“Heartache?”
“Uh-huh,” she muttered as Oliver Hanson made his way over. Skylar crouched down and pulled back the cover to take a look at the victim. She’d landed face first. Skylar winced, then looked up towards the rear of the apartments. “That’s quite the swan dive.”
The bungalow apartments each had a balcony at the back with white railings. The building itself was made from gray clapboard siding and distressed white wood, and the entire lot was supported up on stilts about fifteen feet off the ground.
Oliver Hanson smiled and spread out his arms. “Baker and Reid, glad you could make it. You’re only an hour late. Let me guess, Baker was driving?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Harvey said scowling.
“No, he was giving his wife breakfast in bed,” Skylar said. “Literally.”
Harvey frowned.
Hanson chuckled then pointed to the dead body. “Our victim is Teresa Palmer, twenty-one years old, her place is on the third floor. A neighbor was out walking their dog this morning when she heard a scream and found her on the ground.”
“Anything else?”
“You might want to speak to the ME, she’s upstairs. Anyway, being as you have such a good eye for solving these kinds of things, what do you think?”
Harvey pointed to himself acting surprised. He turned and looked at the victim but tossed a question back at him.
“You got a statement from the neighbor?” Harvey asked.
“I got more than a statement,” Hanson said winking at them both and mimicking the universal sign for phoning.
“Real professional, Hanson,” Harv said brushing past him.
Skylar chuckled. “You should give him a break, Harv.”
“Why?”
“It’s Valentine’s Day. The day of love.”
“You said you didn’t believe in it.”
“I didn’t say that. I just said it’s over-commercialized.”
“Yeah, well I have zero love for that man,” he said gesturing for her to go up first using the outside staircase. Harvey was still bitter over the loss of his sister and he still hadn’t buried the hatchet with Hanson and Reznik who he believed were to blame for rushing into Callum Jackson’s residence and coming up empty-handed. It was a messy situation that continued to strain the relationship between them.
At the top of the stairs Officer Miles from the Carrabelle Police Department was blocking the walkway to make sure none of the media got in. “Miles, looking sharp,” Skylar said, quickly adjusting his gold nameplate on his dark uniform. She patted it and he smiled back until he locked eyes with Harvey. They walked along the walkway at the front of the bungalows and Skylar looked out towards the Gulf of Mexico. A blue sky stretched as far as the eye could see. A warm southern breeze blew in, and the water glistened. There was a 500-foot fishing pier nearby. And it was located minutes from one of three beaches, with another public beach nearby. The view was breathtaking. A seagull wheeled overhead screeching.
Skylar opened the apartment door and motioned for Harv to head in first. Inside Reznik and Jenna Madden were talking. As soon as they saw them, Jenna excused herself and began rattling at the mouth like an excited kid. She was a bit of a wild one. Usually she wore neon-colored clothing and sported a pink hairstyle that stuck up like a troll but today she was in black and white and reminded Skylar of Pepe Le Pew.
“Jenna,” Skylar greeted her with a handshake. “Nice hair.”
“Thanks, I needed a change,” she said raking fingers through it.
Harvey cleared his throat.
“Okay, well we have quite a predicament here. Follow me.” She took them through the residence. It had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen, modern ceramic tiles, and was just under two thousand square feet in size with a walkout balcony at the rear which provided a magnificent view. Skylar looked over to the parking lot below. It wasn’t skyscraper high, but high enough for someone to break their neck. “My initial thoughts were an accident, then perhaps suicide when I saw exhibit A.” She pointed to an orange fitness exercise band that was still attached to the wood railing. “However on closer inspection of her throat it doesn’t look like that was involved. There were no marks that would indicate she had attempted to hang herself, as it would have dug into the skin or at least created a burn mark, however, there is evidence that…”
“She was pushed,” Skylar said finishing what she was about to say.
“Right,” she said. “At least that’s how it seems right now. A closer inspection of the railing might turn up more answers. Also once I perform an autopsy, I should have a clearer idea. In the meantime Reznik over there has managed to dig up some interesting information that might add credence to who might have been responsible.”
“That quick?” Harvey asked.
Skylar headed inside and approached Reznik who was speaking with the landlord.
“What you got?”
“On the night before, CCTV picked up footage of Teresa outside the apartment having an argument with her boyfriend and him dragging her inside. While it was dark, a couple of neighbors and the landlord are able to confirm the man’s identity as one Joshua LaSalle. It’s his apartment.”
“Joshua LaSalle?”
“You know him?” Harv asked.
Skylar thought back to that morning, the name printed on the back of the Valentine’s flyer.
“Not personally but, if I’m not mistaken, he’s the owner of Elite Matchmaking.”
Chapter 2
Skylar was eager to speak with the person who found the body. Leaving Harvey to handle the crime scene she headed back down and had Hanson do the introduction. The woman was in her early twenties, blond, blue eyes and wearing a wind jacket and tight jogging bottoms. She was seated on a section of the pier that overlooked the beach. Her dog, a large golden retriever, sat beside her.
