Wrecked (Josie Gray Mysteries #3)(13)

Josie stared at the position of Christina’s body.

“It looks like someone pulled the chair away from the desk after she was shot, maybe to have easier access to the files,” Josie said.

Otto nodded in agreement. “Her legs stretched out in front of her, toes pointed up, would support that.”

Josie stepped behind Christina and pointed toward the wall about three feet to her left. “Look at the wall, though. See the red flecks?” She leaned in closer, her finger inches from the wall. “There’s blood splatter here, so this is where she was shot. Which means they pulled her away from the desk, and then shot her?”

“Doesn’t make sense. There doesn’t appear to be any struggle.” Otto gestured the length of her body. “She’s still in dress clothes and high-heeled shoes. So we can assume she was still working when the gunman came into her office. What time does she leave work in the evenings?”

“She and Dillon both leave at five most nights. She might have stayed until six last night since he worked late.” Josie looked out the front window of the office, wishing Roy would check in with them.

Josie had a sudden image of Dillon with a gun to his head, watching Christina being shot, the bullet ripping into her chest. She imagined masked men dragging him out of the office at gunpoint. She turned her back on Otto and walked away. He came to stand beside her and laid a hand on her back. She crossed her arms at her chest and closed her eyes, forcing the tears back. “I have to keep it together, Otto. I can’t lose it. Not here.” Tears were in her eyes and she felt an overwhelming urge to find a corner and let go.

“Take a deep breath. You’re the best chance Dillon has at getting help right now. Shut down your emotions. You can fall apart later.” He gave her a rough pat on the back. “Right?”

Josie stared at the ceiling, blinking away tears.

“You’re a tough one. You can do this.”

She nodded and took a deep breath. “I’m fine.”

Roy walked back into the building. “I talked with Junior. He says he walked out of his office at five last night with Christina. They usually park in the back lot. Dillon’s car was still there.”

Josie nodded. “His meeting wasn’t until six.”

“Junior says he and his wife drove back into town last night. Went to Presidio to do some shopping and eat dinner. As they drove back through town at about ten o’clock he noticed Christina’s car and an SUV. Both were parked in the lot behind the office.”

“Was Dillon’s car here?” she asked.

“No.”

“Were the lights on?” Otto asked.

“Junior said he drove by on Seminole Street.” Roy made a T with his hands to indicate that Daggy didn’t drive in front of the office, but rather the street that runs perpendicular to it. “He said the lights were on in the front of the building, but he saw Christina’s car and didn’t think much about it. He’s pretty torn up about it now, blaming himself for not stopping to check on her.”

“Can you get an officer over to Christina’s house?” Otto asked.

Roy nodded.

“See if she ever made it home,” said Otto. “Ask if neighbors noticed any cars last night.”

“And another officer to canvass downtown? A two-block radius of the office,” Josie said.

“I’ve got two deputies available today,” the sheriff said. “Jones is the one with Junior Daggy right now. Dave Phillips is on at eight. I’ll get him to come out now. I’ll call the jail and let the intake officer know what’s going on. Maria will have to handle the jail while we get a jump on this.”

Josie nodded. Roy walked away from them to talk with his deputy by phone.

Josie turned again to finish examining Christina’s desk. “Her calendar’s gone. She has a large desk calendar that she writes all of her appointments on in one color, Dillon’s meetings in another color. It looks like someone lifted the calendar and sent the rest of her desk supplies flying.”

Otto was taking notes as Josie thought out loud.

“Anything else missing?”

Josie looked over the area again. “Her computer tower is gone, but not the monitor. They obviously wanted the information stored on the computer. They weren’t stealing it to hock it later.” Josie stepped carefully around the body and looked underneath her desk. “She also has a computer bag with a spare laptop that she stores under her desk. It’s gone.” Josie used the pen in her pocket to pull open all three desk drawers. She found a purse in the bottom desk drawer with the contents dumped beneath it.

After inventorying the contents Josie said, “Aside from a wallet, what’s the main thing someone carries in their purse or pants pockets?”

Otto frowned and then nodded. “Where are her keys? Car keys, keys to the office?”

“So, someone stands in the front of the office, shoots her from the side, with apparently no struggle from Christina, and then the shooter takes the time to find her keys and lock up the building on the way out?”

“I don’t know, Josie. The scene makes no sense.”

After finishing their review of the front room they walked back to Dillon’s office. He didn’t wear cologne, but she thought she could smell lingering traces of his shaving cream. She imagined him sitting in his desk chair, leaning back and smiling as she entered the office, lacing his hands behind his head. Instead, there were file folders strewn across the right side of the room where his cabinets had all been opened.