“Not you, too.” She let out a long breath. “Fine. I’ll sign a waiver. If you’re worried that I’ll fall and—”
“That’s the least of my worries right now. I need you to immediately step away from the area.”
“I don’t think you understand. I met this woman just yesterday, Stokes. I find it very disturbing that—”
“I understand more than you think.” He raised his phone, which had The Kinsley Chronicle displayed on its screen. “Interesting reading. Especially when it’s written by a woman who lambasted you just a few hours before she’s murdered on her houseboat.”
Kendra stared at him. “You actually think I may have had something to do with this?”
“At this point, I’m not ready to think anything.”
“Obviously.”
He ignored the jab. “Okay, no, I don’t think you killed the woman. I respect my own judgment. I’ve been around long enough to sift out the bad guys. I’d let you go up there if I could. Look, you helped me the other night. You made me look good.”
“I take it you took full credit.”
He shrugged. “I might have left a few things out of my report.”
“I don’t care about that. Just let me climb this damn ladder.”
He shook his head. “Can’t do it. My captain would say you’re definitely a person of interest. Your, shall we say, contentious relationship with the deceased means that I can’t let you contaminate the crime scene. But I do need to get a statement from you.”
“Now?”
“I’m a little busy at the moment. Stand back and let us do our job.”
She shook her head in disbelief as Stokes turned and walked toward the houseboat.
Lynch took her arm. “Come on. I’ll make some phone calls. We’ll set that guy straight.”
Kendra’s eyes were still fixed on the houseboat’s tall mast. “Give me a minute.”
“What do you see?”
“Nothing yet. But if I can just…”
The sheer horror of the crime scene was preventing her from truly comprehending what she was seeing, she realized.
Block out the terror and the pain that was etched over this woman’s face.
Detach. Concentrate.
She scanned the houseboat, Sheila’s still-bleeding corpse, the dock, the surrounding area …
“Anything?” Lynch asked.
“The houseboat was her home. She didn’t stay there last night, and probably not the night before. Her car is the Volvo over there. She was killed as she walked from the parking lot.”
Lynch turned toward the lot. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. No one is even paying attention to the real murder scene, though a couple of the cops have already traipsed through it. They’ll realize it after sunrise tomorrow.”
“Do you mind telling me how—”
“On the window by the houseboat’s front door, there’s a small decal. The exact same decal that’s on the lower left corner of the back window of that white Volvo.”
Lynch studied the three letters on the houseboat window. “ONA?”
“It’s possible she was a fan of the former Grand Duchess Ona of Lithuania, but I’m guessing she was actually a proud member of the Online News Association.”
“Smartass.”
She turned toward him. “You did a trick for me once. When we first met, you secretly hacked my phone and pulled information out when it was still in my pocket.”
“Correction—I put information into your phone while it was still in your pocket. My name and phone number.”
“How could I forget? Smooth, real smooth.”
“My info is still there, isn’t it?”
“Actually, I deleted it.”
“Really?”
“I reentered it later myself. I got a weird feeling whenever I looked at the entry you made. I felt like I’d been violated.”
“In a world where we live and die by our wireless devices, it’s hard not to expect a few incursions.”
“Sheila Hunter’s phone is probably still in the area. Can you pull her address or recent call log?”
He raised his phone. “Already done.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re full of shit.”
“I did it while you were sparring with Detective Stokes. I didn’t think you were going to have his cooperation in any meaningful way and made a preemptive strike. It’s all right here.”
“How did you know you were hacking her phone?”
“Because I got her cell number … off your call log.”
She bristled. “You hacked my phone again?”
“You called her yesterday and today, right?”
“I am not believing this…”
“Yes, you are. It’s what you wanted, isn’t it? I live to oblige. By the way, who keeps calling you from the 310 area code? Someone I should be jealous about?”
“Says the guy with the supermodel girlfriend.”
“I wouldn’t say she’s a supermodel. At least not yet.”
“I think I need to take my phone and have it scrubbed in bleach.”
“It’s the world we live in. I can help you secure that phone with just a few—”
“No thanks. You’d probably leave yourself a back door. I’ll handle my own security.”
“Because you’ve been doing such a stellar job of it so far.”
“We’ll discuss all your flagrant privacy violations later.” She lowered her voice. “Let’s take a look at her car.”
They walked the fifty yards away to the parking lot, where Sheila Rogers’s white Volvo XC90 SUV was parked. Kendra turned on her phone’s flashlight as they drew closer.
“Looks like we have first crack at this,” Lynch said. “The cops haven’t pulled her car registration yet.”
“I have a feeling they’ll be over here the minute they see us. We need to make this fast.” Kendra shined her flashlight through the driver’s side window. “The driver’s seat is set for Sheila’s height. The passenger seat is all the way back, probably for a taller man.” She moved the light over the vehicle interior. “Sheila was a nonsmoker though I noticed that after I met her.”
“It’s amazingly clean,” Lynch said.
“Yes. As a matter of fact…” She suddenly stepped back.
“What is it?”
Kendra looked up to see Stokes and a pair of uniformed officers approaching. “I … think Sheila Hunter’s killer was in this car.”
