“Nothing this stringent, as you know from your visit. And I sure don’t have a fancy place like you all got here.” Matt waved a hand and looked around. “Pretty dang frou-frou for people who cater to law enforcement.”
Grady crossed his arms, obviously taking offense at the comment. “Our main DNA clientele allows us to provide reasonably priced services to law enforcement and do pro bono work, too. You know, like how we’re providing our services to you for free. And DNA testing can be stressful, so we like our clients to feel relaxed.”
Ainslie wished Grady didn’t need to defend such an amazing place to Matt. She glared at him. “Sign the iPad, grab your badge, and come with me.”
Ainslie didn’t wait for Matt to agree but headed back to the door and pressed her fingers on the print reader to open it. Grady joined her.
“I want to wring his neck,” she whispered.
“You’ll have to get in line.” Grady grinned. “The guy sure has a need to feel important.”
“Probably comes from his quarterback days, when he was revered and developed such a big head. Obviously, that hasn’t changed.” She tapped her foot until Matt joined them.
“Behind these walls you’ll find a state-of-the-art lab like none you’ve ever seen.” She stepped through the door and marched straight for the elevator, then got them headed up for the quick trip to the second floor. She opened the lab door and stepped back to let Matt enter. She expected him to look impressed, but honestly, her irritation continued to mar his handsome face.
Emory got up from behind her desk and tugged her lab coat closed over her burgeoning belly. She stuck out her hand. “Emory Jenkins.”
Matt shook hands. “Tried calling you back.”
“I was taking a little break, but thank you for coming out here. I know that must’ve been inconvenient for you.”
“It was. Hope the trip was worth it.”
Emory looked like she wanted to sigh, and Ainslie wanted to deck Matt for his insensitivity.
Emory picked up a folder and pressed it open on the lab table. “You’ll find the results for the DNA recovered from Neil’s shirt. This first profile came from the saliva on his sleeve, and it’s a match for Wade Eggen.”
Matt stared at the paper. “That’s good news.”
“Yes.” She turned the page. “This second profile is from blood located on the front of Neil’s shirt.”
Matt’s head popped up. “Blood? I didn’t know you found blood.”
“We did.”
“Neil’s?”
“No, and it isn’t a match for Wade either.”
“A third person?” Ainslie asked fearing it might be Ethan.
Matt locked onto Ainslie’s gaze. “Your brother?”
“No, it’s not Ethan’s DNA,” Emory said. “I also ran the results through CODIS. Didn’t find a match there either. The subject is unknown.”
“So someone else was involved in the murder,” Grady stated.
“Could be, or could be blood from something else that happened in Neil’s day. Or could be from a person who helped bury him. So many possibilities of how that blood got on his shirt that there’s really no way to narrow it down.”
Matt looked at Emory. “Other than finding out who the blood belongs to.”
“Yes,” Emory said. “Find that person, and you could find an accomplice to murder.”
Grady could hardly comprehend that the DNA results not only didn’t answer all the questions but brought up another mystery to solve before freeing Ethan.
“A good lawyer could have a field day with this blood in court,” Murphy said. “Could raise enough questions as to Wade’s guilt.”
“But he confessed,” Ainslie argued.
Murphy scowled. “Doesn’t mean the prosecution’s a slam dunk. He could always recant.”
She shook her head. “I can’t even imagine this could happen. Not after all the work it’s taken to prove he was involved.”
Grady didn’t want to point out that the best cases could be lost in court over one forensic item. OJ’s glove came to mind as a good example, but Grady wouldn’t bring it up and make her feel worse.
Grady’s phone rang, and he grabbed it. “It’s Jayla’s mother.”
“Jayla?” Emory asked.
“A girl who lives across the street from Ethan. I think she witnessed Wade’s shooting or at least knows something about it.” He stepped away from the others and answered.
“I talked to my girl,” Heidi said. “She still says she was asleep and didn’t see or hear a thing.”
