbecue.’
If Jess didn’t know that Sylvia’s brash brand of humor was more about concealing her own vulnerabilities than anything else, she would be offended for the unfortunate victim. Sylvia immediately set to the task of determining approximate time of death and making a preliminary call on manner of death, not that it wasn’t glaringly obvious. Only this time the killer hadn’t bothered to clean the murder weapon.
Had he gotten careless or changed his strategy?
‘I’ll give the lead tech our punch list,’ Harper offered.
Jess pulled her attention back to the present. ‘Thank you, Sergeant.’ The sooner the techs could wrap up this scene, the sooner this family could try and resume some sort of normalcy in their lives. That wouldn’t happen before late today. Jess preferred two rounds of evidence collection. Two rounds was SOP when it came to large scenes with multiple victims. For one as clean as this and with only one victim, some might say once was enough. Not in her opinion.
‘You and Dan are coming, aren’t you?’ Sylvia asked while she made a small incision for inserting a thermometer into the victim’s liver. ‘To the barbecue?’
‘We’ll be there.’ Burnett hadn’t actually said yes but he hadn’t said no either.
‘Good. My father wants to meet you.’ Sylvia sat back on her heels and studied the thermometer. ‘Your vic died between eight and eleven last night. The manner was certainly homicide.’
Jess made a note of the time frame.
‘You might want to brace yourself for trouble,’ Sylvia said as she examined the damage to the left side of the victim’s skull.
‘Why is that?’ Beyond the fact that both her victims were high-profile Birminghamians whose forefathers were the city’s founding fathers, which meant the press was sure to pick the investigation to pieces in the news. What could be worse?
‘When I came inside, there was a little storm brewing out there.’ She jerked her head toward the wall of windows that looked over the grand driveway and stairs that fronted the home.
‘I expected the media to show up in droves.’ Jess would have preferred to be on her way before the flock got too thick. Dealing with the press when you had nothing to give them was like getting your picture taken for the DMV. It never turned out well.
Sylvia looked up at her then. ‘It’s worse than that,’ she warned. ‘Buddy Corlew’s out there demanding to be allowed inside.’
What in the world . . . The last thing she needed was for him to go running off at the mouth to any reporters.
‘Thanks for the warning, Dr Baron,’ Jess said as she headed for the door. ‘I’ll catch up with you later.’
At the moment she had to put out a potential fire.
‘That man is trouble,’ Sylvia called after her.
He was trouble all right. But right now he was mostly a pain in the ass.
On the porch she ran into the man in question, escorted by one of the officers charged with guarding the perimeter. At the street, no less than a dozen vans and cars representing various local media outlets lined the perimeter. Powerful lenses swung toward her. Jess could feel them zeroing in.
‘Chief, Mr Corlew says you sent for him.’
She glared at Corlew. And there went that mischievous twinkle in his eyes again. ‘Thank you, Officer Ashby.’ She gifted the young officer with a big smile, then turned to Corlew. The smile disappeared and she gave him what she hoped was a murderous glare. ‘Follow me, Mr Corlew.’
Jess marched back inside. As soon as the door closed behind the man, she rounded on him. This was as close to the crime scene as he was getting. ‘I know we were friends once,’ she snapped, ‘but this—today—is not about friendship. This is about murder. If you have some real input that can help with this investigation, I’m all ears. Otherwise, stay out of my way, Corlew.’
He stared at her for a moment before he spoke. ‘You finished reaming me a new one?’
Jess was too furious to respond.
‘The reason I rushed over here,’ he said finally, ‘is because I just learned a major newsflash I think you’re going to want to be aware of.’
She regained enough of her composure to speak. ‘This better be good.’
‘Remember I told you the dead guy from twelve years ago, Lenny Porter, had a friend who swore Lenny was with the Five when he died? But no one believed him,’ Corlew kept going, giving her nothing new, ‘because he didn’t come forward for nearly a week after his pal took a nosedive off the News building.’
Other than the timing, she’d heard all this. ‘What took him so long?’
‘He was in detox. Seemed he’d been on a trip. Didn’t lend credibility to his story.’
‘What makes this newsflash any more relevant than it was an hour or so ago?’
‘That’s the part you’re going to want to hear. Todd Penney, the friend, rolled back into town a few days ago. Drives a 1999 dark blue Corolla.’
Now that was worth listening to.
She considered the description of the guy’s car. The one that had followed Jess and Lori from the Baker residence last evening had been a dark blue Corolla. Apparently Mr Penney still had something to say. Jess glanced toward the room where Elliott Carson’s body lay on the floor with his skull bashed in. Or maybe he’d already said plenty and no one had been paying attention. She wanted to talk to this Mr Penney and she needed a handwriting sample.
As if he’d read her mind, Harper appeared. The guy had uncanny timing.
