Page 7 of Fractured Memories

The chief’s eyebrows rose. “Is there reason to believe her killer was a woman?”

“An empty glass on the end table contained smeared lipstick marks but no fingerprints.” He riffled through the file and found a photograph of the item. “The investigating officer believed it’d been wiped down.” He tapped on the picture of Brooke. “She wasn’t wearing lipstick at the time of her death. Of course, that doesn’t mean much. We have no way of knowing when the glass was placed there.”

Felicity drummed her fingers against the table. “Brooke wasn’t the best housekeeper. She often left discarded dishes lying around the house for days.” She tilted her head. “Is the glass still in evidence? We might be able to pull the lip mark from the rim.”

It was a good thought. Lips were as individual as fingerprints and could be used for comparison. It was a shame the initial investigators hadn’t considered it.

Noah shook his head. “Afraid not. According to the report, once the chief of police heard there were no fingerprints on the glass, he discarded the item as unnecessary to the investigation.” He frowned. “Chief Walters, the former Knoxville PD chief of police, made a lot of mistakes while working cases. Nothing that rose to the level of corruption, but there were several bad calls.”

Tucker gaffed. “That’s a diplomatic way of putting it.”

Chief Garcia held up a hand. “We all know my predecessor didn’t do a great job running the department. There’s no need to belabor the point. Right now, we need to work with what we have. Keep going, Noah.”

“The only fingerprints recovered from the home belonged to Brooke and Felicity.” Noah read from a report. “The bullets recovered from Brooke’s body were 9mm. She didn’t own a handgun, so it’s believed the perpetrator brought the weapon with him.”

“That indicates the murder was planned.” Chief Garcia turned to Felicity. “So why didn’t the killer know about you?”

“I wasn’t supposed to be there. My dad was an emergency room doctor. On the night of Brooke’s murder, there was a pileup on the freeway and he was called in to assist. Dad dropped me off at Brooke’s around seven.” Her brow wrinkled. “I remember arriving, discussing the need to do my math homework, and then…” She spread her hands. “Everything after that is a blank. From the police reports, I know they found me hiding in an upstairs closet in the guest bedroom.”

“Did you often go to Brooke’s house unexpectedly?”

“No. My dad had a regular schedule and I was almost sixteen. He’d left me home alone while he was at work, but that night, Dad was worried he’d be roped into staying for a double shift.” Felicity’s gaze dropped to the crime scene photos, pain vibrating through her voice. “Brooke never complained, never made me feel like I was annoying to hang out with. I know Dad was paying her, but she genuinely seemed to enjoy spending time with me. She treated me like a little sister.”

The room grew quiet. Noah had the urge to cross the room and hug Felicity, but that would be unprofessional. Still, it tore his insides to witness her grief.

It seemed Chief Garcia shared the desire to comfort Felicity because he placed a meaty hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. “Sounds like Brooke was someone special. You have my word that we’re going to do everything possible to find her killer. And your attacker.”

“Thank you, sir.”

The chief turned to Noah. “Any suspects?”

“One. Brooke’s half-brother, Daniel Peterson.” He pulled out a mugshot of the man from the file and attached it to the whiteboard. Daniel had dirty blonde hair and pitted cheeks. “Daniel has been arrested several times on possession charges and neighbors witnessed a yelling match between him and Brooke a few days before the murder. Police questioned him repeatedly, but Danielhad a rock-solid alibi. He was at work on the night of the murder. Fellow employees confirmed it.”

Chief Garcia tilted his head. “Still, it might be a good idea to question him. Where is Daniel now?”

“He lives in town. Daniel’s divorced now, with two kids, and is employed as a sanitation worker. His last arrest for possession was one year after Brooke’s death. After that, it seems he got sober. He’s been out of trouble ever since.” Noah pulled out another report and slid it across the table to his boss. “There’s another potential suspect we should look into. Kurtis Ferguson.”

Grady sat up straighter. “As in judge Kurtis Ferguson? The criminal judge?”

“Yes. According to the initial interviews, Kurtis and Brooke dated briefly but broke up six months before her murder. He stopped by her house earlier in the day to pick up some of his things. Several of Brooke’s friends hinted that the relationship was volatile, but no one would outright say so.” Noah shrugged. “It could be innocent—people are often unwilling to speak ill of others—or there could be more to Brooke and Kurtis’s breakup than initially thought.”

“Their relationship was on-and-off, if I remember correctly,” Felicity added. “Brooke didn’t talk with me about it much, but I know she cared about him. She also had a best friend, Melanie something-or-other. They worked together at the bank.”

“Melanie Carpenter,” Tucker piped in. “Her family owns the Knoxville Bank. Melanie still works there as the manager. She’s also married to Kurtis now. No children.”

Felicity’s brows arched. “Brooke’s ex and her best friend got married? When did they start dating?”

Noah met her gaze. “Right before Brooke’s murder. Neither of them have a criminal record, and there’s nothing in the case file to indicate either of them were involved. Still, they should be questioned. If for no other reason than to learn what Brooke’s life was like in the weeks before her death.”

“Okay.” Chief Garcia pointed at the case files. “Noah and Felicity, I want you to work Brooke’s murder case from scratch. Talk to everyone all over again, starting with her brother, and compare their notes to the original interviews. Let’s see what shakes loose.”

Noah nodded. The chief’s plan was exactly what he’d intended to do before the assault on Felicity. The case file was small, the interview notes severely lacking. By questioning everyone in Brooke’s life again, they might uncover a motive for her murder.

“In the meantime, I’d like Grady and Tucker to continue working the assault on Felicity,” Chief Garcia continued. “While I know these cases are likely connected, I don’t want to risk overlooking something. Felicity was attacked by a man. There’s a possibility—because of the glass in Brooke’s living room—that she was killed by a woman. We could be dealing with two different perpetrators.”

Noah’s heart kicked against his ribs. His boss didn’t say it, but the clock was ticking. Somewhere, locked in Felicity’s memories, was the murderer’s identity.

And the killer knew it.

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