Chapter 6
SIX
Amanda called for a medical examiner and crime scene investigators to come to the house.
She made a special request when it came to the latter.
Her preferred investigators were Emma Blair and Isabelle Donnelly, but Emma was Spencer’s mother.
Since his girlfriend was most likely the victim inside that tarp, there was potential for conflict of interest. In that vein, Amanda should probably step back from the case too, though she could make an argument for herself.
She just hoped that CSIs Vanessa Stuart and Ruth Keller wouldn’t be assigned.
They came as a package deal, and Stuart wasn’t easy to work with.
Amanda called Malone again too, and he said he’d be right over. His initial response was likely to repeat in her head for a long time. Nothing creepy about that…
Trent had tried Dominique Sharp again with no luck, but left another voicemail, stressing that it was urgent she return his call.
That’s if she can… But a quick look in the garage showed three empty bays. It would seem the neighbor was right in saying Dominique was out of town.
Amanda and Trent baked in the midday sun on the front step. All to prevent compromising the scene any further. “This is crazy. Why don’t we wait in the car and blast the A/C?”
“And why the hell didn’t we think of that sooner?” Trent turned to walk away when she caught sight of new arrivals.
“Hold that thought.” She nudged her head toward the Crime Scene van making its way up the driveway. She couldn’t see the driver or passenger for sun glare cutting across the windshield. Come on, luck, favor me…
Trent returned to Amanda’s side, and they watched the investigators unloading from their vehicle.
So much for luck having my back…
CSIs Stuart and Keller walked toward them with collection kits in hand. Stuart also had a camera strapped around her neck. Neither of them looked affected by the heat, but they had just left a cool vehicle. Give them a few seconds in the scorching sun.
“Catch us up. We go through there and…?” Stuart pointed a finger toward the doorway behind them.
“Good afternoon.” Trent pulled off what appeared to be a sincere smile.
“Afternoon,” Keller responded to Trent, not looking at Amanda.
Stuart stood there, mouth pursed, impatient. Amanda expected to see her foot tapping.
“You’ll need to go around back.” Amanda couldn’t care less that the CSI skipped the pleasantries. This wasn’t a social event. “The rear sliding patio door was cracked open when we arrived, alerting us to potential danger inside the home.”
Stuart’s brows rose above her dark sunglasses.
“We used gloves to open the door, but it should be processed for prints and swabbed for touch DNA.” Amanda regretted saying this when Stuart lifted her glasses to her head.
“Yes, we know how to do our jobs,” Stuart said.
“Good to know about the unlocked door, though.” Keller followed up her colleague, showing a softer side.
“Where’s the body?” Stuart shifted her stance, but she wasn’t even breaking a sweat. Literally. Not one bead on her forehead.
“Go through to the front of the home and up the staircase. It’s in the primary suite at the end of the hall, under the bed,” Amanda laid out.
“Under the bed?” Stuart’s reply came loaded with skepticism.
“Uh-huh.” Let her find out for herself that it was in a tarp.
“Strange, but all right.” Stuart turned to walk around the side of the house with Keller in tow.
Observing Keller’s rounded shoulders, Amanda felt empathy for the woman paired with Stuart. She couldn’t imagine being saddled with her for an entire shift, let alone day after day.
Once they were out of sight, Amanda turned to find Malone huffing up the driveway. He must have parked on the road like Trent.
“There might soon be another victim.” Malone stopped a few feet in front of them and swiped his forehead with a handkerchief. His receding hairline exposed more flesh than he’d had in his youth. And his cheeks were bright red.
“Let’s go around back and talk.” Amanda touched Malone’s elbow, a move she was comfortable making. Malone was family, having been a friend of her father’s before she was born.
“Please, don’t touch me in this heat. Just tell me there’s some shade around back.”
“That’s why I suggested it.” Amanda led the way to the backyard.
“Oh, thank the heavens.” Malone beelined for the awning. Stepping under it, he wiped his brow again and stuffed his handkerchief into his pocket.
Malone caught his breath while Amanda dreamed of a tiny lick of a breeze. He popped her out of the fantasy bubble when he spoke.
“Do we know if the victim is Christine Lane?”
“It seems most likely.” That was the most accurate way of answering. They hadn’t seen the face, but circumstantial evidence strongly suggested it was Christine.
“How can you not know?”
She had told him a body was under the bed but had left out one pertinent detail. She filled him in now.
“Enclosed in a tarp.” Malone tapped out those words as if he was trying to understand them.
“‘Nothing creepy about that.’” She repeated his initial reaction.
“Even more so now I know more. What do you think we’re looking at here?”
“I’d say it’s not a home robbery,” Trent piped up.
Malone angled his head. “I think that’s safe to assume. Even if they turn sideways, we rarely find victims wrapped up like mummies. That Lexus in the driveway…?”
“It belongs to Christine Lane.” Amanda stiffened.
“That’s why you said it’s most likely Christine?”
Amanda nodded.
“Christine, who is also your brother’s girlfriend.” Malone talked slowly, stressing the association.
“Half-brother, yes.” There was a distinction in her mind. She had a full brother, Kyle, and they were thick as thieves. She’d grown up with him around. Spencer was a recent surprise.
“Well, I think as long as there’s the chance the victim is Lane, you shouldn’t be anywhere near this mess. It was one thing to look into her welfare, but it’s another to investigate her murder.”
Amanda couldn’t argue the latter part, but there was no way she was being benched from this like Emma Blair.
“I really don’t see the issue with my working this case.
I hardly know Spencer. Heck, I didn’t even know he had a girlfriend until today.
I didn’t know about him until three years ago.
We’ve only had coffee a few times.” With her work as a detective and his as a firefighter, there weren’t many free hours to get together.
He didn’t even attend family dinners held at her parents’ house on Sundays.
Though that could make for some awkwardness.
“Yet it’s still a connection, Amanda. One he pulled on by calling you.”
“Right. To look into the whereabouts of his girlfriend. What are you suggesting?” She could feel herself becoming defensive about Spencer and questioned where the loyalty originated.
“His call could have been rooted in genuine concern or to cover his butt.” He pressed his lips.
“Are you seriously suggesting my half-brother murdered his girlfriend?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“We need to consider the possibility.” He leveled his gaze at her, and it was a look with which she was familiar. He was baiting her to break the silence. If she didn’t, they’d remain locked in eye contact forever.
“You know I can remain objective.” That’s all she said.
All she was going to say. Her record should speak for itself.
Chad Palmer, the drunk driver who took out her husband, six-year-old daughter, and unborn child, and made her barren, was murdered four and a half years ago.
She was allowed to work his case and had followed it all the way through to its heartbreaking conclusion.
Malone bobbed his head. “Fine, you can stay for now. But we may revisit this conversation.” He gave it a few beats before adding, “Let’s get inside before I melt to the deck.”