UNSEEN

by Felicia Mires

  Miss Knox dutifully walked behind him, giving a wide berth to the white tape and blood. "Why did you say there wasn't much blood? It's…all over the floor."

  He stopped what he was doing to look directly at her. "The blow to the head knocked her to the floor and dazed her. It was probably the killing blow, but there wasn't much blood for spatter because no artery was severed. No pooling of blood in the wound. If she'd been hit again, there would be more spatter."

  "Oh…ok. Is this where you want me?"

  "Perfect. Now, if I'm Penny Weathers, why did I turn my back? Was I walking toward the couch?"

  "If the murderer is short like you said, the angle is wrong." Her voice sounded weak and muffled through the mask.

  "Very good, Miss Knox. From the placement of the body and the spatter, the victim had to be facing this direction. Swing at my head as if you're the murderer."

  She stared for several seconds then stepped closer. After raising her fist over him, she swung down in slow motion. Caleb squatted lower and lower until Miss Knox could reach the proper perspective.

  "There we go," he said. "We don't know the height of the perp but this should give us an idea. How tall are you…without the stilettos?"

  "Five-foot-five."

  "Good enough." He looked back at the numbered evidence markers. "Where were we? Come on, Penny Weathers, talk to me. What were you doing when you got your head bashed in?"

  Caleb studied every object from that vantage. The victim couldn't have reached the couch or the coffee table, which left the end table. He glanced back at Miss Knox. "What do you think?"

  "That's all there is."

  "I agree." Caleb slid open the single front drawer. "Ahh." He added an evidence marker, raised the camera, and took a picture. "Blood spatter. This drawer was open when Miss Weathers got conked."

  "What's in it?"

  "Nothing…now, but she wouldn't have reached for an empty drawer."

  "Unless she meant to put something in, not take something out."

  "True, but why would you put something away when you had a visitor standing behind you? If it had been something the killer just handed her, she would have placed it on the coffee table or set it on the couch. She probably wouldn't have gone to the trouble to immediately hide something away. No…she was taking something out or putting something back."

  "A gun?"

  Caleb faced Miss Knox. "Where is it now? The killer would have had to take it."

  "They took the tongue."

  "We'll check gun registry and question the neighbors and co- workers to see if she owned a gun."

  Another man approached them from the kitchen, and Caleb took Miss Knox by the elbow. "It's time to leave. The tech is here to fingerprint the rooms." He nodded at the man. "Make sure you check that small drawer. It was open."

  When they reached the yard, Caleb pulled off his mask and took a deep breath. The clotting smell of blood was repugnant whether or not the corpse had begun to rot. He clapped Miss Knox on the back. "You can take that off. Got any questions?"

  "About a hundred…or more."

  "Can it wait until we speak with the neighbors?"

  "Yes, of course."

  Caleb paused a moment to consider his new scintillating partner in crime. Miss Knox was hot, even with her hair teased in a pouf and enough eye make-up for two, or even three, women. From the sideways looks she'd been getting from male members of his crew, he wasn't the only one to think so. She appeared oblivious. A dead body can do that to you.

  "Do you always wear that much make-up?"

  "Look, I get it, Detective. Less color. Can we just move on?"

  He held out a hand to the line of people still gawking at the yellow tape. "Be my guest."

  Though Caleb had urged Miss Knox forward, somehow he found himself facing the crowd of neighbors alone. He took a deep breath, gave her a hard stare that said, 'Get your butt over here,' then waited for her to comply. Very slowly, she moved toward him then stopped just behind him. For a woman who said she wanted to be part of his investigation, she certainly was reluctant.

  Instead of grinding his teeth, Caleb turned to the blue-haired matron that radiated 'busy-body.' "I'm Detective Forest. I'd like to ask you some questions, ma'am."

  Her eyes lit with interest. "Absolutely. Is she dead? The girl? Was it murder?"

  "And your name is…"

  "Caroline Morris. 2231 Applewood."

  "You live next door to the victim."

  "Aren't you going to write that down?"

