Page 63 of Now or Never
“You know what I liked? Solving crimes at the kitchen table, from Wyoming.”
Kenna smiled. “That was good. I mean, hands on and in person gives you so much more insight into what really happened, and nothing beats interrogating a suspect yourself. But watching the video and reading all the case notes? Why can’t we just solve crimes from home?”
“You wouldn’t get bored?”
“I don’t think that happens with work and a baby, and a crazy extended family. Ramon and Zeyla can do the legwork. If we need Amara, or Bruce, or Maizie, they can pitch in.”
“While we stay home?”
“Right now, that soundsamazing.” She closed her eyes.
“Because you get to take a nap?”
She chuckled. “It sounds…settled. In a way I haven’t been in a long time. More settled than even marrying you or knowing we’ll be a family of three in a few months.”
“I know what you mean.” He pulled onto the street. “Guess this is where the murder was.”
Two Baltimore Police patrol cars were parked on the side of the street, the officers standing at the hood of one car in conversation. A white van with FORENSICS on the side in big letters across the street indicated evidence collection was currently in process.
Ramon and Zeyla hung back while Kenna and Jax approached the officers and introduced themselves.
One of the officers nodded, set his travel mug on the hood of the car, and headed for the door. “The lieutenant said you were coming.”
She followed him up the front walk of the squat house with peeling stucco siding and the odd missing roof tile. The lawn had been maintained and wasn’t all weeds like the neighbors, which made it more impressive they’d managed to fight that battle and win. “The body has been taken away already?”
“Murder happened at least four days ago, maybe as much as a week. One of the neighbors saw the mail piling up and knocked on the door. Spotted him when they looked in the window.”
“Three notches in the floor and all the blood spilled?”
The officer held the door open. “Guess that’s why you’re here.”
Kenna stepped inside the house and smelled what hadn’t yet aired out. Of course, she didn’t have anything with her to put under her nose so she didn’t have to suffer her stomach roiling every time she got a whiff.
“Oh boy.” Jax made a face. “The victim kept the heat cranked. Either that, or the killer cranked it before he left.”
The forensic tech in the living room, crouched in one corner, wore a full Tyvek suit and face mask. Currently collecting evidence from beside the couch using tweezers and putting it in a small clear plastic container with a screw top lid.
“What was that?” The officer glanced between her and Jax.
“Turning up the heat messes with time of death.” Jax wandered down the hall to the panel on the wall. “It’s warm in here. Eighty-four.”
“Plenty of folks keep their homes warm.” The officer didn’t seem curious about the fact.
“Sure,” Kenna said. “But it also speeds up decomposition so it has to be considered as a factor. The killer could’ve turned upthe heat when they left and made it look like this person was dead a lot longer than they really were.”
She glanced around the living room. There weren’t any photos or art on the walls, and only a couch and recliner. One remote. TV somewhere out of sight from where she stood.
Nothing personal whatsoever.
She turned back to the officer. “What can you tell us about the victim?”
“Older male, sixties we figure, but it’s hard to tell. Killed in the same manner as the other crime you’re investigating.”
“Just looking into. Not necessarily trying to solve.” Because they already knew who the perpetrator was. The next task was to catch up to him before he killed someone else and get him in police custody. After that, he’d be bound for an institution that knew how to deal with the criminally insane.
The officer frowned. “Anyhow, he was strung up and drained of blood. Left dead in the pool on the floor. No indications he’d been tortured apart from the kill itself. None of the neighbors saw anything.”
Jax said, “Any idea what the victim did for a living?”
