Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Matthias arrived at Eric’s house, glad to see him and Emma waiting in the car outside. He parked his Jeep at the curb, grabbed a pair of nitrile gloves he kept in the center console, and leaped out. Emma met him on the lawn.
“Are you okay?” Matthias asked.
“We’re fine.” She didn’t sound fine. “I left the garage door open. The shovel is right there, leaning against the wall.”
“Did either of you touch it?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Good. Stay here. I’ll go in and clear the house.”
He started down the driveway when she called out, “Wait.”
He turned to find her striding toward him.
“You need the security code. The door between the garage and the basement has a keypad.”
Matthias recalled the first time they’d arrived at Eric’s front door. The hidden key. Emma said a burglar might find that key but wouldn’t know the code. “What about the garage door itself?”
“You only need the opener to get in. It’s not connected to the alarm, but the door between the garage and the basement is.”
“Whoever planted the shovel must’ve had Eric’s remote,” Matthias said, thinking out loud. But he didn’t say his next thought. Whoever planted the shovel had already broken into Eric’s car to plant the murder weapon.
Eric struggled out of his car, an arm protecting his ribs. “Or they knew the code for the keypad on the outside.”
“Let me guess,” Matthias said. “You use the same number for both the garage door and the alarm system.”
Eric’s expression turned guilt-ridden. “Yeah.”
Matthias looked at Emma. “What’s the code?”
She named four numbers.
He closed his eyes in exasperation. “Let me guess. His birthday.”
Emma wrinkled her freckled nose. “Lame, I know.”
Matthias turned away and continued down the sloping driveway, his mind sorting the possibilities. Who besides Eric and Emma knew Eric’s favorite four-digit sequence?
As Emma had stated, the garage stood open. The shovel leaned against the block wall in plain sight. Matthias raised his phone and snapped several photos of it before crossing to the basement door. He pulled on the gloves, punched the number into the security keypad, and entered.
While he didn’t expect to find the intruder, he wanted to give the place a quick search to make sure nothing else of interest had been left behind.
Or taken. The crime scene techs had clearly been there, as evidenced by the smudges of fingerprint powder and the empty spot where Eric’s computer had been.
The guest room was messier than the first time he’d seen it, as was the guest bath. Otherwise, nothing seemed out of place.
As Matthias descended the stairs to the main floor, he pondered the muddy shovel. The crime scene unit had been there. They would’ve collected that telling piece of evidence.
He made his way back to the garage and stood in the middle of it as he placed a call to Fergusson.
“Honeywell,” the trooper said, “to what do I owe the honor?”
Matthias ignored the sarcasm. “I’m in Eric Baker’s garage. You might want to get over here. We’ve located the shovel I suspect was used to dig Sonny Jones’s grave.”
The mockery was replaced by excitement. “In Baker’s garage? Wow. Thank you for tying a bow on my case against him.”
“Not so fast. Baker insists it’s not his.”
“Of course he does.”
“Why on earth would he leave a piece of evidence sitting in his garage? He’s meticulous. If it was his shovel, he would’ve hosed the mud off it.”
“Maybe he didn’t have time.”
“I’m not going to argue with you.” Nor was he going to mention the crime scene unit. Let Fergusson figure that out on his own. “I’m keeping the scene secure,” Matthias said.
“Thanks for that. I’m on my way.”
“Fergusson?”
“Yeah?”
“Bring a search warrant.” Matthias disconnected. He could well imagine Eric telling the investigators that they didn’t need the court order—that he had nothing to hide—but Matthias wasn’t about to let Emma’s friend make that mistake.
* * *
“Are you sure he can’t go inside?” Emma asked when Matthias joined her and Eric. “He’s ready to drop.”
Matthias studied Eric’s pale and bruised face and had to agree with her assessment. “It would be better in the long run if he waits for Fergusson to give the all-clear.”
“All right,” she said, her gaze dropping to the ground.
Matthias knew her well enough to see she had more on her mind. “What is it?” he asked.
She inhaled a deep breath, held it a beat, then exhaled, her shoulders sagging. “I got a text from my credit card company.”
She laid out the situation to him. Cheap motel. Not wanting to scare Nell into running. Acknowledging the fear that the card may have been stolen, possibly from Nell’s dead body. Emma’s decision to drive Eric’s car to Akron and find out.
Matthias listened in silence. When she finished, he gazed into the distance, thinking over her plan. And his response. He summed it up in one word. “No.”
She stared at him, visibly stunned. “No?”
The ice in her tone immediately told him it was the wrong word. He tried again. “Not alone. If you’re determined to go, I’ll drive you.”
“No.”
His jaw tensed at having it thrown back at him. “Why not?”
“Because you need to stay here and make sure the cops don’t railroad Eric back into jail. That shovel was planted. So was the trash bag with the glass.”
“I know.”
“I’m not sure they do.” She blew out another breath.
“I’ll be careful. I’m going to drive straight up, talk to whoever’s manning the registration desk to get a description of the person using my card.
If it’s Nell, I’ll bring her back with me, even if I have to tie her up and gag her.
If it’s anyone else, I’ll get back in the car, call the police and my credit card company, and drive straight back. ”
Matthias studied her face, the determined slant of her mouth, the steel in her eyes.
As much as he wanted her to lock herself back in their hotel room where she was safe, he knew it wasn’t happening.
