Hold On (The 'Burg #6)(135)

He was right. She had a bullet hole in her thigh, one in her chest, but the one in her throat had left a stream of blood down her chest—so much blood, it had pooled in her lap.

GSWs meant blood, obviously, but not that much blood.

The shooter hit an artery.

Good news, she bled out in seconds.

Bad news, she bled out at all.

Shooter also did her from above. She was a mess, but he could see the angle of all the entry wounds. She was in the car, the shooter either standing outside it and he was tall, or he’d shot down from another vehicle.

Her seatbelt was on, but her car was wheels to the curb like she’d parked, not like she’d been done on the go.

“Shot through the window,” Garrett muttered, observing the glass littering her hair and clothes.

“Yup,” Marty said.

His eyes scanned the interior of the car and Garrett saw her purse on the floor, stuff that was supposed to be in it not, since it was on the floor and on the passenger seat. He also saw the key in the ignition.

That meant she hadn’t had time to get the belt off. Window up, she hadn’t rolled it down to chat with someone she knew in the early morning dark.

Either she was coming to this location or going, but the purse told him whichever way it was, she was doing it in a hurry. Either she threw the purse in and the shit inside scattered or she was driving fast and erratically and the shit inside scattered.

Garrett heard a car approach and twisted to see Mike pulling up.

He lifted a hand to Mike and turned back to Marty.

“Got an ID?”

“Yup, though haven’t touched anything,” Marty told him. He jerked his head to the house the Fiesta was parked in front of. “Woman in there is her sister. Says vic’s name is Wendy Derian. Didn’t get more from her ’cause she was freakin’ out, shoutin’, carryin’ on. Ellen’s with her, hopefully calmin’ her down.”

“You catch anything from her?”

Marty shook his head. “Nope. Except a lot of cursing and ‘I knew its.’”

Garrett felt his spine straighten. “‘I knew it?’”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m hopin’ Ellen’s calmin’ her down so she can explain what she knew.”

“Fuck, a woman,” Mike said as he approached.

Garrett looked to him to see his partner’s eyes on the car.

“Sister’s inside, Mike. She called it in. Take in what you gotta take in, then we’ll go talk to her,” Garrett said.

Mike nodded, moved closer to the car, and Garrett gave his attention back to Marty.

“Crime scene comin’?” he asked.

“Yup.”

“Neighborhood’s gonna wake up. Not much population but word travels. Might be a good idea to get another cruiser out here,” Garrett instructed.

Marty nodded and turned to Abe. “Yo. Get dispatch to send another cruiser.”

“Gotcha,” Abe replied quickly, immediately jogging to their vehicle, having been keeping his distance from the Fiesta.

Garrett eyed Abe a beat, trying to remember when he started and what had gone down since.

His first homicide.

Abe was a gung-ho guy. Not even twenty-four years old and raring to go. Couldn’t wait to put his mark on beating back crime in the ’burg. Was always volunteering for everything, was there early for his shift, happy to work late. Marty thought he was hilarious, which was Marty’s way of not finding him annoying.

He was not gung-ho now. With a dead woman in a Ford Fiesta, he was subdued, watchful, quiet, and helpful.

That was what homicide did to a rookie. Knocked the cocky superhero shit right out of you.

“When he’s done callin’ that in, Marty,” Garrett said quietly to the veteran cop. “Might be a good idea you start him canvassing. See if anyone saw anything. Heard anything.”

Marty nodded.

“I’m good,” Mike said. “Let’s go in.”

Garrett and Mike moved to round the Fiesta, both of them turning their head to watch as the ME van pulled up.

They didn’t stop walking. They made it to the door of the house, Garrett knocking even as he looked around the cul-de-sac.

One house, windows boarded up. One house, lawn hadn’t been mowed all summer, obviously deserted, bank notices of foreclosure still posted to the door. One house in decent shape, for sale sign out in front of it.

This house, the only one occupied.

Ellen opened the door, jerked her head to the side to indicate they should come in, but she didn’t speak.

Garrett opened the storm and he and Mike went through, following Ellen into the living room.

As he went, he took in as much as he could.

The place was nice. Clean. Furnished a helluva lot better than Garrett’s condo.

Pride there.

Pride in taking care of a house that the owners were probably so upside down on, it’d take decades to get right side up.

Pride in the travels the occupants had taken to Disney World, Atlantic City, the Sears Tower, and more, these declared through the snow globes, plastic banks, and other cheap souvenirs displayed throughout the home.

Also pride in family. Framed pictures everywhere and more shoved into the edges of the frames or propped up against them. Pictures that held the image of the woman pacing the room. Some men. Other women. Relatives. Friends.