Let Her Run, page 5
Fiona took a step forward. "We're sorry for your loss, Mr. Reynolds. We're just here to ask a few questions if that's okay."
Duke nodded, stepping aside to let them in. "Sure, come on in. I'll answer what I can."
As they entered the living room, Fiona couldn't help but notice the differences between Duke's house and Sharon's. Sharon's had been extremely orderly, but Duke's had movie posters on the walls and unkempt bookshelves. Just based on their lifestyles, Fiona could see they had stark differences. They went into the living room, where Duke gestured for them to sit on the couch while he took the loveseat.
"We're sorry for your loss, Mr. Reynolds," Jake said. "But we need to ask you a few questions about Sharon. Did she ever mention anyone who might want to harm her?"
"I mean, no," Duke said. "I know she could get up her neighbor's asses sometimes, piss off people because she could be, well... uptight. But I don't think anyone actively hated her or wanted to hurt her."
"What about Glen Hartwell?" Jake asked. "Did Sharon ever mention him?"
Duke's brow furrowed. "Glen Hartwell? I don't think so. Who's that?"
"He was the man who was found dead in his home a few days ago, under the same circumstances as Sharon," Fiona explained. "We're investigating his murder, as well as Sharon's."
Duke's eyes widened. "Murder? Do you think someone killed Sharon? The police told me she was found unconscious in her house, but they didn’t give me the specifics…”
"It does appear that way," Jake said. He took out his phone, bringing up a photo of Glen, and showed it to Duke. "You've never seen this man before?"
Duke shook his head. "No, never. He's gotta be, what, thirty years older than Sharon? I doubt she knew him."
On paper, they had no evidence that Glen and Sharon knew each other either. Sharon didn't have any other family in the city, and it seemed like Duke was their best bet on finding out who she was associating with. But he knew nothing either.
"When was the last time you talked to Sharon?" Jake asked.
"She texted me last week, said she needed to get some work done on her house. We were still friendly. The breakup was amicable, I guess."
Fiona thought about Sharon's house, how pristine it was--and how professionally done the garden appeared to be. "Did Sharon have landscapers regularly work on her garden?" Fiona asked.
Duke nodded. "Oh, yeah. She was crazy about keeping everything in tight order. She needed her house clean, her garden professionally done--the list goes on. As you can see, I'm more relaxed, so it did cause friction between us."
That made sense. But it also brought Fiona back to that wasp nest in Sharon's backyard. "Would it be like Sharon to leave a wasp nest in her backyard?" Fiona asked.
"Oh, no way," Duke said. "She said she was bringing in a pro to exterminate them. I guess she never booked it."
Fiona's heart raced as something--a memory--began to unfurl in her mind. She recalled when she was studying entomology at Harvard when they went into the topic of insecticides. Some could be applied with a spray wand--and now that Fiona thought about it, that device could fit, if crammed down someone's throat, and leave quite a bit of trauma.
Maybe it wasn't a tube that was put in Sharon's throat--but a spray wand from insecticide.
Fiona's mind raced as she tried to piece together the evidence. Could it be possible that a landscaper or exterminator had something to do with both Sharon and Glen's deaths? She looked up at Duke.
"Duke, do you happen to have any records or receipts from the exterminators that Sharon used?" Fiona asked suddenly.
Duke furrowed his brow. "I don't know; I'd have to check. I'm pretty sure it was this company called Insect Away Home."
Jake shot Fiona a frown, likely not realizing what she was thinking. She'd have to explain.
If she was right, then someone from Insect Away Home could be the killer.
CHAPTER SIX
"Wait, so you think it was an insecticide?" Jake asked incredulously, sitting behind the wheel of his car as Fiona sat in the passenger seat, looking at him with big, bright eyes. It was a look she only gave when she felt she was truly onto something, so Jake had been listening for the past few minutes as she'd explained her new theory outside of Duke's house.
Fiona flashed him her phone. "Yes--and it could be this."
Jake took the phone. On the screen were search results about a substance called Cyphaclide.
"I remember learning about this in school," Fiona said. "At the time, it was highly experimental and very new, but I just looked into it and it seems it's now being widely produced. People are using it because it causes no damage to plant life and only kills insects, but the molecule is very small, making it extremely difficult to detect inside the human body. It's lethal in direct dosages; one tends to pass out quickly if they take it, and organ failure will likely occur within the first hour while the person is unconscious."
Jake scrolled through the results, quickly skimming and learning as much about this chemical as he could. He saw there was an ethical conundrum on the release of the poison as it could, theoretically, be used to kill somebody and leave little trace, but the argument was countered by making the substance heavily regulated and restricted, where only those with a license were permitted to access it.
"So, someone with a license could have used it on Sharon and Glen, and it would be nearly impossible to trace back to them," Jake said, handing the phone back to Fiona. "But why?"
"That's what we need to find out," Fiona said, her eyes narrowing in concentration. "We need to get a list of all the licensed users of Cyphaclide in the area and cross-reference it with the exterminator companies that Sharon used. We also need to find out if Glen has ever called any exterminators."
