retraced his steps to the house, climbed to the porch and tapped lightly on the door before he turned the knob and stepped inside. A young officer glanced at the identification he held up and motioned him forward.
Inman and Reynolds stood near the fireplace in the living room. Ms. York sat, arms crossed, in a high-back chair.
Inman excused himself and quickly walked to where Tyler waited in the foyer. “Was the victim military?”
Tyler nodded. “From Fort Rickman. I’ll notify his unit.” He handed the cop his business card. “The CID’s resources are at your disposal. Let me know what you need.”
“Glad we can work together.” Glancing into the living room, Inman kept his voice low as he added, “I presume you want to talk to her.”
“Whenever you’re done. Has she provided anything of value thus far?”
“Only that she works as a speechwriter for a US senator in DC. Probably a big-city girl, with big-city ideas.” Inman smirked. “She asked whether the FBI would be notified.”
“And you told her—”
“That we’d handle the initial investigation.”
Noting the agitation in the cop’s voice, Tyler was grateful for the good relationship between the Freemont Police Department and the Fort Rickman CID, which hadn’t always been the case from the stories he’d heard around the office. Things could change again, but currently the two law enforcement agencies worked well together. A plus for Tyler. Getting in at the onset of a case made his job easier and pointed to a faster resolution, especially on a death investigation.
“Maybe there’s a reason she requested the feds,” he suggested. “If she works for a senator, there might be something she’s not telling you.”
“Could be. We can check it out. She claims to have heard footsteps as she ran back to the house.”
“Did she get a visual?”
“Unfortunately, no. She didn’t see anyone. Could be an overanxious imagination, especially after finding the body. Still, you never know. People have been known to fake grief and shock.”
“Did you get her boss’s name?”
Inman glanced down at his open notebook. “It’s here somewhere.”
Tyler turned his gaze to the living area, feeling an emotional pull deep within him. Usually he didn’t allow his feelings to come into play during an investigation. This case seemed different. Perhaps because her father had been a neighbor. The close proximity might have triggered a familiarity of sorts. Or maybe because she’d lost her father. Tyler could relate. Still, he hadn’t expected the swell of empathy he felt for her.
“Here it is.” Inman stepped closer and pointed to his notebook. “Ms. York works as a speechwriter for Senator Kingsley.”
Any warmth Tyler had sensed disappeared, replaced with a chilling memory of a man from his past.
“Senator Drake Kingsley?” Ty asked.
Inman nodded. “That’s right. You know the name?”
Worse than that, Tyler knew the man—a man he would never forget and never forgive. Drake Kingsley had killed his father, yet he’d never been charged for the crime.
Carrie’s head throbbed and her mouth felt dry as cotton. Officer Reynolds appeared oblivious of her discomfort and continued to ask questions that seemed to have no bearing on the terrible crime that had happened tonight.
“Has Senator Kingsley had attacks against his person?” he asked. “Or have there been attacks on anyone with whom you work?”
“Not that I know of, but I don’t see how what happens in Washington could have bearing on a soldier’s murder in rural Georgia.”
“Yes, ma’am, but I just want to cover every base.”
“Bases as in baseball, Officer Reynolds, or the investigation?”
He looked peeved, which was exactly how she felt. Peeved and tired and more than a little frightened to think of what had occurred just outside her window while she slept. She’d never expected following the trail to her estranged father would hurl her into a murder investigation.
If she wasn’t so confused, she would cry, but that wouldn’t solve the problem at hand, namely to answer the officer’s questions. Plus, she didn’t want to appear weak. She’d been living alone long enough to know she had to rely on her own wherewithal. A lesson that had been one of the few good things she’d learned from her mother.
Not what she wanted to bring the memory of her deceased mother into the upheaval tonight.
“I’m sorry,” Carrie said with a sigh. “My rudeness was uncalled for, to say the least.”
“I know this must be hard for you, ma’am, but if you can endure a few more questions.”
Which she did until her head felt as if it were ready to explode. She glanced at the leather-bound Bible on the side table, the stack of devotionals and religious texts on a nearby shelf and a plaque that read As for Me and My House, We Will Serve the Lord. All of which made her wonder if she had stumbled into the wrong house. How could she be so closely related to a man she didn’t even know?
Exhausted and exasperated, she finally held up both hands as if in submission. “If you don’t mind, I need a glass of water.”
“Certainly. Why don’t we take a break?” Officer Reynolds acted as if pausing had been his idea. “Officer Phillips will probably want to talk to you later.”
She sighed. “I’ve told you everything I know.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll pass that on, but I’m fairly confident he’ll have additional questions.”
“Of course, he will.” She stood, her gaze flicking to the man in the foyer wearing the navy jacket. He and Officer Inman were whispering as if they were talking about her.
Turning back to Reynolds, she asked, “May I bring you something? Water? Coffee?”
“No, thank you, ma’am. I’m fine.” He closed his notebook and pointed to the door. “I’ll step outside for a bit while you relax.”
As if she could with so many police officers swarming over her father’s property. Hurrying into the kitchen, she ran water in a tall glass and drank greedily, hoping to slake her thirst as well as the headache. She arched her shoulders to ease the tension climbing up her neck and glanced out the window at the neighboring brick ranch.
George Gates, her father’s lawyer, had mentioned the army man who lived next door. She’d seen him come home earlier, when she fixed a cup of tea and nibbled on the chicken salad croissant the lawyer had been kind enough to have waiting in the fridge for her.
Tall and well built with short dark hair and a thick neck, the neighbor
