Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51825 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 259(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, woman. It’s Marie Rodriguez’s house. We’re keeping the location free of emergency vehicles because we can’t risk attention on the house, and murder, until you get me answers. The ME already left. The forensics team is still working, but they’re in unmarked vehicles parked inside the gate.”
“Then why draw on me?”
“You went for your weapon.”
“My hand was on my weapon, as training dictates if I assume a threat, which clearly was you, since you drew on me.”
He huffs out a breath and lowers his weapon, holstering it. I follow his example and wait for what comes next, as that move is on him. He waves at the driver. “Give us a minute.” The driver exits the SUV and shuts us inside alone. Ellis looks me in the eyes and says, “I’m sorry. I’m on edge. It’s not like me to be trigger-happy.”
On the surface, the apology is what would be expected, right in every way, but it somehow feels wrong. Someone of his caliber should not be this jumpy even under threat. It’s weird. “Trigger-happy is a good way to get killed.”
“So is doing nothing. Which is why I’m going to aid the investigation. I’m going to walk the scene with you.”
“Just don’t fuck anything up,” I say.
“I will try not to fuck anything up, Agent.” He knocks on the window, and the driver returns and soon we’re traveling a circular drive and pulling up to the front of the house.
“Everyone’s cleared out. The coroner is on standby. We had to get in and out to avoid attention. I gave instructions to leave the body until you clear the scene.”
In other words, evidence has been picked through and the site could be tampered with. “We checked cameras already, I assume?”
“They were looped,” he says. “Just like the cameras at Murphy’s building. I still owe you notes on what we did with Murphy’s investigation.”
“You do, especially since you’ve handcuffed me by pulling the locals,” I say. “I usually use them. I trust Chief Houston.”
“I get that, but I can’t have this get out. I’ve got agents you can use.”
“It was leaked on the dark web. Your agents are talking. Houston’s not going to let that happen.”
“I’ll get you the notes and we can talk about Houston after we deal with Marie.”
The SUV halts in front of the door, and we exit. I hand Ellis a pair of gloves, which he accepts, and then motion around him. “You think the bastard is watching?”
“Assassins like to get in and get out. It’s not personal to them, it’s just a job. Unless, of course, the assassin has a personal vendetta.” I pull on my gloves. “Any of you piss off an assassin?”
“No one who admitted that job title to me.” He finishes pulling on his gloves. “Let’s get to this.”
We walk up the stairs, toward the door, where two agents guard the entry. “Agent Love-Mendez this is Agents Reid and Miller. They will both be at your disposal.”
Reid is a tall, redheaded guy. Miller is a bulky Black guy. “Have we interviewed neighbors?”
“If we do that, word will leak,” Ellis says. “It’s problematic.”
“What can we do to solve this crime?” I ask. “Stare at a dead body?” I look between my two helpers. “I don’t need you. I can wait for the next victim on my own.” I walk into the house to find Marie lying right smack in front of me, in the foyer, a bullet between her eyes. I eye the placement of her body and feet, and it’s an easy bet she was shot the minute she opened the door.
Murphy let his attacker in the door. Marie Rodriguez never got the chance. Her body position told that story. She opened the door. She was shot. She may or may not have let the killer in the gate. Her attacker could have dismantled the security system and gone over the top. The cameras at Murphy’s place were looped. There are clearly some tech skills at play here. Circling back to Murphy being found in the middle of his living room, that suggests he knew the person. Or he answered the door to a drawn weapon. He was CIA at some point. It could have been them. The CIA does some fucked up things. That said, if he knew his killer, then that means this isn’t a hired killer. The dark web says otherwise, but I can’t allow that to dictate my investigation. I’m at least opening my mind to the idea that the killer is not for hire, but rather, after revenge.
Director Ellis steps to my side and I kneel down next to Marie. She’s in a pantsuit and I check her pockets, looking for a clue as I had with Murphy, but I find nothing. That includes a phone. Just as it had been with Murphy.