Page 74 of Code of Courage

CHAPTER32

A ghost gun was a privately made firearm. Anyone could make one. And they were a huge problem for law enforcement. Basically a DIY project, a ghost gun was assembled by individuals using parts or kits that included one unfinished piece—typically the frame or receiver—which required the purchaser to do some drilling to make the gun fully functional. These do-it-yourself weapons didn’t need serial numbers, and the kit or individual pieces could be sold without the background check a person buying a regular gun would have to go through. Ghost guns were virtually untraceable. This one was a .22 caliber, the same caliber as the slugs found in Johnston and the possible weapon in Hobbs’s death.

Danni and Matt handled the gun carefully as they placed it into an evidence bag. With luck, some print would be recovered from the weapon. There was also some ammunition in the hidey-hole, which was important as well. If this was the gun used to kill Thomas Johnston, hopefully they could connect it to the killer. Of course, it could have been Thomas’s gun, but Danni had her doubts. All she knew about Thomas said he was a loudmouth but not violent.

Matt called for an evidence team to come remove the mattress. Danni knew from hearing his side of the conversation there was a problem.

“Now, right away.” He held a hand up and shot Danni an exasperated look. “What do you mean you won’t come out without an okay from the watch commander?” He disconnected.

“What?” Danni asked.

“A new policy. No callouts to Barton Plaza unless okayed by the watch commander.” He punched in another number. “Who’s on today?”

“Don March.”

In a few minutes Matt was speaking to March, though his conversation wasn’t going any better than when he’d spoken to dispatch. He disconnected.

“It’s a big n-o and we’re to get out of here this minute. We have no authorization to be here. I think we’re in trouble.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I wish I was. Think we can get the mattress into our car?”

“Ha. I’ve got a knife and an evidence bag. Let’s cut a piece out and we’ll record it. A big piece should yield a large enough blood sample to match to Hobbs.”

Danni held the camera while Matt cut out a piece. Once he finished, they grabbed all the evidence they’d collected.

“Anything else?” she asked.

He shrugged and started to say something when the window to the left of the front door exploded inward and a rock careened across the floor.

Reflexively holding a hand up and turning toward the window, Danni watched as a flaming bottle filled with gasoline, based on the acrid smell assaulting her senses, flew through the open window, catching the drapes and the tablecloth on fire.

---