  Caleb smiled and patted his pocket. "Verbal notes, ma'am, and I've uh…got a secretary." He nudged Miss Knox forward, who peeked up from her notebook then returned to her note-taking.

  "You seem familiar." The old lady's eyes narrowed as she peered at Miss Knox. "Have we met?"

  "This is Destiny Knox, the author. Perhaps you've seen her photo somewhere, Ms. Morris. Did you notice anyone entering the premises of the deceased, say, yesterday evening?"

  "Didn't see anyone all night, but there was someone yesterday."

  "Man or woman? Anyone you recognize?"

  "A woman…about Penny's age. I'd definitely know her if I saw her. Cute little thing. Dark brown hair to the shoulder." She leaned toward Miss Knox again. "Are you sure we haven't met?"

  "Positive." Miss Knox offered the woman a polite smile. "When you say little, do you mean short?"

  "Well, shorter than you, honey. Course, she had on tennis shoes."

  Caleb frowned. "Why would you notice tennis shoes?"

  "They were bright pink, kind of neon, really. Couldn't miss them."

  "Did she go inside? Did she and Penny appear to know one another?"

  "Oh, yeah. They hugged at the door, though Penny seemed surprised to see her. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree."

  "So, they were friends. And what time was this?"

  Ms. Morris heaved a sigh and wrinkled up her face. "Way before lunch, 'cause my soaps wasn't on yet." She snapped her fingers. "It was about 10:30. That's when Gladys called and I was holding the phone when I looked out the window. Gladys always calls at 10:30. Her soap starts at 11, and she don't like to be interrupted."

  Caleb nodded. "That's very helpful. Do you know if Penny had any boyfriends…any regular callers?"

  "No. The only guy that ever came round was that accountant fella. Kinda bookish if you ask me. Penny sure didn't take to him, but I think he was more interested than her."

  "Why do you think Penny didn't like him?"

  "Body language. Isn't that what they call it now? He was always leanin' in, and she was always leanin' back. Don't get me wrong, she didn't dislike him. She just wasn't…interested."

  "I don't suppose you'd know his name?" Caleb practically held his breath as he waited. As much as it seemed like a woman had been involved, the brutality of the crime bespoke a man.

  "Uhhh, let me think. Jared, maybe? Jonathan?" She gasped. "Wait. I've got his business card. When he first came to visit, Penny didn't want me to think anything was going on, so she gave me his card. Not that I would ever assume that."

  "The card, Ms. Morris? Could I escort you home?" Caleb reached for her elbow, and the old bag smiled with self-satisfied pride. He glanced back at Miss Knox. "I'll meet you at the car."

  She nodded briefly then tottered away on her stilts. Caleb turned his attention to Ms. Morris. "Would you say this accountant was a regular visitor?"

  "Not really. He came by a few times around tax time, but Penny didn't have a lot of money so I guess she didn't have much need of an accountant."

  "What did Miss Weathers do for a living?"

  "Physical therapist at a spa. I guess you'll want to know which one. It was Tonic Town." She shook her head, and blue-grey curls fell over her forehead. "No, that was their café, like a coffee shop. She used to bring me sandwiches until I told her I really couldn't stomach any more tofu. The spa was called…Tonics and Tones."

  "Tones?"

  "For the body, you know. That's what Penny
did, massage and body toning."

  "I see."

  They reached a tidy single floor dwelling of a non-descript faded blue color. Caleb paused on the porch, but Ms. Morris waved him in. "Come on, come on. Won't be a minute."

  While she fished through a drawer in a side table, Caleb surveyed her cluttered home. Just like his grandmother's, littered with family memorabilia and knick-knacks on every surface. It smelled different, though. More like menthol and eucalyptus than his grandmother's lavender, and stifling hot. Ms. Morris had her heater cranked on high.

  Caleb stepped closer to the open door and hauled out his phone to pull up a picture of Destiny Knox from the internet. She looked completely different with her hair down…and not coated with pink glitter. She had really lovely green eyes, too, when they weren't painted several shades of blue.

  He glanced up as Ms. Morris held out a small card.

  "That's her," she said. "Yes, that's Penny's friend who came by yesterday."