If Nell was in that motel room in Akron, and if he kept Emma from going to her…
if Nell ultimately did take her own life when Emma could’ve stopped her…
Emma would hate him for the rest of his life. “Okay.”
Her reaction told him she’d expected more of a fight. “Really?”
“Yes, really. Just promise you’ll stay in touch with me every step of the way.”
Emma’s expression softened into a smile. “You’re not going to call Cassie and have her meet me in Akron as backup, are you?”
“It’s not a bad idea.” Except Cassie was recovering from a gunshot wound. A car turning the corner caught his eye. “Here comes Fergusson. You should wait in the car with Eric.”
“Gladly. Have I mentioned that I don’t like that man?”
Matthias kept his focus on the approaching sedan but gave Emma a grin. “Welcome to the club.”
She returned to the Prius as Fergusson parked behind Matthias’s Jeep, blocking the driveway.
Matthias waited, arms crossed, as Fergusson and Lukan exited the sedan and approached.
Fergusson stopped at the Prius and leaned down to peer into Emma’s open window. “Long time no see, Baker. I understand you made some ‘friends’ during your time in jail. I intend to make sure you have a reunion real soon. And this time, your fancy attorney won’t be able to get you kicked loose.”
Matthias couldn’t hear if Eric responded. “Back off, Fergusson,” Matthias said. “You need to stop with the tunnel vision and find the real killer.”
Fergusson straightened. “Yet all of the evidence keeps leading me back here.”
“Because whoever killed Jones is playing you for a sucker.” Matthias closed the distance between them. Without taking his focus from the trooper, he said, “Eric, show him your hands.”
Matthias didn’t need to look to know Eric complied willingly.
Fergusson, however, did bend down and peer inside the car. When the trooper again faced Matthias, his expression soured. “So, he wore gloves.”
“Your lab says half of the glass shard was bleached. The half the killer held. Meaning he wasn’t wearing gloves and needed to remove his DNA. Meaning,” Matthias said emphatically, “Eric isn’t your man.”
Lukan stifled a snicker, drawing a sharp scowl from Fergusson.
Coming back to Matthias, Fergusson demanded, “How did you get your hands on our lab results?”
Matthias wasn’t about to give up his source.
Fergusson muttered under his breath before saying, “Let’s see that shovel you called me about.”
“Did you bring the warrant?”
Lukan pulled the paperwork from his jacket pocket and handed it over.
Matthias scanned it before passing the document to Emma. “Make sure Eric holds on to this.” He gestured to the troopers. “Follow me.”
In the garage, Matthias stood back and let Fergusson and Lukan examine and photograph the shovel.
“I don’t care what you say, Honeywell. I liked Baker for this.” Before Matthias could respond, Fergusson held up a palm. “I have to admit, having this shovel suddenly show up gives me some doubt.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Fergusson planted his hands on his hips. “The forensics unit was meticulous when they went over this house, including the garage.” He pointed at the shovel. “This was never mentioned in their report.”
Bingo. “Because it was planted after they left. Eric couldn’t have done it, because he’s been in custody the whole time.”
“Jones’s killer isn’t very bright. Instead of assuring me of Baker’s guilt, he’s convinced me to dig deeper into our other suspects.”
Matthias knew all the manipulation tactics, like telling a suspect he bought their story only to get them to drop their defenses, but studying Fergusson’s face, Matthias believed him. “There are a few other details you’ll want to take into account.”
“Such as.”
“Ask yourself how someone managed to access first Eric’s car and now his garage.”
“I have a feeling you’ve been giving this considerable thought.”
He had. “Eric uses the same four-digit code for his garage door opener and his security system. His birthday.”
“Moron,” Lukan said.
“Our suspect may have known the code or knew his birthday and figured it out.”
Fergusson considered the possibility but gave a doubtful shrug. “If—and I’m only saying if—the suspect broke into Baker’s car to plant the bag of glass, he could’ve stolen the garage door opener. Or cloned it.”
Matthias had thought of that option as well and dismissed it. “I doubt it.”
“Why?”
“Your scenario hints at this guy planning ahead. Intending all along to plant the shovel. But if that’s the case, why not do it before the crime scene team searched the house?”
From Fergusson’s expression, he reluctantly agreed with Matthias.
Lukan raised a finger. “There’s another trick I saw a few times when I was investigating home robberies.
The thief would wedge a piece of wood between the garage door and the weather stripping, then use a coat hanger to grab and disconnect the emergency release lever.
” He pointed upward at the red handle hanging from a cord.
Matthias met Fergusson’s gaze. “Sometimes the simplest explanation is the best,” the trooper said.
“Old school.” Matthias pictured the maneuver Lukan had described.
“Doesn’t take a rocket scientist.” But it did require more than a passing knowledge of Eric.
They knew where he worked since that was likely where they’d broken into the Prius.
They knew where he lived. Matthias waited for Fergusson to suggest Emma was responsible.
Or Nell. But Nell was in the wind, hopefully in Akron, which was a good thing right now.
Fergusson kept any such suspicions to himself.
He turned to his partner. “Package that shovel so we can get it to the lab. I doubt we’ll get any prints off it, but you never know.
” His gaze shifted to the basement door, then to the open garage door.
“I don’t expect we’d get more than smudges from the keypads, but I’ll go out to the car and grab the kit just in case.
” He started toward the garage entrance.
“While I’m at it, I have a few more questions for Mr. Baker. ”