Jake handed Fiona back her phone and turned on his car. The sciences were her expertise--that was why she was here--but finding out personal information was Jake's forte, so he knew what to do.
"Good thinking on this, Red," he said. "I want to go talk to Glen's family and get a personal testimony. If they ever did call Insect Away Home, or if they never even called them. It's a good theory, but we need to link the two victims."
Fiona nodded in agreement as Jake started the car and drove towards Glen's home. He had seen from the file that Glen was a family man with a wife and kids, and they lived in a large, beautiful house that frankly, Jake was slightly nervous to see in person. Only because the situation with Glen reminded him of his own situation with his mother. Losing a parent left a devastating impact on his family, and he knew it would be the same for the Hartwells.
But he had a feeling that Fiona was onto something.
If the Hartwells ever called Insect Home Away, then they'd have their clear lead.
Maybe this killer wasn't as much of a criminal mastermind as he'd thought.
***
Jake pulled the car up to the Hartwells' house, which was more like a colonial mansion. The house was an impressive sight, with its bright white columns, tall windows, and white brick walls. The lawn was vast and carefully manicured, with blooming flower beds and a bright white fence that stretched around the property. The driveway was long and curved, leading up to the doorway of the imposing home.
Seeing it in person, Jake saw that the Hartwells weren't as much like his family as he'd thought. His family had lived in a good neighborhood, but although both his parents were firefighters, they didn't have nearly this much money.
Jake took a deep breath and got out of the car, feeling a little out of his depth but grateful Fiona was with him. She shot him a reassuring look over the car. Although Jake had some knowledge now about her past, with her missing sister, she still had no idea what had happened with his mother. He had never really told anyone except for Lauren.
He walked up the long driveway, taking in the beauty of the house, and rang the doorbell.
After a few moments, he heard footsteps approach from inside the house. The door opened to reveal a middle-aged woman with blond hair and tired eyes. Cate Hartwell, Glen's wife, was the woman who had found him dead.
"Mrs. Hartwell?" Jake asked, flashing his FBI badge. "I'm Agent Jake Tucker with the FBI, and this is Fiona Red. Do you mind if we talk to you about your husband?"
Cate's posture shrunk, and she hugged herself. "I... I already told the police everything. It's been a week now... do you know what happened to him?"
"We're still getting details," Jake said. His face was grim. "Unfortunately, another person has been found the same way Glen was found, and we suspect we're dealing with a serial killer."
Cate gasped and put a hand over her mouth. "Oh, my God. Who else died?"
Jake pulled up a photo of Sharon on his phone and showed it to Cate. "This is Sharon French. Do you recognize her?"
Cate shook her head.
"We're sorry to have to bring this up again, Mrs. Hartwell," Fiona said, stepping forward. "But we're trying to piece together any information that might help us catch whoever did this. Can you tell us if Glen ever called any exterminator companies, particularly Insect Away Home?"
Cate looked bewildered for a moment; then her brow furrowed as though she was trying to remember. "Well, yes, we did call exterminators to deal with some of the hornets out back, but I don't think that was the name of the company."
"Do you happen to remember the name of the company you used?" Fiona asked, her eyes intent on Cate.
Cate thought for a few moments, then shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can't remember. It was a while ago, and I wasn't the one who called them."
Jake and Fiona shared a look. It was frustrating to hit a dead end, but they weren't going to give up just yet.
"There must be some record of it," Jake said.
Cate's brows pinched before she seemed to have an epiphany. "Oh! Yes, I bet we still have the flier. Glen could never throw anything out. Here, come on inside."
Cate led them inside the grand mansion, which was just as impressive on the inside as it was on the outside. They walked through the spacious foyer and into a living room filled with plush furniture and large windows that let in an abundance of natural light.
"Please, have a seat," Cate said, gesturing to the couch. "I'll go look for that flier."
Jake and Fiona sat down, and Jake couldn't help but be in awe of the Hartwells' luxurious lifestyle. More than that, though, he took note of the family photos on the walls. Pictures of Glen with his blond-haired children, who looked so much like him.
As he looked around the room, he noticed a family portrait on the wall. Glen was standing in the middle, with his wife and two kids on either side of him. They all looked so happy, so content.
It was a stark contrast to the gruesome scene that Cate had walked into just a week ago. Jake felt for her. Images of blood on the tile flashed in his mind, memories from when he found his own mother dead. He tried to wipe them away.
He felt a nudge on his arm and looked over to see Fiona peering up at him.
"Are you okay, Jake?" she murmured. "You look pale."
Fiona's calm aura and smooth voice instantly settled his anxiety, like smoke clearing. It was amazing how she could have that effect on him sometimes. No one else had ever made him feel that way.
"I'm okay," he said with a smile. "Thanks, Red. I--"
Cate returned to the room. She held up a flier for a company. "Ah, here it is! Pest Control Pros. This is who Glen called."
Jake's stomach sank. He was hoping this would lead them to Insect Away Home, but Pest Control Pros? This was a different company entirely.
They'd have to look into both.