“Ms. Hall, this is Detective Reid, she just has a few questions for you.”
She glanced up and nodded wiping a few tears from the corner of her eyes.
“All good?” Hanson asked before Skylar took over. She gave a nod and took a seat beside her.
“Quite something, isn’t it?”
They watched the swell of the ocean. A gentle breeze blew against her jacket.
She nodded but didn’t say a word.
“So you live nearby?”
“In the apartments. Apartment 312. I knew her.”
“You did, from where?”
“We both did a bit of modeling. I mean, when I say I knew her. I knew her in the sense that I saw her out at auditions. You tend to see the same girls doing the rounds. I only recently saw her here at the apartments.”
“You ever speak to her?”
“A couple of times. The first time was at an audition a few months back.”
“And?”
“It was just a passing comment. You know, wishing her luck. Most of the girls support each other even if we don’t know each other. I think she said she worked for the same agency as mine. Mine is based out of Miami but they send me all over Florida.”
“So take me back to this morning. What time did you head out? How long were you out? What did you hear or see? Anything that might be of use to us?”
“I already told the other officer everything I know.” She reached down and stroked the back of the dog’s neck.
“Have you had the dog long?”
“Oh it’s not mine. It’s a lady in Apartment 102. She can’t get out so I offered to take the dog for walks. Gives me a chance to get out and get some air. At times I kind of feel trapped being inside.”
Skylar gestured to the dog. “Friend of mine has one, causing him no end of trouble.”
She smiled, and the conversation seemed to put her at ease. “The first year is the hardest. After that they calm down.”
Skylar leaned back and took in the sight of the ocean. That was one thing she had come to love about Carrabelle and living in the small coastal town. It had a
relaxing feel to the place even if her work was stressful at times.
“I left at six this morning. I usually like to get a good run in before seven. I went along the beach and on my way back I heard a scream but that was it. By the time I made it back to the apartment, she was on the ground.”
Skylar scribbled notes in a pad.
“I didn’t even know it was her at first as her hair covered her face. I just phoned the police and kept my distance.”
“Was anyone else outside at the time?”
“No.”
“Did anyone come out?”
“The landlord, Keith Rollins.”
Skylark frowned. “So you didn’t know Teresa was living here?”
“Not until about two weeks ago.” She pointed up. “I found out she’s been staying in an apartment about seven doors down. I actually hadn’t seen her out at any auditions in a while. I thought she’d given up modeling.”
“And so she works for the same agency?”
“Yeah, I think it was the same.”
“What’s it called?”
“Cameo.”
Skylar looked out at a few large schooners on the water. Light glistened on the waves. “Do you mind me asking about the last few gigs that you have been on? What did they involve?”
“It varies. Some are for hair salons where they want to style hair, others are for events where they need eye candy, some are catwalk and the rest, well, they can vary from photo shoots to pool parties.”
She nodded. “They pay good?”
“Not all of them. I’m just doing it until I can earn enough to pay for college and then I’m out of it.”
“What are you off to study?”
“Catering. I’ve always had this dream of opening a cake store in Miami.”
Skylar smiled as she stared at her finger, noticing a small golden band with diamonds.
“Nice ring. Who’s the lucky guy?”
“What?” Skylar jerked her head towards her hand. “Oh, right, yeah. Matthew. We got engaged about four months ago.”
Her chin dropped, and she turned the ring.
“So is it your apartment or his?”
“His.”
“And what’s his full name?”
“Matthew Sorenson.”
“And what does he do for a living?”
“A fisherman.”
Skylar looked at some kids that ran by on the beach. They were bouncing a ball back and forth and yelling at the top of their voices. “So, usually up early and back late at night?”
“Most of the time. It varies.”
There was a long pause as if she was expecting her to continue but she didn’t.
“Where did you meet him?”
A smile formed on her face. “At a fishing tournament. I was there with a couple of other girls. Promotional stuff. Handing out flyers and whatnot.”
“Nice. So I imagine you have plans for this evening?”
“Not sure. He said he had something planned but he wants it to be a surprise. You?”
She shrugged. “We’ll see.” Skylar reached down and patted the dog before fishing out a card from her pocket. “If you can think of anything else. Call me.”
Se nodded.
“Thanks again, Ms. Hall.”
“Taylor.”
“Taylor and Matthew. Has a ring to it.”
“You think?”
She seemed unsure. Skylar nodded as she pulled away from the dog. “Is Matthew coming home?”
“No, I didn’t call him.”
That struck her as odd.
“Do you want us to?”
“It’s okay. I don’t want to pull him away from his work. I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?”
She offered back a thin smile and waved her off.
