Page 9 of I'm Watching You

‘Yeah.’

‘What can you tell me about the murder?’ Sara said.

‘I just got here myself. But from the looks of it, Harold was shot point-blank in the chest and his left hand severed. In which order, I don’t know yet. The medical examiner should be able to tell me.’

Sara nodded, lowered the camera. ‘Blood-splatter patterns suggest he was shot where he fell. The bullet to the chest would have been enough to kill him.’

She squatted and studied the body. ‘There seem to be no bruises, no scratches, and no signs of trauma. And there’d be signs of all that if the killer tried to take the hand first.’

‘Harold was a street-savvy guy and didn’t trust easily. But it looks like he came of his own free will with the killer. His car isn’t parked on the street.’

That caught her off guard. ‘He rode here with his killer?’

‘I think so. But that only narrows the search to about a million people,’ Zack said.

‘What would make him get into the car with a killer?’

‘Look at his left arm.’

She frowned. ‘Track marks. You think he came for drugs?’

Zack understood the power of addiction. ‘Wouldn’t surprise me.’

She snapped more pictures. ‘With all the blood it will be a miracle if the killer didn’t get any on his feet. I’ll search for footprints.’ Sara glanced up at the sky and frowned before she lowered her lens back to Harold’s wrist. ‘Any sign of the hand?’

‘Not yet. I’ve got officers walking the backyard searching for it.’

‘Why take the hand? Some kind of trophy?’

‘Maybe.’

She glanced around at the houses. ‘I’m guessing a silencer was used. Gunshot residue will tell me if the killer was close.’

‘Work fast. I don’t think the weather is going to hold.’

Sara nodded. ‘Morning news says late morning thunderstorms coming out of the west.’

Not good. A scene like this could take days to process and it appeared that they might only have hours.

‘I’ll leave you to your work. Thanks.’ Zack stepped back, aware that tension had settled in his lower-back muscles. He wanted a beer but that was out of the question. He’d have to settle for a long run along the river.

‘Hey, Zack.’

‘Yeah?’

Sara flipped her bangs out of her eyes, which were bright with anticipation. ‘I’m having a party this weekend to celebrate my promotion. Care to come?’

Over the last couple of months Sara had asked him out a few times. He’d made the mistake of sleeping with her a year ago. Since then, he had made a point of keeping their relationship professional and sidestepping all of her invitations. He couldn’t explain why but he felt he owed fidelity to Lindsay until the divorce papers were signed. ‘Thanks, Sara, but I don’t think I’ll make it.’

She didn’t hide her disappointment. ‘You sure you can’t come? Everyone at headquarters is going to be there. The party should be a real crush.’

‘Sorry. I’m going to have to pass, Sara.’ He offered a wan smile and took a step back.

Sara nodded thoughtfully and let her gaze drift from him to the shelter. ‘When you see Lindsay, tell her I said hello.’

Chapter Four

Monday, July 7, 9:45A.M.

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