Page 60 of Only Girl Alive

“First floor cleared,” crackled over the radio.

A few minutes after that, the second floor was cleared.

Bina came out and approached the van’s window.

“It looks like they packed for an extended vacation.”

“Or forever,” Eve grumbled.

“Yeah, that too. We’re going room by room for anything that could possibly be related to the crime scene, but it’s not looking good. They even took all their shoes. Garage door is locked and we’re looking for keys.”

“I’ll just sit here and twiddle my thumbs,” Eve complained.

“That will make Clyde happy.”

Eve received a sympathetic smile before Bina went back inside. She rolled down the driver’s side window when Ray walked up to the glass.

“God squad just took off like a bat out of hell and the media followed them.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. Hold your post. We can’t trust they stay gone.”

“Got it.” He walked over a few feet and turned his back to the van.

Bina came out carrying keys and started working them into the lock on the garage door. Several tries later, it clicked open. Before she lifted the door, Eve got out and crouched down, ready to cover if someone were inside.

“Collin, get out here,” Bina called over the radio thirty seconds after the door slid upward.

The garage was angled so Eve could only see inside about five feet into the right front corner. Collin jogged out and stopped, covering his lower face with his hand, indicating something smelled foul.

Eve walked over. The garage was a hunter’s paradise except for the smell. A deer carcass had been left rotting in the back corner. Heavy sheets of black plastic were draped under it to catch the blood.

The family had left in a hurry. Chances were good that they had gone shortly after Eve and Collin had spoken to Howard Wall. Eve wondered if they had been packing while they were there.

Clyde came out of the house and joined them.

Their attention turned to the wall opposite the carcass, which held more than ten knives displayed in a large wooden frame. It contained two empty spaces that were waiting to be filled, or could have housed the missing murder weapon.

Collin stepped closer. “He’s got a Wicked Edge Pro. Expensive and a really good knife sharpener.” He pointed to a piece of equipment mounted to the counter below the knives.

“What are we taking?” he asked, continuing to stare at the assortment of hunting gear.

“Can you point out the skinning knives?” Eve questioned.

He stepped closer. “There are three that fit what the expert said. I can’t entirely rule out some of the others, though.”

“We’re packaging them all. I’ll get pictures first.” She turned to Clyde. “Anything to collect inside?”

“No, but I think we should dust for prints and collect DNA samples. What if they try to say Hannah was here and she hasn’t been in town since we arrived?”

The thought had occurred to Eve too. The worst-case scenario was that Hannah was dead. If she had never been in this home, Eve might have enough recorded audio to implicate Aaron and Howard Wall for obstruction. Murder would be harder to establish, but if Hannah wasn’t found, Eve would do everything she could to prove exactly that.

“Do you want my help?” she asked Clyde. It wasn’t her favorite job, but she could handle it.

“No, get photos of the garage. Do you think we should take photos inside to show the family cleared out?”

“Good idea. I’ll grab my camera.”

“Are you okay?” he asked, once again visually checking her over.

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