Page 44 of The Keeper

Daniels recognized the danger and looked contrite. “Odell worked the first shift and was supposed to clock out at five, but his replacement, Deputy Lawson, was late and arrived soon after Mick received his dinner.”

“I want to talk to Odell and Lawson both.” Daniels indicated Mick’s death was likely from natural causes, but Seth’s Spidey sense was tingling. “Who found Mick, and what happened afterward?”

“Lawson came to retrieve Mick for the meeting with his attorney and found him unconscious in his cell. He unlocked the door, rolled him to his back, and noticed a blue tinge to his skin. Mick didn’t have a pulse, but Lawson radioed for medical staff and began CPR.”

“I joined the resuscitation efforts, but Mr. Carson was beyond our help by this point,” Sherry said. “I called my supervisor, who instructed me to notify the medical examiner, and Lieutenant Daniels notified you, sir.”

A loud scuffle and shouting came from somewhere close by. Seth fought back a cringe when he recognized one of them belonged to Lyndhurst. He had a feeling the other outraged person was Carson’s lawyer. His fears were confirmed moments later when Officer Lawson rounded the corner with the attorneys hot on his heels. What the fuck was Lawson thinking by allowing them at a potential crime scene? The chatter increased in volume and intensity when the lawyers noticed Seth.

“You have some serious explaining to do,” Tony said when the trio joined him.

Ron Goldie, Mick’s attorney, elbowed past the prosecutor and said, “I want to see my client.”

Seth held both hands up. “No one is going in the cell. We treat all unattended deaths like a crime scene until a thorough investigation says otherwise. The medical examiner is on the way.”

“The feds are going to have a fucking fit,” Tony said.

Goldie rounded on Lyndhurst and crossed his arms over his chest. “My client is dead, and that’s what you’re concerned about? You better start worrying about the wrongful death suit his family will file.”

“Now, wait a minute,” Seth said. “There’s no evidence of wrongdoing. I will run a thorough investi—”

“Bullshit!” Goldie exclaimed as he turned his ire on Seth. “You’re the last person I want looking into Mick’s death.”

Seth hoped he didn’t outwardly betray the fear churning in his gut. Did Goldie know about his relationship with Rueben?

“I insist on an independent investigator,” Goldie said, pulling out his phone from his suit jacket. “And I’m confident the FBI will agree.” The attorney headed back in the direction he came, with Lyndhurst snapping at his heels. Nothing their prosecutor said would change Goldie’s mind, and Seth couldn’t actually blame the attorney.

Seth bit back the frustrated growl trying to escape and turned his attention to Lawson. “Why were you late?”

“I had a flat tire,” the deputy explained. “My wife and kids are out of town at her folks’ house this weekend, so I had to call for roadside assistance.”

Maybe it was a coincidence, but Seth couldn’t take the chance. “Did you run over something, or is this a recurring issue with the tire?”

“It’s had low air a few times over the past few months,” Lawson said. “I took it to the tire store twice, but they said there was nothing wrong with it. The guy from roadside assistance found a nail in it, though. Either the mechanic missed it during my previous trips, or I recently picked it up. I’m just glad my wife didn’t drive my car as she’d planned. I would’ve hated for her and the girls to get stranded on the interstate.”

“I’m glad about that too.” Seth looked at Daniels. “Is there anything you can add to the conversation right now?”

“No, sir.”

“I want you to spearhead the search for Odell. Call every number we have for him. I also want his personnel file and a list of every person who touched Carson’s meal.”

Daniels furrowed his brow. “You don’t think this is an accident?”

Seth inhaled deeply as he considered his words. “Mick Carson died an hour before he planned to strike a plea bargain with Prosecutor Lyndhurst. I don’t believe in coincidences.” Seth’s conviction grew stronger every minute. “Find Odell, get his file for me, and start the list of anyone who came in contact with Mick and his food today.”

“On it, sir,” Daniels said.

“What would you like me to do?” Sherry asked.

Seth took a few steps forward to look inside Mick’s open cell door. The older man lay on his back, his sightless eyes looking up at the ceiling. The bluish skin suggested a cardiac event, but it wouldn’t serve Seth well to speculate on the cause of death. He’d just have to turn over every stone to ensure there was no foul play on the part of his jail staff. There were ways to kill people to make it look like a natural death, and Mick Carson wasn’t in the best of health. He mentally recited the notes in the file from Mick’s first stay in their jail. He turned to Lawson, who stood silently in the hallway. “Carson has a severe peanut allergy, right?”

“Yes, sir,” Daniels said. “There are very strict rules about his food. It can’t come into contact with the nut or its byproducts.”

“Could someone have given him an unauthorized candy bar or something?”

“Doubtful, sir. We can review footage from the security cameras in the hallways.”

That was already on Seth’s to-do list. He closed the cell door to reduce the risk of further contamination. “No one gets in or out except for the medical examiner,” he told Lawson.

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