  Caleb stared at Ms. Morris then he scanned the face on his phone. Thank goodness, he had such a large screen or Ms. Morris might not have noticed that Destiny Knox was his murder victim's mysterious caller yesterday. He flipped it shut and reached for the business card. "By the way, did Penny own a gun?"

  "Absolutely not. After her grandma died, she sold that old thing of her grandfather's. Said she didn't want a gun in the house."

  "What kind of gun was it?"

  "A thirty-eight."

  "Thank you very much, Ms. Morris. We'll be in touch."

  He walked out of the house in a daze. Why hadn't Miss Knox informed him she knew Penny? Why hadn't she mentioned she was here the day before? Most important, what was her true motive for asking to join the murder detail?

  This put a whole new spin on her appearance. It now seemed more like a disguise, one that almost worked. How did he play this? Should he tell the captain that his old friend's granddaughter was a person of interest?

  Caleb's feet ground into gravel as he marched toward his vehicle. In this particular instance, it might be safer to keep Miss Knox on the investigation so he could maintain an eye on her. He didn't have anything incriminating yet. Her visit to the deceased was hours before the murder. Yes, he would keep her around. He grinned as he reached her side. This could get interesting.

  "Ready, Miss Knox?" He opened her door and waited for her to climb in. "I hope you gleaned sufficient material for your book."

  "It's definitely coming along. How about you? Did you get the name of the victim's male friend?"

  He hadn't even bothered to read it. "I did."

  He started the car then passed the card her way. A little intake of breath was the only indication that she might recognize the name.

  "Jeffrey Seymour. CPA. Looks like Penny was telling the truth about needing an accountant."

  "Maybe, but I'll still have to question him. She saw him last about two months ago. It may not have ended well."

  "Why are we leaving? Aren't you going to question any more neighbors?"

  "I'm going to let Pemberly handle it. We're gonna track down Jeffrey Seymour. Is that all right?"

  She twisted her hands together. "Sure. Will you call him and have him meet you at the station?"

  "I thought we'd go straight to his office. I'd like to catch him before anyone else has a chance to speak to him."

  She gawked at her dress.

  "Something wrong, Miss Knox?"

  "I was thinking about what you said…less color. Perhaps I should change."

  Caleb almost laughed. Yes, this could definitely get interesting. Apparently, Miss Knox knew Jeffrey Seymour as well.

  Chapter 2

  It was so much easier than I anticipated. Did you enjoy my handiwork? I was surprised when you went to look. You think you can catch me?

  Once they arrived at the police station, Caleb sent Miss Knox straight to the ladies' room. "You can change in here, Miss Knox. You have clothes?"

  "Uh, no. Maybe I should watch the interrogation through the window. Have you got one of those?"

  She'd been silent throughout the drive back, but Caleb wasn't sure whether she was nervous about the possibility that he might discover her previous visit to the victim's house or guilty of something worse. It was hard to believe she'd murdered someone. For now, he would continue to humor her.

  "Yes, we do. I can have Pemberly wait in the observation room with you…if that's all right." He wanted to gauge her reaction to the interview. Pemberly could accomplish that.

  "Sure. Detective Pemberly is fine." She reached for the bathroom door. "I'll just wash. I feel…well, anyway."

  The door closed behind her, and Caleb grimaced. Seeing a brutal murder for the first time sent many people to wash, but you couldn't wash away those feelings. What if she wasn't guilty at all? Just a case of in the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, why had she altered her appearance and asked to join the murder investigation?

  He fished his cell phone out of his back pocket and called Pemberly. "Hey, it's Forest. Did any of the neighbors see any strange vehicles last night?"

  "Nope, and I've got assurances there weren't any. The couple across the street go running every night at 6. The old man further down walks his dog once an hour."

  "Once an hour? Little excessive, don't you think?"

  "More like he's nosy. Anyway, we got another neighbor that came back from the store around 7, left something in the car, and the wife sent him to get it close to 7:30. Very busy neighborhood and nobody saw anything."

  "How is it that all these people pay such close attention to time?"

