have so far. Read it and let me know what you
think.”
Tess set her purse down and sat at the
table.
“Do you want some coffee or something?”
She shook her head. She was too used to
the good stuff to swallow cop mud.
“I'll leave you to it then.”
Tess opened the file and started with
crime scene photos. Charles Danforth sat in a chair, looking as if he were
sleeping, except for the bloody hole in his chest made by three .38 caliber
bullets. She pulled out her notepad and began to record her thoughts and
questions.
The medical examiner estimated the time
of death between noon and 2:00 p.m. Saturday. The statement of the estate's
caretaker, George Boone, indicated he'd seen Charles Danforth sleeping in his
office Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. He entered Danforth’s office because the
lights and air conditioning were on. Boone was surprised Danforth was there
because he’d planned to go fishing with his business partner, Bobby Wilson. He
said he thought Danforth was sleeping so he cut off the lights and turned down
the air. But that evening, about six, he saw Danforth through the window and
got worried when he realized he hadn't moved since morning. Boone tried to wake
Danforth, which is when he noticed the blood-soaked blanket and called the
police.
Liv gave the same line to the police
that she gave to her and Jack at dinner, including the white egg omelet and the
eight after the eights weather report. The business partner said Charles was
supposed to meet him to fish at Crawford Pond early Sunday morning, but never
showed. He said he wasn't worried because Charles often blew off fishing if one
of his horses needed attention.
The police spoke with Danforth’s son
over the phone, who indicated he was out of town when his father was killed.
The son was planning to attend the funeral and Tess made a note to ask to go
with Daniel and Sam when they talked to the son and his wife in person.
The phone call with Danforth's ex-wife
didn't yield much. They'd been married only a year or so when they divorced.
According to her statement she hadn't seen Charles since their son's wedding,
nearly two years earlier. Cromwell, she and Danforth had bred a few of their
horses together. She said she hadn't seen Charles in several weeks. Tess
wondered why Daniel and Sam felt the need to talk to this woman unless she and
Charles were more than horse-breeding partners. She made a note to ask Daniel
about it.
The interviews with the trainer and
grooms all said the same thing. Charles cared more about his horses than anyone
or anything else, although there hadn't been anything pressing happening with
the horses that would cause him to miss his fishing date. Except that he was
dead, Tess thought. They wouldn't have defined the Danforth’s as happy, but
neither could they report any fighting or other signs of strife.
Tess was finishing the last few pages of
the file when Daniel entered the room.
“So, anything of interest catch your
eye?” Daniel asked.
“The more I see it, the more I think
it's her.”
“See the proof?”
“No.” She sat back and hoped she didn't
look like she was pouting. Then, not wanting to be discouraged, she went back
to the file. “See this?” she said, pointing to an autopsy picture.
“It’s a hole in his chest.”
“In his heart. Three shots right into
the heart. Those three shots had to be personal.”
Daniel nodded.
“It's odd, isn't it, that the caretaker
didn't notice he was dead the first time he checked on Danforth. He even
entered the room.”
“He said he thought he was sleeping.
Apparently Danforth slept there a lot.”
“So he didn't approach the body.” She
pulled out a crime scene photo. “He's in his chair covered with a blanket.
Looks like he's sleeping.”
“Yes.”
“There's no sign of disturbance. Even
his desk is neat. So he must have been sleeping when he was killed. She just
tiptoed in and let him have it.”
“The problem is that the time of death
clears
think.”
Tess set her purse down and sat at the
table.
“Do you want some coffee or something?”
She shook her head. She was too used to
the good stuff to swallow cop mud.
“I'll leave you to it then.”
Tess opened the file and started with
crime scene photos. Charles Danforth sat in a chair, looking as if he were
sleeping, except for the bloody hole in his chest made by three .38 caliber
bullets. She pulled out her notepad and began to record her thoughts and
questions.
The medical examiner estimated the time
of death between noon and 2:00 p.m. Saturday. The statement of the estate's
caretaker, George Boone, indicated he'd seen Charles Danforth sleeping in his
office Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. He entered Danforth’s office because the
lights and air conditioning were on. Boone was surprised Danforth was there
because he’d planned to go fishing with his business partner, Bobby Wilson. He
said he thought Danforth was sleeping so he cut off the lights and turned down
the air. But that evening, about six, he saw Danforth through the window and
got worried when he realized he hadn't moved since morning. Boone tried to wake
Danforth, which is when he noticed the blood-soaked blanket and called the
police.
Liv gave the same line to the police
that she gave to her and Jack at dinner, including the white egg omelet and the
eight after the eights weather report. The business partner said Charles was
supposed to meet him to fish at Crawford Pond early Sunday morning, but never
showed. He said he wasn't worried because Charles often blew off fishing if one
of his horses needed attention.
The police spoke with Danforth’s son
over the phone, who indicated he was out of town when his father was killed.
The son was planning to attend the funeral and Tess made a note to ask to go
with Daniel and Sam when they talked to the son and his wife in person.
The phone call with Danforth's ex-wife
didn't yield much. They'd been married only a year or so when they divorced.
According to her statement she hadn't seen Charles since their son's wedding,
nearly two years earlier. Cromwell, she and Danforth had bred a few of their
horses together. She said she hadn't seen Charles in several weeks. Tess
wondered why Daniel and Sam felt the need to talk to this woman unless she and
Charles were more than horse-breeding partners. She made a note to ask Daniel
about it.
The interviews with the trainer and
grooms all said the same thing. Charles cared more about his horses than anyone
or anything else, although there hadn't been anything pressing happening with
the horses that would cause him to miss his fishing date. Except that he was
dead, Tess thought. They wouldn't have defined the Danforth’s as happy, but
neither could they report any fighting or other signs of strife.
Tess was finishing the last few pages of
the file when Daniel entered the room.
“So, anything of interest catch your
eye?” Daniel asked.
“The more I see it, the more I think
it's her.”
“See the proof?”
“No.” She sat back and hoped she didn't
look like she was pouting. Then, not wanting to be discouraged, she went back
to the file. “See this?” she said, pointing to an autopsy picture.
“It’s a hole in his chest.”
“In his heart. Three shots right into
the heart. Those three shots had to be personal.”
Daniel nodded.
“It's odd, isn't it, that the caretaker
didn't notice he was dead the first time he checked on Danforth. He even
entered the room.”
“He said he thought he was sleeping.
Apparently Danforth slept there a lot.”
“So he didn't approach the body.” She
pulled out a crime scene photo. “He's in his chair covered with a blanket.
Looks like he's sleeping.”
“Yes.”
“There's no sign of disturbance. Even
his desk is neat. So he must have been sleeping when he was killed. She just
tiptoed in and let him have it.”
“The problem is that the time of death
clears
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