Page 32 of Criminology of a Character

“I found a match,” he said as they approached.

“Finally, something useful.” Lina leaned over the tech’s shoulder to study the screen.

“What’s wrong?” Bel asked when she remained silent. “Did it not find a match?”

“No, it identified the victim, but you’re not going to like the results.”

“Why not?” Bel’s nerves fired in anticipation.

“Because our John Doe is Harris Walker… the farmhouse’s owner.”

“You were right.No missing person’s report for Harris Walker was ever filed,” Sheriff Griffin said as he leaned back in his chair. Bel had returned to the station after the autopsy to brief her boss on the victim’s identity, and when she mentioned her suspicions about the lack of a missing persons, he’d taken it upon himself to confirm.

“Lina estimates he’s been deceased for approximately a decade?” he asked.

“That’s her guess,” Bel said.

“I’m sure we crossed paths at some point, but I don’t remember him.” He ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair. “To be gone that many years and have no one miss you. I can’timagine anything worse than no one caring about you enough to notice your absence.”

“Well, that’ll never be you.” Bel gripped her boss’ shoulder, and he patted her fingers. “But how is it possible that nobody realized he was missing? He didn’t have family, but he must’ve had a job or drinking buddies or something. How did no one realize he was gone?”

“Walker owned the farmhouse and property outright and the utilities were on, so there weren’t missed payments to alert anyone.I found no employment records, so no boss to notice his absence either. If he had friends or acquaintances, they never voiced their concerns. It’s a shame, but it seems he had no one.”

“Lina believes the killer let the body sit to dry out before he built it into the wall,” Bel said. “He would’ve had access to Walker’s phone. He could’ve made excuses to his contacts for the disappearance to avoid people snooping around.”

“That’s possible,” Griffin said. “But whatever the reason, Walker died unnoticed. It’s a tragedy, but it might help us. Someone was paying the property taxes and utility bills to ensure the farmhouse appeared lived in. I’m going to make some calls and track down who was making the payments.”

“It’s an expensive way to cover up a murder,” Bel said. “Paying bills for a decade, if not longer, because you don’t want anyone finding the body? There must be another reason for the payments. Walker didn’t have family, so who else would be interested in the land’s upkeep?”

“It made sense when we assumed Walker was the killer, but now, I’m genuinely confused,” Griffin said. “Most people hate paying their own bills. Why would the killer assume someone else’s?”

“Maybe because they needed property that wasn’t in their name,” Bel said, a theory popping into her brain. “The farmhouse looked lived in. Dishes in the sink. Food in the fridge.What if the killer spent the past few years living there? Someone would’ve noticed Walker’s disappearance if his house seemed abandoned. At some point, someone would have stopped by, seen the cobwebs, and realized something was amiss, so I think the killer’s been squatting there.”

“Living with his victim in the wall.” Griffin shuddered.

“I know.” Bel grimaced. “Yesterday, we assumed Walker still lived there, but now that we suspect it was someone else, I want to go back with fresh eyes. I might have missed something.”

“Good idea, but wait for Gold,” her boss said. “She’s flying home today, and if you’re right about the killer living in Walker’s house, I don’t want you there alone. Chances are he fled the minute the tree fell, but just in case he’s still in our midst, I want someone watching your back.”

“How was your Thanksgiving?”Olivia locked her car door and hugged Bel in the farmhouse’s driveway.

“It was great, but short,” Bel answered. “After their initial surprise, my family got along with Eamon. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the entire weekend with them, but maybe that’s a blessing. My sisters were dead set on playing bad cop/worse cop with him.”

“He would’ve been fine. Not even your sisters could intimidate that man… but I get it. I’m an only child, and I’m still worried about introducing Ewan to my parents. What if they don’t like him? I can’t marry a man my family dislikes.”

“Marry?” Bel paused halfway up the porch steps.

“Eventually, I mean,” Olivia said.

“Do you want to get married?” Bel asked.

“To him, or in general?”

“Both.”

“Yes, I want to get married. I’m in my thirties, so I’m done with the dating for fun,” Olivia said. “And when you know, you know.”

“Then your family will love him.” Bel rubbed her friend’s back. “We all like him. I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t.”

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