Never Tell (Detective D.D. Warren #10)(36)

“Couple of home security systems in the area, but none that capture the Carters’ residence. As for traffic cameras, closest one is at the major intersection a mile back, where you make a left onto these side streets. Not terrible, if we knew who were looking for. But without a target, too many subjects. Plus, there are back roads leading into this neighborhood as well; that traffic cam covers only the main drag.”

“Meaning anyone, including Evie and her mom, could’ve arrived using one of the lesser-known byways?”

“True. Except Dick Delaney came up with quite the alibi for those two.”

“When?”

“When you were talking to Evie. It’s Joyce Hopkins’s custom to park on the driveway.”

“I know. We parked behind her.”

“Exactly. Meaning her car was in plain sight most of the afternoon. As Delaney pointed out, there are about two dozen rapid reporters who can vouch for it.”

“The meddling media as alibis?”

“Told you it was interesting.”

“They could’ve taken an Uber, or taxi, or whatever.”

“Again, without the hoards noticing?”

D.D. scowled. Evie’s attorney made a good argument. The media had had the house under constant surveillance pretty much since this morning. The chances of Evie or her mother doing anything without some cameraman or reporter noticing were slim to none.

“I have to admit,” she said at last, “I see Evie’s point. Why would she burn down her own home, especially without having picked up some personal belongings first?”

“Women are that sentimental about their favorite sweater?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of her baby. Five months along, Evie’s probably bought at least one item or two, let alone ultrasound photos, personal snapshots of before and after. I can’t see any soon-to-be mom willingly destroying such items. Unless, of course, she removed them before she ever shot Conrad. During the initial crime scene walk-through, did you notice any baby items?”

“I wasn’t really looking,” Phil confessed. “But we have plenty of photos of the house. Easy enough to look again. I have another thought regarding the fire.”

“Which is?”

“Evie shot the computer. Over half a dozen times, right? Seems to me the computer was what she wanted to eliminate. And did. So why risk returning to set a fire?”

“You think she already covered her tracks. The destroyed laptop.”

“I think we’ve established she’s partial to firearms.”

D.D. couldn’t argue with that. She stared at the gutted home again. “Again, from the top. What do we know? Sixteen years ago, Evie’s father was shot and killed in his own home.”

“Evie now says she didn’t do it. But her story is still subject to debate,” Phil provided.

“Could it have been suicide?” D.D. postulated. “That would certainly be something the mother might feel compelled to cover up. Evie didn’t report seeing anything other than her father’s body and the shotgun, however.”

“Again, if she’s telling the truth.” Phil looked at her. “Even if you don’t have spatter evidence from Evie, you gotta have crime scene photos of the body. Have the criminalists rework the angle of the blast. That’ll tell you where the shooter was standing and whether or not Hopkins could’ve shot himself.”

“Good point. Okay, so one shooting death sixteen years ago that was probably covered up in some manner. Fast-forward to yesterday, when Evie’s husband just happens to also meet death by firearm.”

“Conrad Carter,” Phil intoned. “The kind of guy everyone liked but no one seemed to know. Except maybe your CI, Flora Dane, who claims to have met him in a bar with Jacob Ness.”

Phil’s tone implied he still had his doubts. D.D. shrugged. With Flora, anything was possible. On the other hand, D.D. had never known the woman to intentionally lie. Omit truth, yes, but deliberately lie …

D.D. picked up their story line: “No history of domestic disturbance calls or tension between Conrad and Evie. But according to Evie’s fellow teacher, some signs of recent stress in Evie’s life.”

Phil nodded. “Which brings us to Evie Carter, five months pregnant and tied to one accidental shooting that happened when she was a juvenile. Clean record, however, since then.”

“They bought the house together four years ago. Both have day jobs during the week, home renovation projects on the weekends. Ordinary,” D.D. said at last, frowning. “By all accounts, a normal if not boring young couple building a life, starting a family. Until last night.”

“Three rounds into the husband. Twelve into the computer. Eight minutes in between.”

“That time gap is gonna kill us at trial.”

“What about your theory Evie used the eight minutes to retrieve something off the computer before destroying it? Which she then must have hidden somewhere in the house, or it would’ve been recovered from her person during processing.”

“And the house was then torched to eliminate whatever she recovered?”

Phil shrugged. “That would imply someone else had to know she hid something. We’re still processing phone records for her and him. It’s possible something will come up.”