CHAPTER TWELVE
Kate stood outside the Rodriguez home for the second time in less twelve hours, this time alone and with a different purpose.
The crime scene tape still fluttered in the afternoon breeze, and the house had that abandoned quality that came with being temporarily sealed off from normal life.
She signed in with the officer stationed outside and slipped on latex gloves before entering through the front door.
The interior felt different now, quieter somehow, without the bustle of investigators and the emotional weight of Maria's grief.
Kate moved slowly through the house where Thomas Rodriguez had died, taking her time to notice details that might have been overlooked in the initial rush to process the scene.
Kate examined each item methodically. There were pictures of Maria's children at various ages, school photos with gap-toothed smiles, and formal portraits in their Sunday best. A shopping list written in careful handwriting included items like "milk, bread, cereal," and "vitamins for Dad.
" A magnetic calendar showed doctors' appointments and school events written in different colored pens.
She moved closer to the refrigerator, studying each magnet and piece of paper with the careful attention she'd learned to apply to crime scenes over her decades with the FBI.
Most of the items were exactly what she'd expect to find in any family kitchen: takeout menus, emergency phone numbers, a child's drawing of a house with stick figures standing in front of it.
Then her eye caught something that made her pause. Tucked behind a grocery coupon and partially obscured by a magnet shaped like a sunflower was a business card. Kate carefully moved the other items aside to get a better look.
The card was white with simple black lettering: "Michael Torres - Handyman Services." Below the name was a phone number and a brief list of services: "Plumbing, Electrical, Home Repairs, Senior Discounts Available."
Kate pulled out her phone and took a photo of the card, making sure to capture both the front and back.
The back was blank except for some handwritten notes in pencil: "Fixed bathroom sink - $75" and what looked like a date from three weeks ago.
It could very well be nothing, but in a case like this, where there was suspicion of medication tampering, it was good to have a record of anyone and everyone who had come in and out of the house in the recent past.
Kate continued her methodical search of the kitchen, opening drawers and cabinets to get a sense of how the household functioned.
The drawers were organized but not obsessively so, with the kind of practical arrangement that suggested someone who knew where everything was and didn't waste time on unnecessary tidiness.
She moved on to examine the rest of the kitchen more carefully, checking the windowsills, the areas behind appliances, and the corners where dust and debris might accumulate, along with overlooked evidence.
The spice rack next to the stove held the usual collection of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and other common seasonings.
But Kate noticed that several of the containers looked like they hadn't been used in a while, with dust around their bases and faded labels.
Thomas Rodriguez had been a widower living with limited cooking needs, so the extensive spice collection probably dated back to when his wife was alive.
Moving into the dining room, Kate examined the hutch that displayed dishes and family mementos.
The top shelf held what appeared to be wedding china, carefully arranged and probably used only for special occasions.
Lower shelves contained everyday dishes and a collection of coffee mugs that suggested Thomas had been a regular coffee drinker.
On the dining room table, Kate found a stack of mail that had been left unopened.
She photographed the return addresses without disturbing the envelopes: electric bill, credit card statement, and what looked like medical insurance correspondence.
There was also a flyer for home security services and an advertisement for a local pharmacy.
She was examining a small bookshelf near the window when she heard a car door slam outside. Kate walked to the living room window and pulled the curtain aside. She was a bit surprised to see DeMarco walking up the front path. She, too, looked surprised as she regarded Kate’s car in the driveway.
"Kate?" DeMarco called as she entered the house. "What are you doing here?"
"Taking another look," Kate replied, pulling off her gloves. "Sometimes a second pass reveals things we missed the first time around. It was also a little crowded the first time we were here. What brings you by?"
DeMarco chuckled and said, “The exact same thing, actually. Great minds really do think alike, it seems!" DeMarco paused for a moment and said, "Actually, I'm glad you're here. I spoke with Dr. Chen again after you left.”
“That lawyer still watching like a hawk?”
“Oh yeah. But… listen, I think it’s becoming pretty obvious we may have gone after the wrong person. It’s one of the reasons I’m back here… trying to find anything.”
Kate nodded. "I had the same feeling after my interview with her this morning. She seemed genuinely confused and distressed about being arrested for murder. Even with legal counsel present, Chen was completely cooperative and forthcoming about her treatment of both victims."
"What did you find in your conversation with her?" DeMarco asked.
"She provided detailed records of her sessions with both Thomas Rodriguez and Carol Bennett.
Her criticism of their family situations was purely professional, based on her clinical experience with similar cases.
She didn't have any personal animosity toward either patient.
But, there's something else. I called forensics and asked them to test the individual pills found in the medication bottles at both crime scenes.
We've been assuming that the Lorazepam was tampered with, but we need to verify what those pills actually contain. "
"You think someone substituted different pills?" DeMarco asked.
"It's possible. Or added something to the existing medication. The point is, we need to confirm that the pills found at each scene actually match what Dr. Chen prescribed."
“Maybe whoever is behind these deaths was able to frame Dr. Chen by finding prescription bottles with the same doctor's name in two different victims' homes," DeMarco hypothesized.
"Think about it: both victims were elderly, both were dealing with anxiety related to family situations, both would likely be seeing psychiatrists or taking anti-anxiety medication. "
"So the killer could have looked for victims who were already patients of the same doctor," Kate said, already warming to the idea. "That would make the connection look deliberate and planned."
"Exactly. But that means the killer needed access to these victims' homes to identify them as potential targets and to tamper with their medication."
DeMarco nodded slowly. "Service people have access. Handymen, housekeepers, delivery drivers, home health aides."
"We need to figure out who had access to both victims' homes," Kate said. "It might not be the same person or service, but there could be a pattern we're missing. Speaking of which, I did find a handyman business card on the fridge. I took a picture of it… I’ll send it to you."
"Sounds good. And I’ll start pulling together a list of service calls, deliveries, and appointments for both households," DeMarco said. "If someone had legitimate access to both homes, there should be a record of it somewhere."
Kate looked around the Rodriguez kitchen one more time, her investigative instincts telling her they were finally moving in the right direction.
"We also need to check with Carol Bennett's family about any service people who might have been in her home recently.
The killer would need time and privacy to identify targets and plan the attacks. "
"You really think Dr. Chen is innocent, too?" DeMarco asked.
"I think she's a convenient scapegoat," Kate replied.
"Someone who had legitimate medical contact with both victims and who expressed professional opinions that could be twisted to look like a motive.
But the more I think about this case, the more I believe we're dealing with something much stranger than a psychiatrist killing her own patients. "
As they prepared to leave the Rodriguez house, Kate felt the familiar mixture of frustration and anticipation that came with realizing a case was more complex than it initially appeared.
They had arrested the wrong person, which meant the real killer was still out there, potentially planning their next attack.
It felt like wasted time, sure, but it was also hopefully pushing them in the right direction.