  "Man was watching the game. He knows exactly when his wife sent him out."

  "What about security cams?"

  "I'm going to pull footage, but as far as I can tell, the only cameras face their houses directly, not Penny's or the street outside."

  Caleb sighed. That wasn't good news. With that many people out and about, someone should have seen the killer come and go…or heard something…or photographed something. "Zack, can you expand the search? Our murderer wouldn't have wanted to walk too far, not transporting a bloody tongue. He or she had to have parked within walking distance."

  "All right. It'll take some time."

  "Put some unies on it. I need you to babysit Miss Knox."

  Pemberly whistled. "Be happy to. See you in twenty."

  After a glance at the closed door of the restroom, Caleb hurried down the hall to the captain's office. He knocked then waited. Through the glass window, he saw the captain on the phone. He waved Caleb in.

  Captain Jonas was smiling as he spoke into the receiver. "Yeah, no problem at all. Sent her out today. In fact, my detective just walked in." Jonas nodded at the phone. "Sure thing. Any time."

  He hung up and turned to Caleb. "Have a seat. That was Destiny's grandfather. What have you got?"

  "Well, sir. It's not good. Thus far, no prints. No weapon. No one saw anyone go in or out. No one noticed any unfamiliar vehicles. She got along well with her neighbors…those she knew. There's just…nothing."

  "Keep me apprised. How did Miss Knox do? Did the body bother her?"

  "About that…when did her grandfather approach you about letting her tag along? Was it specifically for this investigation?"

  "I got a call from Michael Knox almost as soon as I got the call about the murder. Said he saw it on the news." Captain Jonas twisted in his seat as if uncomfortable. "What's this about?"

  "She was there…visiting the victim yesterday."

  "Destiny Knox knew the murder victim?"

  "Yes, sir. Positive I.D. from the next door neighbor."

  "What did Destiny have to say about that?"

  "I didn't ask. I'm not sure I want her to know I found out. Not yet, anyway. It could mean anything, but since we've got her close, I thought…"

  "See if she's involved."

  Caleb nodded. "But I couldn't use anything she says because I haven't read her rights."

  "Not true. She signed
a waiver to follow you around. It's binding."

  "Then I guess we try to hang her."

  "That would be bad." The captain sighed. "Ok, Forest, but don't take chances. Keep everything clean. If she is involved, I want no opportunity for her to get this thrown out on a technicality. Follow procedure to the letter."

  "Yes, sir." Caleb stood and left the office.

  Behind him, the captain was still mumbling to himself, something about bad press. It would be worse than bad press if Destiny Knox was the killer and she got away with it. The department would never live it down. Captain Jonas would probably lose his job, and Caleb…Caleb would never be offered another prospect as a homicide detective. He might as well join a security detail somewhere, like Alaska, where no one would know he was a complete idiot.

  He went in search of his partner and found Pemberly pouring over his notes. His head jerked up when he perceived Caleb's approach. "Where's your playmate?"

  "Destiny Knox is the granddaughter of a dear friend of Captain Jonas. Watch your mouth."

  "And she's your shadow because…"

  "She's an author and wants to write a mystery."

  Pemberly's deep-throated guffaw could be heard all across the room. "Lucky you. She's quite the uh…looker."

  "Come with me."

  He led Pemberly to the first observation room and turned to face him. "Shut the door."

  "What's this about?"

  "You know the next-door neighbor? One who sees everything?"

  Pemberly nodded.

  "She recognized Miss Knox." He went on to relate all his suspicions then reached for the door. "So, I need you to watch her face during the interrogation of Mr. Seymour."

  "Got it. Keep the hottie-totty busy and watch for clues."

  Caleb swung the door wide and walked directly into Miss Knox. He reached out a steadying hand. "Miss Knox, are you all right?"

  "Fine. I'm fine." She tilted her head up to peer at him, and Caleb wanted to whistle with appreciation.

  Zack might find the layers of make-up and teased hair attractive, but Caleb was having a hard time taking his eyes off the fresh-scrubbed face of the woman before him. Definitely a looker.

  "Detective?" Her brows raised in question.