Chapter Five

Thursday, January 10, 10:12 A.M.

The last forty-eight hours had been frustrating. Jacob and Zack had tracked down Phil White’s town house, but there’d been no sign of him and neighbors reported they’d not seen him since Friday morning. They’d learned from his boss at the cable company that he was on vacation, but no one seemed to know where he’d gone or how to reach him.

Interviewing Jackie White’s church friends and coworkers had been just as elusive. She was an intensely private woman, and though all seemed to like her no one really knew much about her. Her cell phone records, bank statements, and credit report showed nothing out of the ordinary.

Jacob had gotten a call from the medical examiner’s office this morning. Jackie White’s autopsy was happening today.

As Jacob and Zack strode into the medical examiner’s office, Jacob felt himself tensing. Death was a part of his job but he didn’t like this place. The tile floor. The chrome. The smell. The place had an eerie feeling that he’d never grown comfortable with.

‘God, I hate the smell of this place,’ Zack muttered.

Jacob inhaled through his mouth. ‘I hear ya.’

The detectives pushed through the double doors into the autopsy room. The tile floor had a drain in the center. Adjustable lights hung over five different chrome examining tables, all of which were empty except the one where Dr Alex Butler stood.

Dr Butler was young, not much older than thirty. He was tall, lean and had a thick stock of blond hair cut into a crew cut. Blue eyes reflected intelligence. He’d finished medical school at age twenty and some called him Doogie Howser. He’d spent several years working in Hawaii for the federal government helping to identify the remains of missing U.S. servicemen. He had become an expert known worldwide and could have worked anywhere.

Dr Butler turned and glanced at his gloved hands. ‘Detectives Warwick and Kier. I’d shake your hand, but …’

‘No problem, Dr Butler,’ Jacob said. It felt odd calling the guy doctor. He didn’t look old enough to drive. ‘What do you have?’

‘I’m glad you arrived before I finished.’ Dr Butler stepped aside and Jackie White’s nude body came into view. Her chest was open via the coroner’s signature Y-cut. Her vital organs had been removed. Her hair was brushed off her face.

Zack expelled a breath.

Jacob clenched his teeth, determined to view the body as nothing more than evidence.

Dr Butler looked nonplussed over the woman lying on the metal table behind him. This was business as usual to him.

‘What can you tell us?’ Jacob’s voice sounded rusty. Already he was anxious to get out of the room.

‘Strangulation was the cause of death.’ He took the victim’s head and turned her face away from them, exposing her pale neck, marred by finger bruises on both sides. ‘As you can see by the bruising he used both hands. Also, the hyoid bone was broken, as is common in the case of hanging and strangulation. When the bone breaks, asphyxiation occurs.’

Jacob’s impatience rose. Dr Butler was detailing what they’d already suspected. ‘What’s special about this case?’

‘The killer had to have been a powerful person. Her larynx was nearly crushed. And it appears he strangled her from behind. See the finger marks? They point forward.’

Dr Butler moved to the body’s raw wrists. He lifted her arm. ‘These marks were made over several days. She was trying to get loose. There are also rub marks on her ankles and at the base of her spine.’

‘The spine?’ Jacob asked.

Dr Butler rested his hands on his hips. ‘My guess is that the killer tied her to a straight-backed chair with sturdy arms. The hard chair back would have rubbed into her skin after a couple of days. Also notice the lividity – these purplish, red marks.’ When death occurred blood settled at the lowest portion of the body. ‘The markings occur in her feet, the underside of her forearms, and her backside, suggesting she was sitting after she died.’

‘Lividity doesn’t happen for at least thirty minutes,’ Jacob said.

Dr Butler nodded. ‘But hers is so dark I think the killer kept her tied to the chair for at least three to four hours.’

The killer had kept her dead body with him. Why? ‘When do you think she died?’ Jacob asked.

‘Her liver temp was forty degrees. That’s a drop of fifty-nine degrees. Assuming she lost a degree and a half per hour, and it was a constant thirty degrees outside, I’d say she’s been dead roughly forty hours.’

‘Death occurred roughly around six p.m. on Sunday?’ Zack asked.

Dr Butler nodded. ‘Give or take.’

Jacob checked his notes. The timeline he’d been able to establish so far didn’t fit what Dr Butler was telling him. ‘We stopped by the victim’s office yesterday. The office manager said White e-mailed in on Sunday morning and said she’d have to take Monday off.’

Dr Butler shook his head. ‘That doesn’t fit what I’ve found. If I had to guess, I’d say she was restrained on Saturday.’

