Velocity (Karen Vail #3)(26)

“Keep it low-key,” Dixon said. “In case.”

“In case the killer’s a cop?” Gordon asked.

Dixon rocked back on her heels a bit. “I’m just saying. Let’s be smart about this. In case it is, yeah. I doubt it, but you can’t unring a bell.”

“I don’t mean to be all doom and gloom,” Mann said. “But could these be Robby’s? Did he bring a set with him?”

“On vacation?” Vail asked. She shrugged. “No idea. I didn’t see any. But I just don’t know.”

“Before we go down that path,” Brix said, “let’s first see if the serial number matches any used by LEOs in the area. If you really think it’s possible, call Robby’s PD and see if they keep records on which detectives get which cuffs. Or, we can check with Peerless and see if they know which organization or retailer they shipped that set to.”

“Good luck with that,” Mann said under his breath.

“Let’s also get an ID on the vic. Find out the usual stuff. Who she is, who’d want her dead. Who had access to this quad.” Brix swiveled his body and looked around. “Which is pretty much anybody. Security cameras?”

“I’ll look into it,” Gordon said. “I doubt they’re aimed at the street. That fountain is damn close to the sidewalk. The cameras, if there are any, would be turned in toward the building. I think this guy knew what he was doing.”

“But,” Dixon said, “how do you kill a woman out in the open, during the day, in a public area, and have no one see it?”

Vail shook her head. “You kill her offsite. Crush her trachea, if that’s what he did, then bring her here. Get her out of your van in such a way that it looks like you’re walking arm in arm. If it is Cannon, he’s easily strong enough to support her weight and carry her alongside him for fifty to a hundred feet. He sets her down beside him at the fountain, makes two quick slits to her wrists, and then he walks away and melts into the street and cars. The blood drains slowly due to gravity. Some washes away in the fountain.” She examined everyone’s face. “It can be done.”

Dixon rubbed both hands across her eyes. “All right. So where are we?”

“We ran Mayfield’s home phone LUDs,” Brix said, referring to the local usage detail printout of calls made and received. “And we got a log of his mobile calls. His cell was one provided by his employer and only had work-related calls to and from the county mosquito and pest control abatement division. And a few to wineries and public buildings. We cross-checked, and they all corresponded to jobs he had—places where he sprayed and whatever the hell else he did with his time when he wasn’t killing people.”

Vail’s attention was split between Brix and what Matt Aaron was doing with the victim’s body. “And his home phone?”

“Nothing popped out at us. We were still sifting through it when this call came in. We’re going further and further back in case he wasn’t as careful early on.”

“Any calls to James Cannon?”

Brix pulled his phone and began pressing buttons. “We’ve still got some unidentified numbers to track down, a few unlisteds. We should have an answer soon on that. And we should’ve also heard back from NSIB on whether they got a home address from the wireless carrier. I’m gonna see if I can scare them up right now.”

“We spoke with Ian Wirth,” Dixon said. “He gave us a rundown on the application process for starting a winery.”

“My brother texted me on the way over here minutes ago. He’s done with his meeting and should be calling me soon. Get anything from Wirth?”

Dixon filled them in on what she and Vail had learned.

“After I follow up with NSIB,” Brix said, “I’ll get someone started on calling the TTB and ABC ASAP, just in case the vintners organization is a dead end. If my brother gets us anything we don’t already know, I’ll give you a shout.” He pressed SEND on his phone.

Vail’s BlackBerry vibrated: a Virginia number, one she recognized as Detective Paul Bledsoe’s. “I’ve gotta take this,” she said, then moved off toward the Hall of Justice entrance, beneath the address sign that read “1125” in large silver decals.

“Hey,” Bledsoe said. “I just wanted to check in with you. You get anywhere?”

“Treading water. You?”

“I got Hernandez’s DNA sample over to the FBI lab and I’ve also got a sample coming your way, to the Sheriff’s Department.”

“Very good, thanks. And—you think you can keep your guy on Jonathan till I get home? I—this Mayfield thing may not be over. And it could be related to Robby’s disappearance.”

Bledsoe hesitated. “I think I can swing it. But are you sure? You think Mayfield had an accomplice?”

“Or a ‘student.’ I’m not sure, but it’s possible. And until we can rule it out, and until we find out what happened to Robby, I can’t take the chance it’s personal.”

“I’m working on something on my end,” Bledsoe said. “A guy I know, someone who owes me.”

In the background, Dixon continued her conversation with Gordon and Mann. Vail plugged her left ear to mute their discussion. “Who is this guy and what do you think he’s going to be able to do for us?”