Shattered (Michael Bennett #14)(65)

Bobby simmered. This was not the answer he’d expected.

“You haven’t talked to me about that many suspects. It’s gotta be one of a handful of people. I don’t understand why you won’t confirm it.”

“I just explained it to you. I have a duty to talk to the investigating detective first. There are no hidden agendas here, Bobby. I want to wrap this up as quickly as you do.”

“What’s your plan? Just because we got a hit on a Baltimore homicide doesn’t mean the same killer attacked Emily. I don’t know of any evidence that links the two homicides.”

“That’s true. My plan is pretty simple. As soon as we make an arrest, start with a good interview. See if we can convince the killer to confess to Emily’s murder as well. Anything the killer says might point us in a new direction.”

Bobby grumbled. Then he looked at me and said, “You better stop treating me like a servant who doesn’t need to know why he has to clean the toilet.”

“C’mon, Bobby. Everyone knows why it’s important to clean the toilet.”





Chapter 85



I felt the pressure escalating. I needed to move quickly on the DNA information Bobby had given me so that I could solve the case and get back to New York in time to keep my job. And with a Supreme Court justice’s connections, the Steinbergs might be tipped off about the DNA hit before we could even do a proper interview.

That’s why I wasted no time in calling Detective Holly at the Baltimore homicide unit. After a quick hello, I told her about the matching DNA.

Detective Holly said, “Are you trying to keep me in suspense? I know you had several suspects. Which one provided the DNA sample?”

Normally, I’d milk a big moment like this. You know, pause for dramatic effect. Instead, I jumped right in. “The sample belonged to Rhea Wellmy-Steinberg.”

There was dead silence on the line. It went on so long I had to say, “Hello? Stephanie?”

“Sorry. That one took me by surprise. You told me the Steinbergs were possibly involved in the case, but I never thought one of them would be a suspect. A legitimate suspect.”

“Can I ask a couple of favors?”

Detective Holly said, “Are you kidding? You just provided me with a good lead on an ice-cold case. Granted, a suspect like Rhea Wellmy-Steinberg complicates things, but it’s still a cleared case. This one will get me noticed. Ask any favors you want.”

“Can you move quickly on a warrant? I think my time here in DC is almost up.”

“Again, are you kidding me? My bosses will want me to arrest her in the next hour. I have parts of a warrant already written up. All I have to do is fill in some names and the DNA information. It’s certainly enough probable cause to move forward. So, yes, we’ll be making an arrest today.”

I hesitated, then made my second request. “The initial interview when you serve her with the warrant will be vital. I need to be there. I need to tie her to the murder of Emily Parker. Right now, the only way to do that is through an interview. We have no other information linking her to the homicide.”

“So your working theory is that if she committed one homicide of a woman she knew, she might do it twice?”

“Something like that.”

Detective Holly put me on hold to work out a few details. About three minutes later she came back on the line. “My lieutenant wants us to move quickly as well. He’s not as sold on you being part of the interview. He says it may look bad later on. He’s not sure why an NYPD detective is in Washington anyway.”

“I haven’t heard that question before.” I appreciated her courtesy laugh on the other end of the line. Then I thought of a way to force my way into the interview. I said, “You guys are going to need me to testify about how I obtained the DNA sample later. Would you prefer to have a friendly witness on the stand instead of a pissed-off cop from New York?”

All Detective Holly would commit to was calling me when they were coming into Washington to make the arrest.





Chapter 86



I didn’t know what to do with myself after I called Detective Holly. I was nervous. This was the break in the case I’d been waiting for, but the Baltimore cops weren’t going to care as much about Emily Parker’s homicide as I did. What if they didn’t let me into the initial interview? They might just ask a few preliminary questions and book Rhea Wellmy-Steinberg on the Michelle Luna homicide. Then Rhea would never talk about Emily.

I had bet the entire Emily Parker case on this roll of the dice. I knew the Baltimore homicide detectives were already pushing it to get a warrant based solely on DNA evidence. It would pass initial appearance and maybe a few evidentiary hearings, but I doubted it was enough to get a conviction. There were too many ways to explain the DNA on the earring. The explanations wouldn’t necessarily be believable, but they only had to convince one person on a jury.

I ran down my task list. It was pretty short. I called Emily’s mother to arrange collecting Emily’s personal effects the next day. Her desk was not at headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue but in the DC field office where Bobby worked. We would meet there.

Then I called Dave Swinson over at the Metropolitan Police’s Special Investigations unit just to give him a heads-up.

Swinson chuckled and said, “That’s one hell of a job. But I already knew the Baltimore cops—or as we call them, the minor league—were coming to make the arrest. They called our homicide team to make sure someone was available to help them. Special Investigations hears about all of that.”