‘So the killer sent the e-mails?’ Zack speculated.

‘Maybe,’ Jacob said.

‘Signs of sexual assault?’ Zack asked.

Dr Butler shook his head. ‘None. And frankly, I was expecting it. Preliminary tox screens show that she was loaded with barbiturates.’

‘Like a date-rape drug?’

Dr Butler nodded. ‘That was my thought. The drug would have made her pliable.’ He turned the inside of the victim’s pale arm upward. Needle marks peppered the points around her blue-green veins. ‘This was done over a couple of days.’

‘How long before we know what was injected into her?’ Zack asked.

‘A couple of weeks.’

‘And there’s a possibility she did this to herself?’ Jacob challenged.

‘I don’t think so.’ Dr Butler shook his head. ‘That’s why I opened her up. Her heart was a normal weight and size, as was her liver. Have a look.’

Jacob braced and leaned forward.

Zack held up his hand. ‘I’ll take your word for it.’

Dr Butler shrugged. ‘This woman took very good care of herself. Good weight, firm muscles, healthy heart, no signs of cigarette smoking in the lungs. Good teeth. She did not use drugs.’

Jacob flexed his fingers. For an instant his gaze darted to the victim’s pale, still face. He thought about the picture taken of her last Halloween. Smiling. Vibrant. Alive. ‘So how the hell does she end up tied to a chair, loaded full of drugs, strangled, and dumped like yesterday’s garbage?’

‘Have you talked to her husband yet?’ Dr Butler asked. ‘The majority of the women I see murdered are killed by someone they know.’

Zack put his hands in his pockets and rattled the change. ‘We’re still looking for him.’

Tess pushed through the doors to the autopsy room. Her tight frown mimicked her brother’s. Her long dark hair was tied back. She wore khakis and a dark shirt. Dark circles smudged the delicate skin under her eyes, a sign she’d been up last night working on this case. ‘Your office said I could find you here. I had to be down here anyway and thought I’d be able to catch you.’

The doctor’s gaze darted to Tess. For just an instant, he stared before looking away.

Zack nodded to his sister. ‘Did you find anything unusual on the body?’

She opened the file in her hands. ‘There wasn’t much. But I did find carpet fibers on the left side of her coat.’

‘The left side?’ Dr Butler asked.

Tess shrugged. ‘As if she’d been dragged over the carpet.’

The doctor nodded. ‘Explains the hint of rash on her left arm.’

‘What can you tell us about the fibers?’ Jacob asked.

Tess glanced at her notes. ‘Standard-grade carpet. Very new. And they were pink.’

‘Pink?’ Zack and Jacob had searched the victim’s premises late into the night, along with another member of the forensics team, who had sealed the house indefinitely. ‘When we went through her house there was no sign of pink.’

Zack nodded. ‘Beige, browns, and antique whites. No color at all.’

‘Has her car been found yet?’ Tess asked.

‘No,’ Jacob said. ‘But her boss reported that it was a black Jetta, beige interior, Virginia plates.’

Tess flipped through her notes. ‘There was no skin under her nails. No chemicals on her clothes. No fingerprints on her belt buckle.’

Jacob’s cell phone vibrated on his hip. He glanced at the number. ‘Excuse me.’ He walked to the corner of the room and flipped open the phone. ‘Warwick.’

He listened as the patrolman assigned to White’s house reported that Phil White had returned home minutes ago. ‘Good. Make sure he doesn’t leave.’ He glanced at Zack. ‘The husband is home.’

Zack nodded. ‘Let’s go.’

‘Brett, I just got an anonymous text message. The sender tells me he knows the name of the dead woman found by the river,’ Kendall said as she poked her head in his office.

He lifted his gaze from Wednesday night’s copy. ‘What’s her name?’

She flicked the edge of the sticky note in her hand with her index finger. She’d received tips like this before but they always left her questioning the sender’s agenda. ‘According to my source her name is Jackie White. I did a quick check and found that she lives on Mayberry Drive and is a secretary at Trainer Engineering. Thirty-eight years old. Separated.’ Ferreting out facts quickly was her specialty. She handed him the note.

Brett glanced at the address of Jackie’s employer and her home address. He checked his watch. ‘Both places are close. You could make it by both locations before deadline if you hustle. We have five hours to air.’

‘I want to talk to the husband.’

He seemed pleased by her assertiveness. ‘Go for it. Where’s Mike?’

She smiled, pleased with herself. ‘Outside warming up the van.’

Brett grinned. ‘I should have known.’ He rose and moved around the desk until he stood just inches from her. ‘I knew it was a smart idea to hire you.’