* * *
After, Skylar tracked down the landlord. The scene outside had now turned into a hive of activity. Hanson was busy trying to keep the media back, and they were doing everything in their power to get a shot of the dead body. One reporter even snuck under the yellow tape and was now being escorted back out. “Get your hands off me,” she yelled at him as he tried to restrain her. Hanson’s cheeks flushed red once he noticed Skylar was staring. In the short time she’d been with the Franklin County Sheriff Department she’d already begun to get a feel for the masks people wore. It was the same in any job. There were those who liked to use their position to exert power over others, those who would bend over backwards to help you and those who tried to have a foot on both sides of the fence. She still hadn’t figured out Hanson.
Right then as she was making her way up the steps her phone buzzed. She pulled it out and checked the caller ID. It was Scot Wilson, one of her old task force buddies. The same guy who had let her use his boat as an apartment. After everything she’d been through with losing Alex and the baby, he spent the first few months checking in on her on a daily basis but that soon changed to every few days and now it was once a week. It was usually the same questions: How have you been keeping? Is my boat still floating?
“Scot, you always catch me at a bad time.”
“Let me guess, they have you rescuing a cat from a tree?” He laughed.
“Actually I was escorting an old lady across the road.”
It was an ongoing joke between them. She’d been so used to busting in doors with the U.S. Marshals and tracking down fugitives, moving to Carrabelle had been like downshifting. At first she struggled with it and if she was honest, there were still moments that she missed the thrill of the chase but for her own sanity she couldn’t go back to that and she was pretty sure her superiors thought the same thing.
“Good news.”
“Oh please don’t tell me that you’ve proposed to some unfortunate soul?”
He chuckled. “Please. Hell would have to freeze over first before I entered that kind of union. No, I’m booked on a flight heading for Florida. I got some time off.”
“Are you serious?”
“I’ll be landing in about five hours. You think you can pick me up?”
“Scot, I’m in the middle of a murder investigation. As much as I would love to see you, I can’t pull myself away.”
“Ah too bad. Okay, I’ll grab a taxi. But I hope you haven’t made plans for this evening.”
“As if.”
“Hold on a second.” In the background she could hear the noise of the airport, and a taxi driver asking him for cash. “Well you get me for the evening. How’s that boat of mine doing?”
“It’s at the bottom of the bay.”
“Are you kidding me?”
That was the thing about their relationship. Scot had known her long enough to know that if she said something there was a good chance she meant it. And after the numerous incidents as a Marshal, he wouldn’t have put it past her.
“Hope you like staying in a hotel.”
“Skylar!”
She chuckled. “Seriously, Scot, you’re too easy.”
She heard him exhale. “Looking forward to seeing yah.”
“Oh by the way, how long you staying?”
“Isn’t that what I should be asking? Being as it’s my boat.” He laughed again.
“Curious minds want to know.”
“And they would be?”
“My uptight partner, I’m sure he’ll want to meet you.”
“Just for a few days.”
She stopped walking and silence stretched between them. “Scot? Everything okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll fill you in when I arrive. See you this evening.”
With that said he hung up. The only time he did that was when he wanted to avoid hard answers. She stood there for a second clutching her phone wondering what would cause him to fly from New York to Florida for just a few days. Scot wasn’t one for doing things by half. If he went on vacation, it was always for two weeks. Making her way over to the landlord’s office on the first floor she noticed he was on the phone when she entered. Keith put up one finger to in
dicate he would be a moment.
“No, it’s been handled,” he said eyeing her then quickly ending the call. “I’ll call back later.” He hung up and slouched down in his chair, reaching for a pack of smokes. It was a cramped office. Nothing more than two tables pushed up against one wall, a window that gave him a view of the parking lot, a chair, a computer and TV monitors for the surveillance equipment.
“Yes?” he said in an unhelpful manner as he tapped out a cigarette and stuck it in the corner of his mouth.
“The surveillance footage. Curious. Do you have anything from this morning?”
“Nothing. They already asked to see it. Where she landed is out of shot of the cameras.”
“Why?”
He flicked open the cap on his Zippo lighter and a plume of smoke swirled up around his face. “Because they only focus on the lot around the side and the entranceways. Don’t have much need to monitor below the ledges.”
She nodded and cast her eyes around the room.
“You own this place?”
“Yep.”
“And so you have footage of Joshua LaSalle and our victim?”
He nodded. “He went in and came out a few hours later.”
“Can I see the footage?”
He sniffed and stretched, raising his arms in the air. “Already been taken by your colleague. The guy with dark skin. Said he wants to go through it. Which reminds me, that guy is rude.”
“That’s Reznik for you.” She looked around. “What about inside the apartments?”
“What about them?” He reached over and picked up a cup that had the words: I’M THE BOSS on the front. He slurped some coffee from it and then took another puff on his cigarette. “That would be an invasion of privacy, now wouldn’t it, detective?”
“That it would but you’d be surprised at what is being recorded.”
He put his coffee down.
“What are you insinuating?”
“Nothing, it’s fine.” She paused. “Thanks for your help.”
She exited before he lost his temper. A strong gust of sand blew into her face and she had to bring up a forearm.
Death Match Page 2