Page 51 of Now or Never
Detective Langley wandered from the front door down a musty-smelling hallway to the living room. A single recliner, weight bench, a rack of dumbbells and one side table were the only furniture aside from the huge TV on the wall. The kitchen looked just as bare.
Kenna wanted to walk around but needed to see what the cop had to tell them first.
“We dug,” Langley said, “but his prints didn’t come up with anything else. And neither did running his image through facial recognition.”
“And you have to believe the Pentagon did their due diligence on a background check.” She glanced around, clocking the cleaned-up spot in the middle of the floor. “So, if there was anything to find, they’d probably have already discovered that he wasn’t who he was claiming to be.”
Jax chimed in, “Unless the military provided him with the name and background.”
“Pretty elaborate.” The detective stuck his hands in his pockets. “Why would they do that?”
“Who knows.”
Kenna surveyed the floor. “Pretty big pool of blood here.” Before it had been cleaned up. “When was he discovered?”
“Hadn’t paid his rent, so the manager stopped by. When he didn’t answer for a few days in a row, she let herself in.” Langley hissed out a breath between clenched teeth. “Nasty stuff.”
“Because the killer drained all his blood, or most of it?” She noted three scuff marks at equal points on the floor. “Did he set up some kind of tripod, or stand? Strung the guy up and let him bleed out.”
“That’s what our techs surmised. No one saw anything, and when we got here the contraption was gone. But they believe the killer set up a device and hung him from it. Slit his throat and a couple of other places and drained his blood onto the floor. Left him lying in it after he died.”
“You’re right. That is a nasty way to go,” Jax said. “Were there signs of torture?”
“None, and he had sticky residue from tape over his mouth left on his cheeks. No duress whatsoever. We believe he knew the killer.”
Kenna figured that was one theory. “Or he was resigned to dying. Knew they were coming for him and didn’t fight it. What’s the point?”
“Would anyone actually do that?” Langley asked. “I figure anyone would fight, even if they’re resigned.”
Kenna shrugged. “I’d love to talk to his coworkers, or neighbors, or his therapist.”
“I did.” Langley sounded a little perturbed.
“Good, because we don’t have time to do that.”
The detective glanced at his watch. “He kept to himself. No friends, and he didn’t speak much with his coworkers. Did his job and went home. No indication he was seeing anyone or had a therapist. No cell phone.”
Jax wandered to the window. “That you found, or he didn’t have one?” He looked back at them.
“By all appearances, he didn’t have one.” Langley shrugged. “No bill, nothing on his credit card except DoorDash and all the apps to stream TV and movies on demand. If we was ordering food, he must’ve had a burner would be my guess.”
Kenna looked around, putting her hands on her hips. It didn’t matter if this detective found out she was pregnant, and it wasn’t like she was keeping it a secret. She needed to stretch out her shoulders and think. Pace a little.
Langley shifted. “What’s your interest in this guy?”
She wanted to ask if he knew who she and Jax were, or the kinds of cases she usually worked, but there was nothing about her life lately that was “usual.” Instead, she asked him, “Did you come across any other deaths that followed a similar pattern, or did the FBI find any?”
“You think this is one on a list of victims?” His brows raised. “Like a serial killer?”
“More like a hit man,” Kenna said. “This guy knew something, or someone wanted to end his life to get him out of the way.”
“For reals?” The detective glanced between them. “Like a conspiracy?”
“Trust me,” Kenna said. “Stranger things have happened.”
She walked down the hall and looked at the bathroom, then the bedroom. This guy lived a simple life. He didn’t accumulate stuff. He didn’t have a past. No hobbies, no social media, no life. Just work and his recliner. Sleep. Exercise.
When she reached the living room, she said, “This place seems more like a cover. He hasn’t put down roots. He just needs a place to crash while he’s on this job. Then when it’s over, he moves to the next…assignment.”