Impatience nipped at her and she feared where this conversation was going. ‘It was one of your best.’ She turned to leave and he caught her arm in his hand. The hold was gentle, yet insistent. Emotion darkened his eyes. ‘I miss you, Kendall.’

Since she’d taken the anchor job there’d thankfully been no conversations with Brett about their past relationship. ‘Where’s this coming from?’

He glanced down to the hand holding her arm. ‘It’s been chewing on me for a while.’

She did not want to have this conversation. They were done. Period. Gently, she pulled out of his grasp. ‘This isn’t the time.’

His features stiffened. ‘We need to make the time to talk about us.’

‘There is no us anymore, Brett. That ended last year. And as I remember, you were glad it ended.’

He brushed an imaginary hair from her shoulder. ‘Breaking up was a mistake.’

At the time she thought it might have been a mistake, but no longer. ‘It was the best move for us.’ She realized now that Brett only wanted what came easily. He wanted a relationship filled with happy moments. The hard, sloppy times sent him running.

‘I don’t buy that.’

Anger kindled inside her. There was a time when she’d really needed his support and he’d refused her pleas of help. ‘You need to accept it. We’re done.’

‘Are you seeing someone else?’ Accusation peppered his words.

She didn’t like his tone of voice. ‘That really is none of your business.’

He shoved out a breath. ‘It’s a simple yes or no answer.’

‘There’s nothing simple about that question.’

Brett looked frustrated. ‘Why do you have to be so stubborn?’

She lifted a brow. ‘I’ve got a story to cover and don’t have time for this.’

For a moment he looked as if he would block her exit, but then he moved aside.

Kendall exited the office. She hadn’t realized that she’d been holding her breath or that tension had coiled around her spine until she was headed away from him. Brett’s attitude was a bit unnerving and it was something she’d not seen before.

Her high heels clicked quickly as she hurried down the hallway toward the back exit. She pushed open the back double doors and found the white news van. Mike was in the front seat; the engine was running and the heater humming.

Her career was heading in the direction she wanted. Her house was coming together. And now Brett was trying to dig up the past. The past. Every time she turned around the past stalked her.

She climbed into the front seat and handed Mike a sticky note with an address. ‘Let’s head here first.’

Mike glanced at the address and put the van in gear. He knew the metro area like the back of his hand and rarely needed a map. ‘So who’s there?’

‘That woman found by the river on Tuesday. We have her name. This is where her husband lives.’

‘Cool.’

For some reason the casual word irritated her. ‘Cool. We’re covering a woman’s murder.’

He glanced at her as he drove through the parking lot. ‘What’s got your panties in a twist? She’s a story, Kendall. Just like all the other stories we’ve covered.’

Indignation burned. ‘She was a person.’

He pulled out onto Broad Street. ‘Why’s this chick so different?’

Kendall tightened her jaw. She didn’t have an answer for him. ‘I don’t know.’

‘Well, figure it out. The last thing I need is for you to go all soupy on me.’

He’d thrown down a glove, knowing nothing sharpened her focus more than a direct challenge. ‘I’m not soupy – ever.’

‘That so?’

Mentally, she dug in her heels. ‘Watch and learn.’

Jacob parked the car in front of Phil White’s town house. The air had turned warmer and temps were expected to top forty today. The ice from the storm had melted and almost all signs of the weekend snow were gone. Good. One step closer to spring.

Jacob tucked his keys in his pocket. He surveyed the town house trying to absorb details. Well maintained. Neat. It looked normal enough.

But Jacob’s own mother had taught him early on that the walls of a house could hide a multitude of sins.

‘You want to do the talking?’ Zack asked.

‘Yes.’ He’d not been able to get this victim out of his mind. She’d lived a by-the-book life. No drugs. Hardworking. No dabbling in risky behavior. And yet someone had murdered her. All the signs pointed to a domestic situation.

Jacob and Zack strode up to the simple front door. Jacob knocked.

At first there was no sound from inside the town house. Jacob then pounded the door. This time they received a gruff, ‘Just a minute.’

‘You’re messing with his beauty sleep,’ Zack said.

Jacob flexed his right hand. ‘I’m going to do more than that.’

Footsteps thudded. The door snapped open.

Standing in the threshold was a midsize guy wearing a gray college T-shirt, sweatpants, and a couple days’ growth of beard. His thick dark hair was brushed back, emphasizing rounded cheeks and bushy eyebrows over dark eyes.

The man sniffed. ‘What do you want?’

Jacob pulled out his badge. ‘We’re looking for Phil White.’