Stokes stopped a few feet away, staring at her. “Did I hear you correctly?”
“It depends on what you heard. I wasn’t trying to hide what I was thinking.”
“I’m not certain of that. I came over here to bust your chops about contaminating another part of my crime scene.”
“Fine. Bust away.”
“It can wait. What makes you think her killer was in here?”
Kendra shined her light back into the car. “Look for yourself.”
Stokes glanced inside. “I’m sure you’re gonna try to make me feel like an idiot in a few seconds, but I don’t see a thing.”
“I don’t see anything, either,” Kendra said.
“That’s a relief. So what’s your point?”
“It’s pristine clean. I’ll bet forensics won’t find a single fingerprint on the dashboard, the console, the door handle, the control touch screen, or even that glossy mahogany steering wheel. Not one. Unless she suffered from an acute obsessive-compulsive disorder that compelled her to totally wipe down the interior of her car every time she arrived at her destination, I’d say her killer was in here, and he wiped it clean. One way or another, this is where the abduction took place. She was killed somewhere between here and her houseboat.”
Stokes nodded. “Very good guess. But I’m sure forensics would have told us that once we turned them loose on it. I’ll tell them what to look for. Or not look for. I’ll need you to step back and keep out of the way now.”
Kendra raised her hands and took a step back. “Your grat
itude is overwhelming.”
“Sorry. Just doing my job.”
“Ready?” Lynch asked Kendra.
“In a minute.” Stokes wasn’t being overly cooperative, but he hadn’t entirely closed her out. She watched him call for forensics, her gaze on the houseboat. When he finished the call, she nodded toward the dock. “Pretty pricey home for a journalist.”
“It appears she lived there alone, but it wasn’t hers. The marina has it registered to another name.”
“What name?”
He didn’t answer.
“Look, Stokes, you don’t really think I had anything to do with her death. There’s no way I could have gotten her up on that mast. Yes, I had no liking for Sheila Hunter. She lied and attacked me. But I’ve worked with you guys before, and you know that I’m not stupid enough to kill someone just for being a bitch. I do want to work at clearing this up. Help me out, okay?”
He hesitated, then looked down at his notebook. “I guess you could find this out just by checking the registration. Kevin Burnett.”
“Boyfriend?” Lynch asked.
“We’re still trying to find out. We just got it a few minutes ago.”
He was still reluctant. Ask questions fast before he closed down again. Kendra glanced around at the growing crowd of onlookers. “Who found the body?”
“A private security officer on his scheduled patrol. He didn’t see anybody else out here. We’ve already started a canvass, but very few of these crafts have anyone living on them. There aren’t many guests at the moment.”
“The killer chose his spot well.”
Stokes moved closer to Kendra. “Suppose I let you in on something, Dr. Michaels. I’ve helped you, now you help me. You probably couldn’t see from where you were, but the victim was posed in a very specific way. The fists were balled up with glue, probably the same glue that was on her eyes. Her wrists were turned, with elbows slightly bent.”
“I could see,” Kendra said. “It was another hand-and-arm signal.”
“And you know what it means?”
“I’m afraid I do. It means ‘stand by for further messages.’”
“A threat?”
“A promise.”
Stokes’s gaze shifted back to the body on the mast, which two firemen and a forensic tech were finally pulling over to the ladder. “I know what you’re thinking. Everyone knows you show up at our crime scenes because you’re looking for that creep Colby. Some of our people think you’re nuts. Maybe they’re right. But, me, I take help where I can get it.” He glanced back at her. “But this doesn’t really mean anything. It could be just a copycat, riled up by you and your theories.”
She shook her head. “I’ve been pretty damned quiet about my suspicions as far as anyone but law enforcement is concerned. It was that reporter who took it public.” As Kendra spoke, she glanced up and happened to lock eyes with Sheila’s horrific, glued-open gaze.
She was riveted, frozen in place.
“Kendra?” Lynch said softly.
“Yeah.” She finally tore her gaze away. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
* * *
THEY DROVE IN SILENCE FOR A few minutes before Lynch finally spoke. “Do you think it was him?”
Kendra glanced up from looking out the passenger-side window. “I don’t know. Colby’s influence was definitely there, but Stokes was right. It could have been someone imitating his crimes.”
“I guess we’ll have to wait for the DNA.”
“There won’t be any. At least not if it’s Colby. All those murders he committed, he never left behind a shred of his DNA.”
“That’s incredible.”
“Almost unheard of in this day and state of technology. Evidence collection has improved in the last few years, but I’d still be surprised if he left anything behind.”
“Maybe in the car. Criminals sometimes leave behind skin cells when they’re trying to wipe away prints.”
“Colby knows better. But if it’s somebody else…” She shrugged. “Who knows?”
“So what you’re saying is if it’s Colby, there won’t be any evidence. With that kind of logic, it won’t be easy for you to convince the cops that he’s still out there.”
“If he’s out there, I won’t need to convince them. All I’d have to do is wait. As clever as he is, he won’t be able to help but show himself. It’s his nature. This may be only the first sign.”