Grady thought for sure he was right about this girl, but it was looking like he’d let his personal life color his opinions. “Do you believe her?”
“I don’t know.” She paused, and Grady let the silence linger to encourage her to talk. “Something’s up with her. Not sure what. I asked her about the doorbell video. She’s kind of tech savvy, you know. So I thought she might be able to figure out how to find the account. She acted kinda weird. Could just be about her dad splitting on us. Could be more, I guess.”
Okay, so maybe he had been right. “Do you think if I talked to her again, she might tell me more?”
“Maybe. But I don’t want her to be pressured. She’s going through a tough enough time with her dad and all.”
“When would be a good time for us to come by to see her?”
“I’ll have to get back to you on that.”
Grady looked at Ainslie, who only wanted her brother out of jail and to be safe herself. Was that too much to ask? He didn’t think so. “I don’t mean to put pressure on you either, but this is important. Very important.”
“Okay, fine.” Her frustration with him flowed through the phone, and he felt like he was acting like Murphy had just behaved with Ainslie. “You can come over after dinner tomorrow. Seven works for us.”
“Thank you,” he said earnestly. “I’ll see you then.”
He hung up and went back to the group. Ainslie looked up at him.
“Heidi thinks Jayla is hiding something, and she might talk to us. So I made an appointment to talk to her.”
Ainslie frowned. “Poor girl being put in the middle of this. I’d rather not bug her, but I’ll do it for Ethan.”
Matt snorted. “Would serve him right if she kept quiet after what he did to Neil’s parents.”
Grady had to shove his hands in his pockets before he decked the guy for his insensitivity. Grady looked at Emory. “I assume you all are done here, and I can escort the good sheriff to the door.”
“We are,” Emory said.
Grady pointed at the door. “This way, Sheriff.”
He looked at Grady. “I’d like to talk to the little lady in charge of the bones.”
“She’s not here, tonight,” Grady said, though he had no idea if Kelsey was in her lab or not. He suspected she was, but if she’d needed to talk to Murphy, she’d have contacted him. “But I can have her call you.”
“What about the woman in charge of the other forensics? I’d like an update on that, too.”
“I’ll have her call you as well.” Grady went to the door and tugged it open, giving the sheriff such a pointed look that even a guy like Murphy couldn’t refuse to leave.
23
The team gathered in the conference room, Grady once again at the head of the table while they waited for Maya and Malone to arrive. He noted their outstanding leads on the whiteboard, and Ainslie snuck a quick look at him. She hadn’t seen him since last night, and she was still conflicted over his big reveal. She understood that a nine-year-old would be afraid to tell on his uncle. She even got that Grady might’ve kept the secret for a few years. But it had been twenty-five years now, and she couldn’t understand that, any more than she’d understood Ethan doing the same thing.
She knew Grady wanted her to tell him she didn’t think badly of him, but she couldn’t. Not when she couldn’t grasp his motives. Maybe she didn’t understand because she didn’t have the kind of close-knit fami
ly he’d had growing up and couldn’t fathom the repercussions that would ripple through his family. From what he’d said, his parents had been pillars in their community.
That kind of family she could only comprehend from an outsider’s point of view. From looking at families like his over the years and seeing them lead the community and set standards for everyone, standards that her family could never follow. Matt Murphy’s family was like that. His dad owned the local car dealership and was a deacon at the Baptist church. His mom was the church secretary, his sister head cheerleader. He was the quarterback and basketball star, too. Both prom and homecoming king. Class president. On and on. She could easily imagine the shockwaves that would travel through the community if one of their family members had hit and killed someone. It would destroy them.
But she didn’t think Grady was motivated to keep quiet due to social standing. At least not the Grady she’d come to know. This seemed to be just about his family unit. But then she could be all wrong.
She imagined visiting his parents. What would they think of her and her humble beginnings? They’d been hardworking farmers. She imagined salt of the earth kind of people. Maybe they weren’t like the social leaders in the Murphy family. Country club members.