‘Sergeant, track down Todd Penney for me. Caucasian’ – she looked to Corlew for confirmation, and he nodded – ‘approximately thirty years of age and drives a 1999 Toyota Corolla.’ She flipped through her notes and gave Harper the first three numbers she’d gotten from the license plate of the vehicle that followed them last night. She’d intended to have Officer Cook look up Corollas this morning but she’d gotten distracted. ‘And, Sergeant, since Mr Corlew has offered his invaluable insights into the case, you can take his official statement.’
‘Yes, ma’am,’ Harper said with a smile of satisfaction. ‘It would be my pleasure.’
Lori had said Corlew was a legend in the department. Problem was, it wasn’t in a good way and apparently most of the cops who knew him disliked him.
When Corlew started to argue, Jess cut him off. ‘If you’d rather wait and go downtown with me to give your statement, that works too.’
‘That’s the thanks I get for trying to help.’ Corlew executed an about-face and headed for the door.
‘Watch him,’ Jess murmured to her detective.
Harper smiled. ‘I’m going to enjoy this.’
Later, when she had the time, Jess needed the whole story on Corlew and his legendary status in the department.
Her cell clanged, pushing her curiosities about Corlew aside.
/>
Gina Coleman calling.
‘Great.’ The woman didn’t want to wait for a statement. Fact was, Jess still owed her a favor. She might as well make good on that. The sooner the better. ‘Harris.’
‘We need to talk. Now.’
‘I don’t have anything I can release just yet,’ Jess told her flatly, ‘but the moment I do, you’ll get it first.’ That seemed fair enough.
‘I’m not calling for a sound byte,’ Coleman said sharply. ‘I’m calling about my sister. I need your help and you owe me, Harris.’
‘Has something happened to your sister?’ Jess wasn’t even aware the woman had a sister.
‘We can meet at your office in fifteen minutes.’
‘Hold up, Coleman. I’m at a crime scene,’ Jess informed her. ‘I can’t just leave.’ Jesus Christ! Just because Birmingham’s hotshot reporter had Burnett and the mayor at her beck and call didn’t mean Jess was there, too, even if she did owe her one.
‘My sister thinks she knows the killer,’ Coleman said. ‘She says he isn’t finished yet.’
Hold on a minute. ‘Is Juliette Coleman your sister?’
‘She’s one of the Five,’ Coleman said. ‘Juliette is terrified that this guy isn’t going to stop until he gets them all.’
Just went to show that Birmingham wasn’t so big after all. It would have been nice if Coleman had announced this part first. ‘Keep an eye on your sister while I finish up here. Meet me at my office at one-thirty?’
‘We’ll be there.’
Jess ended the call and went in search of Lori. She found her in the kitchen. ‘I have a meeting in the office at one-thirty. If we’re not finished here, I’ll need you to handle the rest without me.’ The words were hardly out of her mouth when she remembered that she didn’t have her car. Damn it!
Sylvia Baron’s husky voice demanding that someone should get out of her way echoed all the way to the kitchen.
Perfect timing. ‘I can catch a ride with Dr Baron.’
‘Works for me,’ Lori said. ‘Mrs Carson’s mother is on the way. I’m having her come in through the alley.’
‘Good idea. They’ll be taking the body out the front any second.’
‘When things are wrapped up here, I can try to round up the others for lunch. Give you some privacy at the office,’ Lori offered.
‘That would be very helpful.’ At some point SPU was going to need different accommodations.
After meeting with Gina Coleman and her sister, Jess needed to visit all remaining members of the Five. If Penney was the killer and he was out for revenge, chances were Gina Coleman’s sister might be right – he wouldn’t stop until he was done.
Two down, three to go.
Chapter Fourteen
9911 Conroy Road, 12.15 P.M.
Dan knocked on Mr George Louis’s door. Jess’s landlord had been exceedingly cooperative considering the short notice Dan had given him. The man hadn’t asked any questions. Instead, he’d acted almost giddy at the idea of having cops crawling all over his property.
Strange man.
In any event, the search was necessary. This was the last location at which they had been able to track Ted Allen. Anything he may have left behind could prove useful to the investigation into his disappearance.
The evidence techs were scheduled for half past noon, but Dan wanted to stop in for a brief visit first. His excuse was that his visit was the proper thing to do but actually he wanted an opportunity to get a better overall assessment of the guy.
The door opened and Louis stared at Dan through the thick lenses of his eyeglasses. ‘Chief Burnett, come in.’
‘I wanted to stop by and thank you again for your cooperation,’ Dan said as he followed the man into his living room. ‘This is a serious and somewhat sensitive situation.’
‘Of course,’ Louis said with a nod. ‘I understand.’
His home was clean and well organized. The walls were bare of photos and decorative items. Like the man, his home felt quiet and sedate. Yet there was something about him that unsettled Dan. Maybe just his overeagerness to protect Jess. That was what she would call it anyway.
‘You’re welcome to have a look around inside as well,’ Louis offered.
Dan had only asked for a search of the grounds. Seemed logical that Allen hadn’t come inside the home or the garage since Louis hadn’t noticed anything out of place or any locks that had been tampered with.