Fiona took the flier from Cate and studied it carefully, her sharp gaze scanning the text. "Thank you, Mrs. Hartwell. This is really helpful." Fiona stood up and addressed Cate. "Mrs. Hartwell, may we ask you a few more questions about your late husband? Anything that might help us understand who would do this to him?" Cate nodded, and Fiona continued. "Did Glen ever mention any enemies or people who might have wanted to harm him?"
Cate thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, Glen was well-liked by everyone. He was a good man, a good husband, and a good father."
Jake spoke up. "Did he have any strange behavior leading up to his death? Anything out of the ordinary?"
"No, not at all," Cate said. "He was just... gone, one day."
"And when did he call the pest control services?" Jake asked.
"It was a couple of weeks before he passed," Cate said. "They never actually came to do the work, but Glen said they were coming in soon. The nest is still there."
Fiona turned to Jake, eyes blazing. "We should follow up on Pest Control Pros and see if they have any record of Glen's call."
Jake nodded in agreement. "Let's get on it. And thank you, Mrs. Hartwell. If you think of anything else, please don't hesitate to contact us."
Cate nodded, her eyes filled with sadness. "I will. Thank you both for trying to find who did this to Glen."
As Jake and Fiona were leaving, Jake couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. There was something off about the whole situation. Glen seemed like a genuinely good man, and the fact that he had been killed in such a cold, heartless way was unsettling.
If the pest control angle was correct, then Jake still failed to see the motive.
Why would Sharon and Glen, two seemingly normal people, be killed in a near-assassination-style manner?
Jake didn't know. But he intended to find out.
Starting with investigating both extermination services.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Jake sat in the car as the sunlight reached midday, casting golden rays through the windshield as he and Fiona were parked outside of Glen Hartwell's house. They needed to figure out their next move.
Beside him in the passenger seat, Fiona had her laptop open, her brows pinched together as she searched for information on the exterminators. "Pest Control Pros is not certified to use the chemical," she said, "but Insect Away Home is."
Jake frowned. That didn't mean Pest Control Pros were out of the water--he was sure they could still access it if they really wanted to. "They were the first ones Glen called," Jake said. "Could someone there still access it?"
"Possibly," Fiona said, "but with Insect Away Home already certified, my gut is that we should look into them first."
Jake nodded in agreeance. Although his partnership with Fiona was still new, he felt like every case they worked together created more synergy between them. He'd learned to trust her instincts when it came to leads, and she'd learned to trust his when it came to dangerous situations where she could get hurt. Fiona had a long way to go before she would be able to keep up with the physical demands of being an agent; mentally, she was sound, but even with their ongoing training sessions, she still needed professional training in an FBI academy setting before she could earn a gun and badge, and before he could fully trust her to take care of herself physically, the way he could trust Lauren. It wasn't right to compare them; Jake knew that--Lauren was a seasoned agent and had dedicated all of her twenties to becoming as strong as she could be. Fiona had been focused on training her mind, which was an impressive feat. He couldn't even imagine going to Harvard and graduating, let alone landing a forensics job at the FBI when she was only twenty-five. A year later, here she was, on her way to becoming a full-fledged agent.
Jake was proud of her for all of that, and he hoped she knew it. It felt awkward to say it now, though, especially after their earlier conversation. Maybe he shouldn't have brought up their kiss--things had been going fine between them when they were just ignoring it.
But then again, Jake couldn't stop thinking about it. The way Fiona's lips had felt against his, the way her body had fit perfectly against his. He wanted more of that, but he didn't want to complicate things between them. He was her partner, after all.
"Jake, do you have any thoughts?" Fiona snapped him out of his thoughts.
Jake shook his head. "Sorry, what were you saying?"
"I was asking if you had any thoughts on how to proceed with Insect Away Home," Fiona said, closing her laptop.
Jake shrugged. "We should look into their employees, see who was scheduled to work at Sharon's house. I do think it's interesting that both Sharon and Glen never did end up getting their wasp's nest exterminated."
"I agree," Fiona said. "Should we go there?"
Jake turned his keys in the ignition, and the car grumbled to life. "Definitely. This can't be done over the phone." He started driving through the quiet suburb toward Insect Away Home's office, which was on the outskirts of town.
As they approached the building, Jake couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. There was a strange energy in the air, a sense of foreboding that made his skin prickle. Fiona must have felt it, too, because she turned to him with a worried expression. "I hope we get some answers here," she said. "I feel just terrible for Glen's family and for Sharon's ex-fiancé."
"It really is tragic," Jake replied, his mind drifting back to his own past. Part of him wanted to tell Fiona about the way he'd found his mother when he was a teenager, dead on the kitchen floor. It felt like he should, partially because he now had an idea about what happened to her sister, even if he just had the surface details. But the last thing he wanted to do was make this case about him. If she wanted to know him more, maybe he could tell her later, when they were alone.
His chest burned at the thought. If this case went on, there was a good chance they'd be crashing in a hotel together.
Jake shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the distracting thoughts. He needed to focus on the case.
***
They parked the car and made their way into the office building, which was a small, unimpressive structure that looked like it hadn't been updated in years. They were greeted by a receptionist who looked up at them with dull eyes. "Can I help you?" she asked.
"We're here to speak with someone about Insect Away Home," Jake said, flashing his FBI badge.
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