She sighed, drawing his attention. He arched a brow, and she shook her head, telling him it was nothing. Or more likely communicating her confusion.
Maya clipped into the room in her no-nonsense way with Malone right behind her. Maya still wore her lab coat, and Malone was dressed in a black suit with a crisp white blouse, and she had her hair wrapped up in a bun. She looked regal and intimidating, and Ainslie had no problem imagining her in a courtroom wowing a jury.
Grady clapped his hands to still the conversations being held around the table. “Let’s get started.”
Malone dropped into a chair near the head of the table. “I’d like to go first, if I can. I have big news.”
“Sure,” Ainslie said eagerly, though it wasn’t her call.
“You’ll be happy to know the DA has reviewed the evidence from the swat call and sniper shooting at the crime scene and has brought two counts of attempted murder charges against Wade Eggen.”
Ainslie let out a long breath. “Thank goodness.”
“This is, of course, in addition to the murder charge for Neil Orr.”
Grady gave a thumbs up and smiled at Ainslie. “So that guy’s not getting out anytime soon.”
“Have they questioned him again about who shot him?” Grady asked.
Malone nodded and frowned. “Unfortunately, despite the evidence suggesting it’s not Ethan, Wade remains adamant that Ethan fired the gun.”
“Wait, what?” Ainslie gaped at Malone. “How can he keep lying about it?”
“I can help with that,” Nick said, drawing everyone’s attention. “I used a Cellebrite software program called Cloud Analyzer to research Ethan’s phone data on Google’s servers. They logged several location points with latitude and longitude for his phone during the time when he supposedly shot Wade. The points show him on the road from the bar to his place when the witness reported hearing the gunshot.”
“Excellent work.” Malone gave Nick a dazzling smile. “That, coupled with Grady’s bullet analysis, and we’re making good progress in getting Ethan released.”
“Progress? Are you kidding?” Ainslie asked. “We still need more?”
Malone gave a concise nod. “Wade’s claim still trumps almost everything. Unless we can prove he’s lying.”
“But both of these things do prove that,” Ainslie argued.
“Not really,” Malone said. “More like they poke holes in his statement. Sure, it might put doubt in a jury’s mind, but if you sat on this jury, who would you believe? The man who is accused of attempted murder, or the victim who now has to live with a bullet in his head for the rest of his life?”
“But Wade is a criminal himself. A killer. It wouldn’t be hard for me to believe he was also a liar.”
“The problem is”—Malone sat forward—“there’s no apparent reason for Wade to lie. No motive. No reasonable explanation for the jury.”
She paused and locked gazes with Ainslie. “And without that or concrete proof that Ethan didn’t pull the trigger, I’m sorry to say, he’s still facing a stretch in prison.”
Just after six-thirty, Grady drove the company SUV down the highway toward Heidi and Jayla’s house. Ainslie was tucked into the passenger seat, and Nick loomed large in the back. He’d come along in case Heidi gave them permission to access the doorbell videos.
Despite Malone’s dire tone at the meeting, Grady was feeling optimistic about this visit. If Jayla had witnessed the shooting, and if the doorbell camera recorded the incident, they would have everything needed to free Ethan. And with Wade behind bars, Ainslie could return to her normal routine. So could Grady. Until he had to go to Nebraska and ruin the lives of his family members. No. Stow it. No point in even thinking about the upcoming event when he could do nothing about it.
He looked at the mostly clear sky with bright reds and yellows as the sunset took the light with it, a hint of predicted rain in forming clouds. He liked that the days were getting longer, but as they neared Ethan’s desolate neighborhood, he was glad for the darkness so he wouldn’t have to see the dire conditions Jayla and Heidi were living in.
He clicked on his blinker and exited the freeway. “I wonder if there’s anything we can do to find a safer neighborhood for Jayla and Heidi.”