‘That’s me.’ White frowned. ‘What do you want?’

‘Can we come in?’ Jacob asked.

White shook his head. ‘If you’ve got something to say you can say it out here.’

Jacob didn’t want to do this on a doorstep. ‘Can we come in?’ he asked again.

‘No.’

So be it. Jacob lowered his voice. ‘The body of Jackie White was found on Sunday.’

White’s jaw dropped. ‘What? Jackie White? My wife is dead?’

Jacob nodded. ‘Yes.’

The color drained from the guy’s face and he stepped to the side. ‘Come in.’

The place was sparse, typical bachelor. La-Z-Boy recliner, wide-screen TV, pizza boxes on the kitchen counter. Jacob would bet the freezer only saw frozen meals and the fridge beer and leftovers. There was a fireplace but it looked as if it had never been used.

White looked up at Jacob. Tears glistened in his eyes. ‘Are you sure?’

Jacob nodded. ‘Yes.’

White dragged a trembling hand through his hair. ‘How?’

Jacob ignored the question. ‘You two were separated?’

‘Yes.’

‘How long?’

‘Eighteen months.’

‘You two fought at Christmas?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

White swallowed. ‘That’s personal.’

‘We need to know.’

‘She refused to give me a divorce.’

Neither Jacob nor Zack spoke.

White filled the silence. ‘I tried to work it out with her. I really tried. But she hated sex. Refused to touch me. Was I supposed to live the rest of my life like a monk?’ He tipped back his head to stop the flow of tears. ‘Why are you asking these questions? How did she die?’ he asked. ‘Was it some kind of accident?’

‘No, it wasn’t an accident.’ Clearing his throat, Jacob said in a deliberately softer tone, ‘Do you know of anyone who would want to kill Jackie?’

White shook his head. ‘She was a saint. She donated her time to every cause out there. Everyone liked her.’

‘Did she have any boyfriends?’ Zack asked.

White barked out a half laugh. ‘No.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yeah. That’s one of the things we fought about in December. I told her she needed a man. She said she didn’t need a man. She was married to me.’ He dropped his head into his hands and started to weep. ‘God, I shouldn’t have yelled at her.’

Zack cleared his throat. ‘Is there anyone we can call to come stay with you?’

‘No.’ He swiped tears from his cheeks. ‘No. I’ve got it under control.’

Jacob glanced around the apartment looking for any signs of pink carpeting. There was nothing. But then if White had killed her it made sense that he wouldn’t do it here.

White brushed another tear from his cheek. ‘How come I haven’t seen anything on the news?’

‘You are her legal husband – next of kin. We are required to tell you first before we release information to the media.’

White started to weep again. The front doorbell rang and White woodenly moved toward the door and opened it.

Jacob swallowed an oath when he saw Kendall Shaw standing in the doorway.

‘Mr White, my name is Kendall Shaw. I’m with Channel Ten News.’

Jacob strode toward the door. His gaze lingered on Kendall. For a split second his gut clenched with an unquenchable craving. ‘This is a bad time, Ms Shaw.’

Kendall’s gaze told him she was as surprised to see him as he was her. She shook it off. ‘Mr White, my condolences to you concerning your wife.’

White glared at Jacob. ‘I thought the press didn’t know.’

Jacob swallowed an oath. How the hell had she found out? ‘They’re not supposed to.’

‘I only just found out,’ Kendall said. ‘I’d like to talk to you about your wife.’

Before White could answer, Jacob reached for the door and closed it.

Forty-five minutes later, Jacob and Zack left White with bloodshot, tear-filled eyes. They’d learned he’d been hunting with buddies the last few days.

Kendall was waiting outside the apartment. The cold outside had turned her face a bright pink. She moved toward them, her stride confident. ‘I’d love to talk to you about this case, detectives. Do you have a few minutes to spare?’

Jacob speared her with his gaze. ‘Who gave you the victim’s identity?’

She shrugged. ‘A source.’

‘Who?’

‘I won’t say.’

Jacob muttered an oath and both detectives started moving.

Fast-clicking heels told them she had to hustle to keep up with them. ‘I’ve been on the phone for an hour with friends and neighbors of the victim. They all say she was a great person. Any ideas how she ended up dead by the river?’

Jacob tossed her a glance. ‘Leave Phil White alone, Ms Shaw. He’s upset right now.’ He wasn’t as concerned about White as he was about Kendall mucking with his investigation. White certainly played the part of the grieving husband, but Jacob had learned long ago not to take anything at face value.

‘You can’t stop me from talking to him,’ she said.

