Page 72 of Light of Day
“Already? Just from what, breathing the air?”
Chen smirked. “Yes, I’m that good. No. I interviewed the coroner before I came out here. You saw the report, right?”
“No, they never sent it. Over the phone, I was told it was strangulation.”
“Did they mention what was used?”
Luke set his fists on his hips. “I assumed it was done with bare hands.”
“No. I’ll show you the report, it’s on my phone. It was done with a piece of cloth, not rope, because that leaves a very specific mark. No scraps of the cloth were left, thanks to the body being immersed in water.”
“So we don’t know what kind of cloth?”
“No. I was hoping I’d spot a scrap of thread somewhere on the rocks, but no such luck. However, think about it. The murderer chose this place to meet. They knew that if they weakened Denton enough, they’d be able to shove him over the edge here. They came prepared with a piece of cloth, maybe a scarf. They knew they wouldn’t have the strength to strangle someone as strong as Denton Simms without assistance. If they couldn’t kill him outright, plan B was to injure him, maybe render him unconscious, then roll him off the ledge. Either the fall would deliver the final blow, or he’d make it to the water and drown.”
“You think the killer planned it that carefully? Then why not just bring a gun or something?”
“A gunshot would draw attention, even out here. The sound travels. Whoever did this was clever and deceptive, but not especially strong. My guess is that it was a woman.”
That sounded quite…sexist to Luke. Were women more clever and deceptive than men? He couldn’t wait to hear this reasoning. “How do you figure?”
“The lack of signs of a struggle, to start with. We’d see something. Gouges in the grass, more footprints, that kind of thing. That tells me he was taken by surprise.”
“It could have been someone he knew and trusted, not necessarily a woman. Everyone knew Denton. He was well-liked and respected.”
“But what piece of cloth would a man have with him to strangle someone with? It wasn’t cold enough for a wool scarf, right? In order for the murderer to take Denton by surprise, the cloth had to be something innocuous, something he wouldn’t think was strange, such as a scarf. But outside of winter and maybe, I don’t know, Rome, only women wear scarves.”
“Cowboys wear bandannas,” Luke pointed out. “If someone wore a bandanna out here, it wouldn’t arouse suspicion.”
“I thought of that. I’m very thorough,” she added modestly. “A bandanna wouldn’t be long enough to give enough leverage. I tried it out on a mannequin back at the station. The cloth had to have been at least two feet long.” She measured that distance with her hands. “I believe we’re looking for a woman’s scarf-type item. Know any women here who wear a lot of scarves?”
“It’s not something I’ve ever paid much attention to,” Luke had to admit. “Lily Highgrove dresses like a hippie fairy. She might have some scarves. I’ve seen Judy wear scarves. The manager at the Lightkeeper Inn,” he explained.
“Would she have a motive for killing Simms?”
“Hard to imagine. She rarely leaves the inn.”
“As far as you know.”
Luke acknowledged that point with a tip of his head. “But what about the boot print? It’s a man’s size.”
“It could be unrelated to the murder. Or maybe our perp has large feet.”
“So we’re looking for a woman with big feet who wears scarves.”
“Possibly. It’s just a theory,” Chen admitted. “I’m known for my out-of-the-box theories.”
Something tugged at his memory. Someone had worn a scarf recently. He’d noticed it because of its dorkiness, its goofy pattern of ducks against a blue background…
”Holy shit. I know who wears scarves. Amy Lou Westbrook. She runs the historical society. She took over for Denton’s brother Jimmy. When I interviewed her, I thought she was hiding something. But I can’t believe she’d kill anyone. And I’ve never noticed her shoe size.”
“Means, opportunity, and most importantly, motive, my friend,” said Chen wisely. “If someone has enough motivation, they will do things you wouldn’t ever imagine.”
“Even a middle-aged woman with a yellow ducky scarf?”
“Especially someone with a yellow ducky scarf,” Chen said darkly, making Luke chuckle. “Lead the way.”
33
