CHAPTER SIX #2
"Your report said hair samples were found near the body," Kari said.
"Yeah, three strands. All matched Hatathli's DNA profile." Maria pointed to the markers. "They were on the carpet, within a few feet of where Garrison fell. The prosecution's theory is that Hatathli confronted Garrison here, they argued, and Hatathli shot him."
Kari walked around the office, trying to visualize the scene. The desk faced away from the door, which meant Garrison would have had his back to anyone entering. The windows looked out over the backyard and pool area.
"If someone was watching the house, waiting for an opportunity," Kari said, "they could see when Garrison was alone and which rooms he was using." She studied the layout. "You said no forced entry. What about the back door?"
Maria pulled out her phone, scrolling through crime scene photos. "The patio door was closed but unlocked when we processed the scene. We assumed Garrison had locked it, but..."
"But maybe he didn't."
"Leaving it unlocked would be stupid for someone as wealthy as Garrison. You don't live in a mansion and leave doors unlocked."
"Let's find out." Kari pulled out her own phone, opening the case file information Maria had sent her earlier. "The housekeeper who found the body—Elena Morales. Is she still working here?"
"The estate is maintaining the property until it's sold. She comes by twice a week to keep things in order." Maria checked her watch. "It's almost three. She might be here now—she usually comes in the afternoons."
They went back downstairs and found Elena in the kitchen, a woman in her fifties with tired eyes and the kind of quiet competence that came from years of domestic work. She flinched when she saw them, then recognized Maria from the initial investigation.
"Detective Santos. I didn't know anyone was coming today."
"Sorry to surprise you, Elena. This is Detective Blackhorse—she's consulting on the case. We have a few follow-up questions if you don't mind."
Elena nodded, setting down the cleaning supplies she'd been organizing. "Of course. Anything to help catch whoever did this to Mr. Garrison."
"You worked for Mr. Garrison for eight years, is that right?" Kari asked.
"Yes. He was a good employer. Fair, respectful. This is..." She gestured helplessly at the empty house. "This is terrible."
"I'm sure it is." Kari kept her voice gentle. "I need to ask you about Mr. Garrison's security habits. Was he careful about locking doors?"
"The front door, always. He was very particular about that—lock it when you leave, lock it when you come home." Elena paused. "But the back door, the patio... he was more casual about that."
Maria leaned forward. "What do you mean, casual?"
"He liked to sit outside in the evenings, have his scotch on the patio.
He'd leave the door unlocked in case he wanted to go back and forth.
Sometimes he'd forget to lock it before bed.
" Elena frowned. "I told him many times that it wasn't safe, that even in Paradise Valley you couldn't be too careful.
But he said he liked feeling free in his own home, not locked inside like a prisoner. "
Kari and Maria exchanged glances. A patio door regularly left unlocked, in a house that backed onto a private yard with mature trees and bushes providing cover.
It wouldn't have been difficult for someone to watch Garrison's routine, wait until he was alone in his office, and enter through the unlocked back door.
"Did anyone else know about this habit?" Kari asked. "That he left the patio door unlocked?"
"I don't know. Maybe his friends, if he entertained them outside. But it wasn't something he announced." Elena wrung her hands. "Is this important? Did someone come in through the back?"
"We're just gathering information," Maria said. "Thank you, Elena. You've been very helpful."
After Elena returned to her work, Kari and Maria walked out to the patio. The space was beautifully landscaped, with a pool and outdoor kitchen, surrounded by a tall privacy fence and mature desert plants. From the street, you'd never know this oasis existed.
But from inside the property, if you knew what you were looking for, you could easily observe when Garrison was home and where he was in the house.
"Someone could have watched him for days," Kari said. "Learned his routine, figured out when he'd be alone, knew about the unlocked door."
Maria stared at the house, her expression grim. "This was premeditated. Someone planned this, waited for the right opportunity, entered through a door they knew would be unlocked."
"And planted Hatathli's DNA to make sure he'd be blamed." Kari turned to face Maria. "I think you're right about him being framed. The question is—by who, and why?"
"I don't know. But I'm glad you see it too." Maria pulled out her phone. "I need to document this—the unlocked door habit, Elena's statement, everything. It's not enough to get Hatathli released, but it might be enough to introduce reasonable doubt."
Kari looked back at the house, thinking about someone standing in these shadows, watching, waiting, planning murder while making sure an innocent man would take the fall.
"But Maria, proving Hatathli's innocence is going to be an uphill battle.
The DNA evidence is strong. His motive and public threats against Garrison are documented.
Even with the unlocked door, even with the possibility someone could have planted evidence, the prosecution has enough to convict him. "
"I know." Maria's voice was heavy. "Which means we need to find the real killer. And we need to do it before the DA's office decides they have enough to go to trial."