‘No, I can’t. But the guy is a wreck. Show some humanity.’ Jacob and Zack got into Jacob’s car and Jacob fired up the engine.

He looked up and noticed Kendall was crossing the parking lot to the news van. She started talking to the cameraman, who didn’t seem to like what he was hearing. The two got into the van.

So she wasn’t pushing the interview today? That was a surprise. Points for her. But he knew her well enough to know she’d be back.

‘Damn her.’

Zack shrugged. ‘She can be a pain, but you’ve got to admit she’s good at what she does.’

‘I don’t have to admit squat.’

Zack studied Jacob. ‘It’s not like you to get so pissed at reporters. They’ve got a job to do, like us.’

Jacob tightened his hands on the wheel. ‘She takes it too far.’

‘Not today. She’s backing off.’

‘She’ll be back sooner than later.’

A grin tugged the edges of Zack’s mouth. ‘She’s gotten under your skin.’

‘Bullshit.’

Zack laughed.

‘What’s so funny?’ he growled.

Amusement danced in his partner’s eyes. ‘You remind me of me when I had it so bad for Lindsay and she wouldn’t give me the time of day.’

‘That’s crap. This woman just annoys me.’

Zack grinned. ‘Oh, I know.’

Jacob shook his head and put the car in gear. ‘Shut up.’

Zack’s phone rang at that moment and he answered it. His smile faded and he nodded grimly as he scribbled a memo in his notebook. He hung up. ‘They found Jackie White’s car off of West Broad Street. Vega’s getting a warrant and will meet us at the scene.’

Jacob pulled into traffic. He was grateful he could push Kendall from his thoughts. Twenty minutes later he pulled into the parking lot of a big-box store and he and Zack walked to the marked police car parked next to a black Jetta located in a remote corner. The sun was dipping lower and the air temp had dropped. The air cut through them like a knife.

Jacob and Zack exchanged words with the patrolman, who said, ‘Detective Vega and forensics will be here any minute. Vega has the warrant.’

‘Thanks.’ Jacob shoved his hands into his pockets and walked over to the Jetta, Zack following him. Inside, there was a box of tissues on the front seat, white plastic grocery bags full of groceries, and a spare pair of tennis shoes on the back floorboard.

‘I don’t see her purse,’ Zack noted.

‘No.’

Zack glanced around the parking lot. ‘What about surveillance cameras?’

‘I’ll ask the manager.’

‘She’s chosen an isolated corner.’

‘The woman who worked in the cubical next to Jackie’s said Jackie liked to park far from the store entrance so she could get a little extra exercise.’

‘I’d bet money he snatched her from the parking lot,’ Zack said.

‘Yeah.’ Jacob rubbed his hand over the thickening stubble on his chin. He studied the trail from the car to the store entrance.

Zack shoved out a breath. ‘What could he have said to her so he could get close enough?’

‘He could have offered to carry her groceries, asked for the time, or feigned car trouble.’

‘Why her?’

‘Who the hell knows’?

Watching Kendall Shaw on the news each night had become a ritual. The day just didn’t feel right if Allen didn’t see her.

He leaned forward on his workbench and turned the volume up on the small TV mounted on the shelf above. Kendall grinned back at him. Her soft voice soothed his nerves even if what she had to say wasn’t always so pleasant. If not for her he’d not have bothered with the news. Most of it was hype and made-up crap slapped together by the networks to get ratings. No one cared about the truth.

Kendall walked about the studio. Her long, lean body moved with the confidence of a queen. Her gaze turned serious when she revealed Jackie White’s identity. The camera cut away to interviews she’d done with a neighbor and a coworker. Both seemed sad over the loss of Jackie – Ruth. His throat tightened. He understood that loss. He missed her too.

Allen was glad now he’d sent that text message to Kendall.

He liked helping Kendall. He wanted to see her succeed. And he also felt confident that no one would find him. He’d been very careful when he’d laid Jackie on the bank. He’d not even stepped out of the flat-bottomed boat when he’d dropped her body on the shore.

The serious glint in Kendall’s eyes told him she was frustrated by the police. She wanted more and they weren’t giving it to her. Pride burned inside him. He and Kendall had much in common. In so many ways they were kindred spirits.

When he’d first arrived in town, he’d written Kendall a couple of e-mails, via the station’s Web site. He had told her how much he liked watching her. She’d not responded back. But he didn’t really blame her.

This time when he’d sent her a text message, she’d gotten right back to him. Who r u? How do u know this? Satisfaction had burned as he’d stared at the words.

Allen considered sending another text but decided now wasn’t the best time. Better to stay under the radar for now.