possessing that ageless quality that made her appear unchanged. Dr Brodie had joined VCET because she wanted to do something different before retiring. This case should grant that wish , Joseph thought grimly.
He met her halfway. ‘Dr Brodie. I’m glad you’re here.’
She stopped at the body and took it all in, her face creasing in a mighty frown. ‘Who touched him? Who removed these boxes?’ She looked over her shoulder, disappointed. ‘ Some body has compromised evidence.’
Joseph felt compelled to defend himself. ‘It was the homeless guy who found him.’ He pointed to the sack. ‘He stole the victim’s shoes and was scavenging his clothes.’
‘Oh. Sorry. Wouldn’t have been the first time an agent mucked up a crime scene.’ She angled a look up at him. ‘But it would have been the first time you mucked one up. Glad to see you haven’t slipped.’ Her brows lifted, her ire dissipated. ‘Bo tells me that you’re leading this investigation.’
Well, what do you know? Bo hadn’t actually told Joseph that he was lead on this case, but he’d hoped it was true. ‘Yes, ma’am.’
Brodie dropped her eyes back to the body, dismissing him. ‘Then don’t you have something better to do than get under my feet?’
‘Yeah, I do,’ he said. ‘Notifications, both to his victim’s widow and the parents of the abducted college kids. It should take me at least an hour.’
She sighed. ‘I should have him uncovered by the time you get back.’
‘Thanks.’ He turned to find Deacon crouching in the middle of the alley, staring at the pavement. ‘What is it?’
‘Blood,’ Deacon said. He shined his flashlight at the area. ‘And what looks like hair. What color is Ford’s hair?’
‘Blond.’ Like Daphne’s.
‘Could be his. Looks like somebody bashed his head into the asphalt.’ He stood up. ‘So what’s the plan, Boss?’
‘We start with the Millhouse case. It’s the most obvious connection for now and they were suspected of threatening Montgomery. I’ll get a warrant started for the Millhouse home and business, but I’m not sure we have enough for a judge to sign off.’
‘Unless we can prove the threats. Did Montgomery document them?’
‘No idea, but Maynard should know. We also need to check out Ford Elkhart’s life, every nook and cranny, just in case this isn’t connected to the trial.’
‘Any indication that the kid’s dirty?’
‘None whatsoever. But we can’t ignore the possibility that whoever did this had a score to settle with him. Or the girl. Or Maynard, even.’
Deacon frowned. ‘You said he didn’t do this.’
‘I don’t believe he did. Doesn’t mean somebody else didn’t have it in for him. Wouldn’t be the first time a killer struck at his target’s inner circle first.’
‘I’ll request cell records and financials while Brodie’s doing her thing,’ Deacon said. ‘Has anyone checked SA Montgomery’s house? Could the kid have gone back home? Maybe the killer knocked him out and he came to later, flagged a cab home.’
‘Possible, I guess. Unlikely though, as he would have seen Zacharias’s body. I can’t see Ford ignoring something like that, but I’ll check it out. I’ll call you when I’ve done the notifications. We’ll regroup here.’
‘And the girlfriend?’ Deacon asked. ‘Kimberly MacGregor?’
‘Family is near Philly. Call the field office up there. Have them send someone out to the parents, then proceed according to SOP.’
‘Phone tap, trace all incoming. Just in case this is about the girl.’ Deacon looked up from his notepad. ‘But you know it’s not, don’t you?’
‘Yeah. I know. Later, Novak.’ Joseph hurried to his Escalade, where he found Clay leaning against the front passenger door, looking ill. ‘You gonna be okay?’
‘Yeah. Let’s get this over with.’
Joseph started his SUV. ‘Where’s Zacharias’s house?’
Maynard’s hands shook as he buckled in. ‘Silver Spring.’
A
He met her halfway. ‘Dr Brodie. I’m glad you’re here.’
She stopped at the body and took it all in, her face creasing in a mighty frown. ‘Who touched him? Who removed these boxes?’ She looked over her shoulder, disappointed. ‘ Some body has compromised evidence.’
Joseph felt compelled to defend himself. ‘It was the homeless guy who found him.’ He pointed to the sack. ‘He stole the victim’s shoes and was scavenging his clothes.’
‘Oh. Sorry. Wouldn’t have been the first time an agent mucked up a crime scene.’ She angled a look up at him. ‘But it would have been the first time you mucked one up. Glad to see you haven’t slipped.’ Her brows lifted, her ire dissipated. ‘Bo tells me that you’re leading this investigation.’
Well, what do you know? Bo hadn’t actually told Joseph that he was lead on this case, but he’d hoped it was true. ‘Yes, ma’am.’
Brodie dropped her eyes back to the body, dismissing him. ‘Then don’t you have something better to do than get under my feet?’
‘Yeah, I do,’ he said. ‘Notifications, both to his victim’s widow and the parents of the abducted college kids. It should take me at least an hour.’
She sighed. ‘I should have him uncovered by the time you get back.’
‘Thanks.’ He turned to find Deacon crouching in the middle of the alley, staring at the pavement. ‘What is it?’
‘Blood,’ Deacon said. He shined his flashlight at the area. ‘And what looks like hair. What color is Ford’s hair?’
‘Blond.’ Like Daphne’s.
‘Could be his. Looks like somebody bashed his head into the asphalt.’ He stood up. ‘So what’s the plan, Boss?’
‘We start with the Millhouse case. It’s the most obvious connection for now and they were suspected of threatening Montgomery. I’ll get a warrant started for the Millhouse home and business, but I’m not sure we have enough for a judge to sign off.’
‘Unless we can prove the threats. Did Montgomery document them?’
‘No idea, but Maynard should know. We also need to check out Ford Elkhart’s life, every nook and cranny, just in case this isn’t connected to the trial.’
‘Any indication that the kid’s dirty?’
‘None whatsoever. But we can’t ignore the possibility that whoever did this had a score to settle with him. Or the girl. Or Maynard, even.’
Deacon frowned. ‘You said he didn’t do this.’
‘I don’t believe he did. Doesn’t mean somebody else didn’t have it in for him. Wouldn’t be the first time a killer struck at his target’s inner circle first.’
‘I’ll request cell records and financials while Brodie’s doing her thing,’ Deacon said. ‘Has anyone checked SA Montgomery’s house? Could the kid have gone back home? Maybe the killer knocked him out and he came to later, flagged a cab home.’
‘Possible, I guess. Unlikely though, as he would have seen Zacharias’s body. I can’t see Ford ignoring something like that, but I’ll check it out. I’ll call you when I’ve done the notifications. We’ll regroup here.’
‘And the girlfriend?’ Deacon asked. ‘Kimberly MacGregor?’
‘Family is near Philly. Call the field office up there. Have them send someone out to the parents, then proceed according to SOP.’
‘Phone tap, trace all incoming. Just in case this is about the girl.’ Deacon looked up from his notepad. ‘But you know it’s not, don’t you?’
‘Yeah. I know. Later, Novak.’ Joseph hurried to his Escalade, where he found Clay leaning against the front passenger door, looking ill. ‘You gonna be okay?’
‘Yeah. Let’s get this over with.’
Joseph started his SUV. ‘Where’s Zacharias’s house?’
Maynard’s hands shook as he buckled in. ‘Silver Spring.’
A
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