Page 113 of Everything She Feared

“But what?”

“We’re not done yet.”

“Well, we’re closer to nailing things down, like the prosecutor wants,” Benton said. “You know, Heidi rarely loses cases because she makes investigators bust their humps to make sure everything is airtight.”

“As it should be, Carl.”

He nodded, changing lanes.

“So now we’re heading to the Focus woman, Hamilton?”

“Marilyn Hamilton.”

“And once we’re done there,” Benton said, “I bet you we’ll go full circle back to Katie Harmon.”

“Don’t do that, Carl.”

“Do what?” He checked his mirrors to pass slower traffic.

“Don’t get tunnel vision.”

Marilyn Hamilton lived at the Blue Rose Bay Apartments in Seattle.

When they arrived, Pierce and Benton went to the parking lot, found Hamilton’s Ford Focus and confirmed the plate matched the one in the security footage. They entered the building’s secure lobby, Hamilton buzzed them in and they took the elevator to the sixteenth floor.

When Marilyn Hamilton opened the door, she was wearing stylish glasses and little makeup.

“Come in,” she said, taking them to the living room.

Pierce detected the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and a hint of lilac. The apartment was cozy, tastefully balanced with love seats and a small coffee table. Everything appeared perfectly placed with no clutter: a bookcase and framed photos, plants, a nook with a desk, a laptop, a wall map. Pierce noticed the wordsField Guideon a book on the desk.

“I just made coffee. Would you like some?”

“Absolutely,” Benton said. “Thank you.”

Hamilton brought their coffee on a tray from the kitchen. They fixed their cups to their preference, then began the interview. As they had with Croft in Issaquah, the detectives related a summary of the case and explained this was a routine follow-up, since investigators didn’t get Hamilton’s statement at the outset.

This time, Pierce pulled Benton’s tablet from her bag and gave it to him. He logged in and cued up the park’s security camera video, set it to play, then handed his tablet to Hamilton, who held it while watching.

When it ended, Hamilton shook her head slowly.

“It’s so sad,” she said. “I followed it on the news. It breaks my heart to know I was there when it happened. Such a waste of a young life. How can I help?” Hamilton handed the tablet back to Benton.

“What time did you arrive at the park that day?” Pierce asked.

“Oh, let me think, it was early. Isn’t the time marked on the video?”

“It shows when you left,” Benton said. “Not when you arrived.”

“Oh, I see, well, it was early when I left here. Maybe around six? It was an hour’s drive, so I’m guessing I got there around seven a.m.”

“Why go there so early?” Benton asked.

Hamilton nodded to the field guide on her desk.

“I’m a birdwatcher.”

“You got up before six and drove out to Sparrow Song Park to watch birds?” Benton said.

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