They drove in silence while Kendra gazed out at the lights of Harbor Drive. Lynch finally said, “Look, I want you to stay at my place for a while.”
“I’ll bet you do.”
“Unfortunately, no lust involved. I won’t be there.”
“What?”
“I’m leaving for Luxembourg tonight.”
She tried to read his expression as they passed a streetlight. “You’re not kidding.”
“No, I wish I was. There’s a matter that needs finessing. I was hoping like hell it could wait, but things have come to a head.”
“This is getting to be a nasty habit of yours, bailing on me in the middle of an investigation.”
“I know.” His tone was suddenly savage. “Do you think I’m happy about it?”
“You’re the one who came on so strong, telling me what a great team we were.”
“We are, Kendra.” He was staring directly into her eyes. “In every way imaginable.”
She instinctively backed away from the intensity in that last sentence. “But you have important people to see and situations to handle,” she said flippantly. “No problem.”
“It is a problem, dammit.”
“Look, you don’t owe me anything.” She moistened her lips. “I didn’t mean to give you a guilt trip. I was just surprised. We both know that’s not what our relationship is about. I’m grateful that you’ve been there for me in the past. You’re one of the few people who doesn’t look at me like I’m crazy when I talk about Colby’s possibly being alive. That’s enough for me.”
“It’s not enough. I’d feel better if you stayed in my house while I was away.”
“We’ve been through this. And besides, I have a friend visiting from out of town.”
“She can stay over, too. Hell, invite Olivia, your mother, and anyone else you want. Make a party of it. There’s enough room for all of you. And you’re already familiar with the security system there.”
“I am. It’s like living in a vault.”
“A beautiful vault. There’s not a safer place in the world for you right now.”
It was beautiful, she remembered. And in those horrible weeks after she first suspected Colby was still alive, it was the only reason she could sleep at all. Lynch had built that fortress because of the multitude of enemies he’d made during his career. He had to be constantly on guard. It was the only place he could truly relax. She knew how that felt during her time there. His home’s perimeter motion sensors, security cameras, and retractable steel window shutters guarded her from any and all threats lurking in the outside world. But the longer she isolated herself from that world, the more frightening and daunting it became. It hadn’t taken long for her to realize that it couldn’t become a way of life for her.
“I can’t hide behind those walls right now, Lynch. I have to be out here.”
“Fine. Hide behind them when you sleep.”
“Not now.”
“When?”
“When and if I think it’s necessary. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m fairly in tune with my surroundings, even while I’m sleeping. No one’s getting near me without my knowing about it.”
He reached out and touched her cheek. “I’d feel a lot better if I knew you were there.”
She felt the familiar heat start to radiate beneath that touch. As usual, she was too aware of him. Lynch was fully capable of using that sexual chemistry between them to catch her off balance and try to get his own way. She moved her head to avoid his hand. “My primary focus isn’t to make you feel better while you’re traip
sing across Europe.”
He let his hand drop away from her face and let out an exasperated breath. “Okay. I’ll e-mail you a custom app. The electronic locks in my place perform a key change every six seconds. The only way the app can unlock any of my doors is if you swipe your thumb across your phone’s fingerprint reader.”
“Ah. An upgrade. And foolproof, unless someone steals my phone and chops my thumb off.”
He grimaced. “Don’t even say that. Besides, it wouldn’t work. Without blood circulating through your fingers, there’s no way that—”
She interrupted him. “I was joking. My severed thumb is one thing I’d rather not contemplate. E-mail me the app. I doubt I’ll use it, but it’s nice of you to offer.”
“I’ve already installed it in your phone.”
She shook her head. “Damn. I knew you were going to say that.”
* * *
“JEEZ, KENDRA.” BETH STOOD UP from the sofa in Olivia’s condo. “Did you have to kill her?”
“You’ve acquired a dark and disturbing sense of humor in these past few months.” Kendra slid out of her jacket. “Sorry that I can’t laugh about this.”
“The story about Sheila Hunter’s murder just broke online,” Olivia said as she stepped out of the kitchen. “When we couldn’t reach your mobile, we figured you were there.”
“I was. It was horrible.”
Beth made a face. “I guess you’re right. Not at all funny. I was just so angry about the way she treated you that it’s hard for me not to be callous.”
“Was it … him?” Olivia asked.
“Don’t know yet. There were some similarities between this and Colby’s kills, but I can’t really come to any conclusions. If you ask the cops, they would say no.”
“But they brought you into the case anyway.”
“They did nothing of the sort. They’d rather I stay as far away from this as possible. Lynch took me there.”
Beth wore a puzzled expression. “So they expect you to sit on the sidelines and twiddle your thumbs while they conduct their investigation?”
“I don’t know if they expect it, but it sounds like what they’d prefer.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“If there’s a chance Colby is involved, I’m working this case. With or without the cooperation of the San Diego PD. Lynch had to leave town, so one of my few allies is out of the picture right now.” She looked at Beth. “You’ve already gotten more than you bargained for on this visit. I’m sorry. I wanted things to be different.”
The Naked Eye Page 8