‘That’s not necessary,’ Dan said with reluctance. That was exactly what he wanted to do but that would be overstepping his bounds.
‘I insist,’ Louis urged. ‘I’ll feel much better if you’re convinced that there is nothing untoward going on in my home.’
Obviously Dan was a lot more transparent than he’d realized. ‘I would be happy to assess the security of your home if you’d like but otherwise there’s no reason for me to look around inside.’
‘I have dead bolts on all the doors,’ Louis explained as he led the way into the kitchen. ‘The windows have been painted shut for years. It would take quite an effort to open one of those.’
The old man regaled Dan with vivid tales about how different life was now than when he was Dan’s age. Jess had said her landlord was like a hermit. Maybe he had an identical twin, ’cause there was nothing withdrawn or quiet about this guy.
‘Would you like to see the basement?’ Louis almost seemed excited at the idea of showing off his basement.
He’d seen everything else. What the hell? ‘Might as well finish the tour.’
‘They don’t build houses like this anymore,’ Louis said as he showed Dan to the basement staircase.
Like the rest of the house, the basement was neat, organized. Not a single thing to prod suspicion.
‘Would you like some tea, Chief Burnett?’ Louis asked when they arrived back in the kitchen.
‘Thank you, Mr Louis, but I should get back to the office. You let me know if there are any issues with the crime scene unit. They shouldn’t be here more than a couple of hours. Again, I appreciate your cooperation.’
He showed Dan to the front door. ‘Don’t worry about Jess,’ he said. ‘She’s very safe here.’
Outside Dan had a word with the search commander before heading out. As he turned around, he noticed Mr Louis watching him from an upstairs window.
His assurance that Jess was safe here hadn’t helped to alleviate Dan’s concerns in the least. He’d already done some digging into the man’s background. So far, Louis had come up clean.
Yet that nagging sensation deep in his gut just wouldn’t let go.
There had to be something Dan was missing.
Birmingham Police Department
Dan rifled through the stack of messages his secretary had left on his desk. His fingers stilled on the one from Special Agent Wesley Duvall.
Call ASAP.
Jess’s ex wouldn’t have left a message if it weren’t important. He enjoyed talking to Dan about as much as Dan enjoyed talking to him – not at all. But Duvall was investigating the Lopez case. If he had learned anything on Allen or Jess via that connection, Dan needed to be briefed. Things here were going nowhere. Allen had basically vanished.
Harold Black’s suggestion of investigating Jess’s activities around the time Allen was known to have been close to her apartment elbowed its way into Dan’s thoughts. The outrage he’d felt when Harold put the scenario on the table reignited even now. He’d had enough of Jess’s peers in the department picking at her methods and grumbling about her.
Maybe Jess was right and he was overreacting. But he had persuaded her to take this position and it was his responsibility to see that she was treated with the respect she deserved. He knew firsthand how hard she had worked to rise above the hard knocks of her childhood to become the woman she was today.
‘What now?’ he grumbled as he thumbed through his contact list. He tapped Duvall’s name. He waited through three rings and had decided he was going to get the guy’s voice mail when a
breathless, ‘Duvall,’ echoed across the connection.
‘This is Dan Burnett returning your call, Agent Duvall.’
‘Thank you for getting back to me so quickly,’ Duvall said. ‘I had a lengthy discussion with Leonardo Lopez this morning. He claims his people had nothing to do with your captain’s disappearance. He went so far as to put out feelers among his associates and no one seems to know what happened to him. Any new leads on your end?’
As much as Dan wanted to scoff at the word of a high-powered drug and gang lord like Lopez, he couldn’t ignore the possibility the man might be on the up and up about this. There were no legal repercussions for him to fear. Lopez and the Bureau had a deal. He would keep them abreast of certain activities and his daughter would get house arrest instead of prison time. There was no reason for him to lie.
In Dan’s opinion the man had better watch his back. His daughter was schizo.
‘We’re still chasing our tails,’ Dan admitted. ‘We got nothing.’
‘I presume your investigation is more focused on finding a body at this point rather than a rogue cop.’
‘Frankly we don’t know what to expect.’ No need to sugarcoat the facts.
‘There is a tremendous amount of money to be made in the drug business, Burnett. Put your best cop on a case like the Lopez one and opportunities invariably present themselves. Greed can be a strong motivator.’
Dead air hung between them for a long moment. Dan knew what the other man wanted.
‘How’s Jess?’
And there it was. ‘As hardheaded as ever.’ Dan suspected Duvall wouldn’t be surprised by that news. ‘She refuses my efforts at protection.’ For the life of him he had no idea why he was telling this man a damned thing about Jess and his frustrations with her. Evidently his desperation meter had maxed out.
Or maybe it was just because he and the other man shared something neither one could ignore. Each wanted Jess. They’d both had their shots and blown it. At least Dan had walked away before the walk down the aisle. Not to mention he had youth as an excuse. He’d been twenty-two and stupid.
Duvall couldn’t cite either of those excuses.