Page 45 of Fighting for Tawny

“Yes. It’s why I’m here.”

“We can discuss this later,” Tawny interjected. “Right now, we need to find the rock the murderer used, if he or she left it behind. It will have blood and hair on it. Soon, this area will be crawling with cops and crime scene investigators.”

Sweet Jesus is right! I’m in over my head!

Though fear of discovery sickened her stomach, Tawny’s mind debated two possible scenarios. Either Whitcomb arranged for Colfer to be eliminated because he wasn’t part of the drug trafficking organization, as Tawny assumed, and posed a threat, or Joy and Precious conspired to kill him. Maybe he’d sexually assaulted one or both of them. Or—Tawny’s eyes narrowed in speculation—Whitcomb had already approached Joy and Precious to run drugs. But with what incentive? False promises of freedom? Money? Both possibilities made sense, especially since Joy and Precious were the last two people to see Colfer alive.

Lost in thought, she tripped over something hidden beneath creepers and pine needles. She pitched forward and landed on her knees. Her flashlight flew out of her hand and sent a crazy beam in front of her. Tawny cursed and grabbed the flashlight. She brushed away the vines and pine needles and found the object that caused her to trip. A medium-sized rock. Excitement raised her pulse. She examined it closely and observed dark stains, most likely blood and brain matter.

“Captain Finnigan! Come here!”

Moira, Yolanda, and Terrin tramped across the ground toward her. “I tripped over it,” Tawny told them as they leaned over her shoulder.

“Is that it?” Yolanda asked, almost reverently.

“Yeah. The murder weapon. We need to leave it where it is for the investigators.”

It turned into a long, hellish night. The California State Police and the Chino Hills Police Department converged on the crime scene with a pair of detectives, the San Bernadino County medical examiner, at least a dozen officers, and the forensics specialists. External lights were set up as the crime scene investigators bagged and tagged evidence.

One of the detectives treated Tawny, Yolanda, and Terrin like the criminals they were when he pulled them aside and questioned them extensively about their involvement. “We’ll be running fingerprints and other DNA evidence we find on the body and murder weapon, and if they’re traced back to one of you, you’ll be charged with homicide and sent to prison for the rest of your miserable life.” He intimidated them with his threat. “This is the only opportunity you have to come clean about killing Gary Colfer.”

Yolanda lost her temper. “We didn’t do nothin’! We weren’t anywhere near him!”

“And yet you found the murder weapon.” The detective offered a smug smile. “You know what I think? You three and your girlfriends back at base camp conspired to bump off Colfer. What did he do? Force you to have sex with him? And bashing his head in with a rock was your way of getting revenge.”

“That’s a dirty, filthy lie! We didn’t?—”

Tawny laid a restraining hand on Yolanda’s arm. “Don’t say another word. He’s just itching to pin Colfer’s murder on us. He thinks we’re trash. Isn’t that right, Detective?” She memorized his name and badge number and intended to pay him a visit after she solved her case. Detectives like him infuriated her.

“Not true. I’m on your side. Just tell me the truth.”

Moira stepped in front of the detective. “Stop harassing my team.”

“Your team?” he scoffed. “They’re convicts who have no business being among decent people.”

“Go do your job and leave these women alone.”

After the crime scene technicians finished their tasks and the medical examiner announced a preliminary cause of death, the cops transported Colfer’s body to the coroner’s vehicle. The various agencies disbanded, leaving the night eerily quiet and still.

On their way to the command base, Tawny confessed her true identity. “My real name is Tawny Westfall, but I’m a sergeant in the Laguna Beach Police Department. Lucy Conner was my friend, and I’m determined to find out who murdered her and to protect all of you. There’s definitely something going on, and I’m starting to put the pieces together.”

“Never thought I’d be blood sisters with a police sergeant,” Yolanda declared. “But you’re cool. Like I promised, I got your back.”

“So do I,” Terrin vowed.

“We have to trust each other. Our lives depend on it.”

“And did you and Captain Finnigan know each other before you went undercover?” Yolanda asked.

Tawny grinned. “I’m dating her brother. Remember Smith? The hot firefighter? That’s him.”

Yolanda burst into laughter. “No kiddin’! I knew you two were hot for each other!”

“Only he’s not really a firefighter. He’s LA SWAT.”

“Oh, fuck me!” Yolanda almost fell off the bench they sat on.

Tawny and Terrin laughed and pulled Yolanda upright.

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