Latent Danger (On the Line #2)(22)

Sure, there was adoption and insemination, but was that really something she could do as a single mom with a dangerous job and long hours? Not really.

So, she guessed, when she thought about it, she did envy Zach that he had Naomi in his life.

Until she saw the way the Senator and his wife crumbled at the news of their daughter’s death. Carrie’s mom looked like she’d be the one to hold her husband up when Zach told them they’d found Carrie’s body. The husband all but collapsed. Mrs. Athill wrapped her arms around her middle, as though she could feel the pain in her womb.

Carrie’s brother Drew’s eyes were flooded with pain and rage, and Shauna found herself wondering who would hold him up.

“Can we see her?” Senator Athill asked.

Zach shook his head. “I wouldn’t recommend that. She was out in the elements for some time.”

Shauna couldn’t ignore the choked sob from Mrs. Athill. Drew ran from the room, slamming through the staff member who’d just entered to bring a box of tissues to his parents.

“We’ll be doing dental analysis to confirm the identity,” Shauna said softly.

Senator Athill bent at the waist in his seat, covering his head and ears, like he couldn’t bear to hear more. His wife moved to sit beside him and wrapped her arms around him.

Shauna knew tragedy like this could often tear families apart. She wondered if this one would manage to stay together. If Drew Athill would ever manage to reclaim any semblance of normalcy in his life.

Mrs. Athill looked between Zach and Shauna. “Is it the same person who killed Adrienne?”

“We don’t know for sure,” Zach said.

“But you suspect?” was her response.

“We do.” Zach confirmed.

Senator Athill raised his head. “When was she killed?” The question was almost a whisper and Shauna wondered if the man would torture himself for not knowing his daughter was dead for a week. People seemed to think they should feel or know something in cases like this.

Zach was, again, as straight forward as he could be with the little they knew. “We don’t know for sure yet. We suspect closer to when she went missing.”

“So he hasn’t had her all this time?” This came from the doorway. Drew was back.

“No. We don’t believe so, but we’ll know more as soon as the medical examiner has done her examination.”

“Do you have any suspects?” the Senator asked.

Shauna could feel the tension rip through Zach at that, and she knew why. She’d heard rumors and read the reports in the paper a while back. She also knew enough from her contacts within the New Haven Police Department that one of the people killed in a string of murders had been Zach’s prime suspect.

They’d shared information with a family member, and it had resulted in the suspect being gutted before Zach could get there to arrest him. She had a feeling, Senator or not, Zach wouldn’t be free with information very easily now.

He shook his head. “I’ll let you know when we have more we can tell you.”

From the expressions of the Athill family, they knew he hadn’t answered the question directly. Leave it to a politician’s family to recognize Evasion 101.





Chapter Fourteen





“Let’s assume for a minute that it’s not Sawyer who killed Carrie and Adrienne. Do you think there’s something connecting these two girls for the killer, or were their deaths coincidence? Chosen by chance from a pool of possible girls?” Zach asked Shauna as they pulled back into the lot at NHPD headquarters. They’d been quiet for most of the ride, but that hadn’t surprised him. They both needed to decompress after talking to a family like that.

They’d asked again about Carrie’s last movements, who her friends were. All things they had already asked. Of course, they couldn’t question Adrienne about Carrie’s disappearance any longer, but they could go back and talk to the friends again.

“Could be coincidence. The girls were friends, but Stephanie hasn’t found any post from Sawyer about Carrie in that Facebook group.” Shauna turned to watch him as she spoke, as though gauging his response.

“They were both marked Can’t Be Fucked.” Zach cringed as he said it, but it was a mark of commonality between the girls. It had to be noted.

Shauna nodded. They walked quietly into the building, where they went straight to the third floor to find Ronan. He’d pulled in the two friends who alibied Sawyer for interviews.

“Let’s start soft and light with these guys,” Shauna said. “I’ll go in and see if I can get them to talk to me.”

Zach and Ronan muttered, “agreed,” in unison. She stifled a smile and wondered how long they’d been partners. They were a little like an old married couple.

Well, a testosterone-packed, hot-bodied, justice-seeking old married couple.

“The lawyer’s letter said the boys went to Hemler’s Burgers for dinner.” Ronan tossed the papers he’d been carrying on his desk. “I’ll see if Stephanie can pull video from any traffic cameras around there. Maybe we can spot them and nail down timing.”

“I wish we had a smaller window on time of death.” Zach and Shauna started moving toward the interrogation rooms. They had one of the boys in each room. One was eighteen so his parents wouldn’t be in the room with him, but the other was only sixteen. Neither was in custody or being interrogated for a crime, so no Miranda rights were read or anything along those lines.