“I’m glad to help you try, but it’ll be tough,” Ainslie said. “I know when Ethan was looking, there was nothing reasonably priced anywhere but out here. The way property values shot up in the metro area again, rent has skyrocketed.”
Grady rarely considered how blessed he was with his housing situation. “With my condo, I don’t even think about rent or property values. But there’s got to be something we can do, right? Maybe find housing assistance.”
She frowned at him. “Maybe they don’t want assistance. Maybe Heidi wants to stand on her own two feet.”
Right. The whole charity thing again. “I only want to help.”
“Yeah, I get that. People said that when I was a kid, too, but it was often followed by judgment.”
He looked at her for longer than he should have and swerved into the next lane. A horn honked, and he jerked the SUV back.
“Drive much?” Nick asked, his sarcasm traveling over the seat.
Grady resisted rolling his eyes. He’d wanted to see if there was more behind Ainslie’s comment. Like maybe something to do with him telling her about Uncle Tommy. She still hadn’t said a word about the secret, and it was eating away at Grady’s gut. But right now, he thought her comment was all about the way she was raised.
He’d told her how he felt about it several times, but it was so important to her that he needed to make sure she understood his point of view. He glanced at her again. “You know there’s no judgment from me, right?”
She gave a swift nod, and his gut relaxed a fraction. “Still, if you decide to mention finding a place for Heidi, be sensitive to her responses.”
Nick snorted.
Grady looked in the mirror at him. “What?”
“Sensitive and you don’t go hand in hand, bro.” Nick chuckled.
Ainslie looked over her shoulder. “Grady has a sensitive side. He just doesn’t show it very often.”
Grady didn’t know how to take that. Was she complaining? Stating a fact? Noncommittal and didn’t really care one way or the other?
He wished he wasn’t driving. Or at the very least that Nick wasn’t along for the drive so he could talk about Uncle Tommy. But did he really want to know what she thought? There’d been a coolness directed his way ever since the big reveal, and that didn’t bode well for him.
His phone rang, and Heidi’s name flashed on his dashboard screen.
“I hope she isn’t calling to cancel.” He accepted the call. “What’s up, Heidi?”
�
�She’s gone. Jayla…someone took her…I saw him.” The words barreled through the phone, tripping over each other in a complete panic. “He dragged her into a big SUV and drove off.”
Ainslie shot out a hand and grabbed Grady’s arm in a tight hold, her frightened gaze locked on him.
Grady took a breath. “Slow down, Heidi. Tell me what happened.”
“I got home from work late. The front door was busted in. I ran inside. Saw a big guy dragging Jayla out of her room. I ran after them. Jumped on his back.” A deep, heart-wrenching sob came over the speakers.
Ainslie gasped, her hand tightening.
“He bucked me off,” Heidi stated. “Socked me in the mouth and shoved me down. Now he has her. Hurry. Please help. I need help.”
They were still a few minutes out, and Grady grappled with how to handle this. “Did you call 911?”
“No. I thought you could help.”
The pressure of finding Jayla without law enforcement nearly swamped Grady. He had many skills, the center many resources, but the police were trained and ready to handle an abduction. “Hang up now and call 911. We’ll be there in three minutes.”
“But I…”
“Do it, Heidi! They can get there faster.” At least Grady hoped they could, but police response these days with budget constraints was slower than in the past. “And they’ll put out an alert on the man and his vehicle.”
“Okay. Hurry, though.” The call ended.
Ainslie faced him. “Hurry! Hurry! She needs us. Please hurry. Oh, God.” Her hand fell off and she closed her eyes.
Grady pressed harder on the gas, and the SUV shot forward.
“She said he broke in the front door,” Nick said. “The doorbell camera might’ve recorded it. If I can get onto their network, I should be able to figure out where the files are being stored and might be able to get a look at this guy.”
“Good thinking.” Grady’s heart thundered in his ears as he whipped onto Heidi’s street. “Do that the minute we get inside.”
Dead Center Page 22
