Whisper of Bones (Widow's Island #3)(9)

“We could, but it isn’t as simple as it appears on TV. Luminol can react with other chemicals besides blood, and it can also destroy DNA.”

“Leaving you with even less evidence.”

“Yes.” Tessa operated in a small remote sheriff’s station. The Widow’s Island deputies were accustomed to processing their own crime scenes and collecting evidence. But there were times when it was best to ask for assistance. When she solved the murder and arrested a suspect, her evidence needed to hold up in a courtroom. “This is likely the primary crime scene. It’s already been compromised by the murderer, our attempt to put out the fire, and the fire crew traipsing in and out of the house.” She scanned the large disaster in the kitchen and the expansive lawn, the dock, and the boat visible through the windows. “We have a lot of ground to cover. With his injured knee, Kurt is reviewing the phone and financial records back at the station. Frankly, we need more bodies.”

She pulled out her phone and called the main sheriff’s office on the mainland. Ten minutes later, she returned her phone to her pocket. “The sheriff agrees. Two forensic techs are coming on the next ferry. They should be here this evening.” Tessa glanced at the glass doors at the back of the kitchen. Darkness was falling. “It’s going to be a long night. I’ll need someone to stay with my mother.”

“I’ll call my grandmother.” Logan’s grandmother ran the Widow’s Island Knitting and Activist group. The members took care of many of the social needs on the island, including helping Tessa with her mother.

“I wouldn’t be able to do my job without those ladies.”

“My grandmother and her friends appreciate what you do for the community. They believe in supporting you.”

But the fact was that Tessa would only be able to keep her mother home for a short while longer. Mom wandered more and more. It would break Tessa’s heart to move her mother into a secure facility, but that was exactly what she would have to do.

“I’d intended to put the Christmas lights on the house tonight. This could be Mom’s last Christmas at home. I want it to be special.” Balancing work and her mother’s care would be easier if people stopped killing each other.





4


Logan started upstairs to the McCoys’ master bedroom, while Tessa took the office on the first floor. It was nearly midnight as he searched Jason’s closet shelves, then went through the pockets of his jackets and coats. Nothing. He checked behind the furniture and under the mattress, then removed each drawer from the dresser and examined the underside and back. He took a last look around the room but still saw nothing amiss.

He walked into the hallway and down the steps. He could hear the forensic techs setting up in the kitchen. Due to the fragility of the biological evidence, Tessa had decided to let the forensic techs finish collecting physical evidence before she and Logan tackled the kitchen.

He turned left at the bottom of the steps and walked through the outer office, which contained filing cabinets and a utilitarian desk Logan assumed was for a secretary. He poked his head through the doorway and scanned the inner office. Tessa crouched behind a large oak desk. A fingerprinting kit sat on the desk next to a laptop.

“Find anything?” he asked.

The heater kicked on with a hum and a rattle.

“Maybe.” She straightened and gestured toward a drawer with a gloved hand. “The lock on the bottom file drawer was broken, and the corners of papers were sticking out of the files. Considering how well organized and neat the rest of this office is, I suspect someone searched it. The files in the cabinets out there”—she motioned toward the outer office—“were also just slightly askew.”

“You took prints?” Logan asked.

“Yes. I’ll compare them to Jason’s and his secretary’s.” Tessa nodded as a coverall-clad forensic tech appeared in the doorway. “We’ll interview her first thing in the morning. Hopefully she can tell us if anything is missing.”

Unless she is the one who killed him.

“Deputy Black, we’re ready.” The tech gestured toward the front of the house. “You’ll find personal protective equipment in the back of our van. You’ll want to suit up.”

Luminol was a suspected carcinogen.

Tessa and Logan stepped into coveralls, then grabbed the rest of the gear and carried it into the house.

“Stand here.” The tech directed them into position behind the kitchen island, facing the area they believed was the kill site.

The second tech lifted a camera into position. “I’m documenting with a long-exposure photograph. If you want to take your own pictures or video, you’ll want your cameras ready. You’ll only have about thirty seconds.”

They put on gloves, face masks, and goggles. Logan held a video recorder while Tessa handled a still camera. The first tech turned off the lights and sprayed Luminol over the area, which immediately began to emit a blue glow. The tech moved across the kitchen. The scene emerged as he sprayed. The glow showed a large patch where Jason had bled heavily in front of the sink and a drag trail that led right out the back door. They all followed it out onto the pavers, where the trail disappeared abruptly at the edge of the patio.

Tessa lowered her camera. “Maybe they used something to move his body from here.”