Page 52 of Deadly Avarice
Grabbing my coat and keys, I headed out of the precinct. Becks gave me a knowing, commiserating grimace as I walked by. I’d no more reached my SUV when my phone rang. Checking it as I slid into the driver’s seat, I noticed the number had a Louisiana area code and quickly answered. “This is Detective O’Hare.”
“Cardoza,” Detective Cardoza answered. “I’ve got an update on the vehicle that ran Necromancer Boone off the road yesterday. Is this a good time?”
“As good as any. What have you got?” I dug through the middle console until I found a small pad of paper and pen.
“The SUV was found ditched in a field. I doubt we would have found it so quickly if it weren’t winter with the weeds and foliage died back. The front bumper is crumpled, and a cursory examination of the paint chips scuffed into the damage matches Boone’s car. The plates are Louisiana and start with the letter S. It’s also, in Boone’s words, ‘a big-ass, black, SUV.’”
“Who do the plates belong to?” I asked, eager for a name.
“Rental company.”
Fuck,I mentally cursed. “Did you get a name from the company?”
Cardoza grunted. “Fake. When we tracked down the credit card used it came back to a man in Vermont. The card was stolen.”
“Are you certain there’s no connection?”
“Not unless you think a ninety-five-year-old man in hospice is responsible for running Boone off the road.”
I closed my eyes and smacked my head three times against the head rest. “Prints?”
“Going through them now, but it will take some time. It was a rental and there are a lot to go through. Plus, according to Necromancer Boone, his assailant wore gloves. The chances of the fingerprints we want being found are slim.”
Tapping my pen against the pad of paper, I wracked my brain and finally asked, “Any video footage inside the rental company?”
“Interesting question and possibly a spot of luck. There are cameras and we have footage of the person signing the documents. It’s not great. The person wore a baseball cap throughout. Could be a wig, but they had long, brown hair with a bit of curl to it. Figure appears to be female but can’t say for certain. Once we get a suspect, I can compare the video and see if there’s a match.”
“Can you send me a copy of the video?” I asked. “This could be one of Boone’s clients. There’s a chance he might be able to recognize the individual.”
“I already sent it to the e-mail address you provided yesterday.”
“Thanks. I’ll look at it later. I’ve got a death notification to give.”
It was all I needed to tell Cardoza. “I understand. Those can’t wait. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry you have to do that today.”
“Me too.”
“Murder, accident, or suicide?” Cardoza asked.
“Murder. Teenager reported missing about seven months ago.”
“Shit. Kids are always the worst. Again, you’ve got my sympathies.”
“Appreciated.” My voice was gruff, but I didn’t think Cardoza would hold it against me.
“How’s Necromancer Boone doing?” Cardoza surprised me by asking.
I silently cringed while remembering how stoic Boone was this morning. He desperately tried to hide his level of pain. I saw through the act. If he was still hurting that badly when I got home tonight, I’d have to insist he go to the hospital. I’d stick to him like glue and God help anyone who treated him with disrespect.
“Worse than he’s letting on,” I finally answered.
“Sorry to hear that.” Cardoza sounded sincere.
“Me too. Thanks again for the update. I’ll have Officer Becks go over the video too. She’s a whiz when it comes to the tech stuff.”
“Several sets of eyes are always better than one. Let me know if Boone recognizes the person in the video or if Officer Becks finds anything we missed.”
I liked Detective Cardoza. He wasn’t so arrogant to believe something couldn’t have slipped by him. The man was more interested in solving the case than pandering to his ego. “Will do,” I answered. We shared a quick goodbye before the call ended.
