Protecting Tanner Hollow, page 13
part #1 of Tanner Hollow Series
“Right.”
“I’m going with you,” Reggie said.
“What? No.” Lilly shook her head. “You don’t have to do that. We’ll keep you updated.”
His eyes locked on hers. “I’m going.”
She lifted a brow. “Fine.”
Reggie nodded. “And then I’m going to find Franklin Rutherford and make him eat his teeth.”
Ten
Three hours later, under full cover of darkness and only a quarter moon in the night sky, they picked Claire up at the airport. Jason was impressed with her no-nonsense, professional attitude. Her blue eyes could have resembled a warm summer sky, but instead, Jason figured they would freeze over a small pond with one look. Not that she was rude, or even cold. She was simply on a mission and no one was going to derail her from completing it.
“Thank you for coming,” Lilly said.
“I couldn’t resist. Nolan knew this would pique my interest, and since there’s no open case, there’s nothing that says I can’t nose around a bit. I just have to fly back out by noon today. Unless I cancel my meeting. Which I can do if absolutely necessary.”
“Perfect,” Jason said. “Let’s get this done.”
They’d left Jason’s car parked behind the gas station, so Reggie drove. Claire rode in front with Reggie, while Jason shared the back seat with Lilly. He reached over and took her hand. “We’re making progress.”
“Yes.” She squeezed his fingers and shot him a tight smile.
Reggie drove the rest of the way in silence until Lilly sucked in a deep breath. “How are we going to get in the garage? If I use my key, they may know it.”
“I have one,” Reggie said.
“What? How?”
“The woman I’ve been dating works in this building.”
She blinked, then raised a brow. “You’ve been dating someone?”
“Yes.” He laughed. “Come on, I’m only fifty-two years old. I don’t plan to spend the rest of my life alone.”
Lilly shrugged. “I’m just surprised. You’ve never seemed interested in anyone before.”
“I’ve just been waiting for the right one to come along.” Jason thought the man sounded pensive and a bit sad. “And Beth is a wonderful lady. She’s a realtor—albeit for an opposing team—but we get along really well, and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes.”
“Then I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks.”
Before long they turned into the parking garage. Reggie swiped the key and continued under the electric arm. “Go to the third floor,” she said.
“I know,” Reggie said.
“I know you know. I’m just . . .”
“It’s okay,” Jason said. “Hang in there.”
Around and up they went until Reggie stopped in front of the elevator. Precisely where Jenny had parked to wait for her. He inched forward, and Lily saw the construction equipment was gone, along with the orange cones and plastic tarp.
At least Franklin Rutherford’s car wasn’t parked in his coveted spot right across from the elevator. She swallowed, the memories rushing over her.
Claire got out and removed her large bag from the trunk. “It’s awfully light in here,” Jason said.
“Will we need to figure out a way to cut the lights?”
“Maybe.” She set the bag on the floor. “I’ve got some BLUESTAR with me. Its luminescence is brighter and lasts longer. You can even see it when it’s not completely dark.” She glanced around again. “But this might be too bright. BLUESTAR is good stuff, but let’s play it safe and cut the lights when I have it mixed and ready to go.”
Claire turned her attention back to her bag. She pulled out a tripod and a video camera. Within just a few minutes, she had it set up and recording.
“You know,” Claire said, “any evidence I find may not be admissible in court.”
“What do you mean?” Jason asked. “That’s why we’re doing this the correct way.”
“Yeah, but a really good attorney will do his best to get it thrown out.”
Lilly sighed. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, let’s just see if there’s anything here. No one else is looking, so what does it really matter?”
Claire shrugged. “Works for me.” To Lilly, she said, “All right, show me where you saw her.”
As Claire had noted, the parking garage was well lit, and Lilly had no trouble picking out the exact spot where she’d seen the woman lying—and dying. She walked over to it. “Right here.”
Claire nodded. “Let me see the security footage Nolan sent you.”
“One second.” Jason tapped his screen, then passed her his phone. She watched it, her eyes darting from the phone to the scene. Finally, she turned to Reggie. “All right, do you mind participating in a little role playing?”
“Not at all.”
“Lilly, show your uncle where to stand.”
Lilly placed him where she’d seen Rutherford standing over the body of the poor woman he’d shot. Then paused. Should she lie down? Pretend to be the dead woman? She shuddered.
Hands settled on her shoulders and she jumped. “I’ll do it,” Jason said. He gently moved her aside and stood in front of Reggie. “Okay, tell me how she was positioned when you saw her.”
Lilly shot him a look of pure gratitude. “At first, she was still standing, holding her side. Blood was pouring over her hand. Her left one.” Jason placed his left hand on his hip.
“Higher,” she said.
He moved it to his rib cage.
“She went down to her knees. Then he shot her again and she fell,” Lilly said. “Onto her back.” Jason sat and then reclined on his back. Lilly’s mind blipped, re-creating the scene in spite of her desire to block it from her memory. “He stood there in his overcoat and hat, arm stretched out, holding the weapon.”
“Like this?” Reggie asked. He pointed his finger at Jason.
“Yes,” Lilly whispered. “Just like that.” She frowned. Something was off. “Wait a minute.” She knelt next to Jason and grasped his warm right hand. “Melissa had her hand flung wide.” She placed it as she remembered it. “Her arm made a ninety-degree angle to her body. And her palm was up.” She blinked. “Why do I remember that?”
Claire actually offered a small smile. “The mind is an amazing thing. Being in these surroundings where the event happened is triggering memories.”
“And I remember the plastic now. When he stepped toward her for the final shot, it . . . crinkled . . . or something.”
“And she fell near this post?” Claire gestured toward the concrete pillar.
“Yes.”
The woman tilted her head and narrowed her eyes as she looked back to Jason. “And that’s how she lay? You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
“Okay, then I would say that he shot her as she walked from the elevator, catching her by surprise.”
“The first shot.”
Claire nodded. “See how her feet are directly facing that pillar? You said she was standing when you saw her. So she didn’t just fall to the ground immediately. She grabbed the nearest thing to keep from falling—the pillar—then stepped back and was ready to run.”
“Yes. I remember that now,” Lilly said. “She reached out with her hand—the one that had blood on it—and sort of pushed off the post but was still facing him. Like she was refusing to fall. Which was why he had to shoot her again. The shot came before she went down to her knees.”
Claire nodded. “And that second shot knocked her down and onto her back.”
“And the third one was for insurance,” Jason said. He sat up, then hopped to his feet.
“Now to prove it,” Claire said.
Jason could see the toll this whole role-playing ordeal was taking on Lilly, but he could also see she was determined to be strong and do what she came here to do. He glanced at his watch. “Sun’s going to be coming up in about thirty minutes.”
Claire nodded. “We need to get moving. We’ll do this area first, then move on. How tall would you say the woman was?”
“About my height,” Lilly said. “Maybe five feet six or seven.”
Claire looked at Jason. “I don’t want to take any chances with this. We’re going to do this right the first time and put this guy away. How do we get this area dark?”
“You have a flashlight?”
“Of course.”
“Get it. When the power goes off, start working. You’ll have five to six minutes.”
“That should be enough time.”
Jason held his hand out to Reggie. “May I borrow your car?”
“Of course.” He dug in his pocket and pulled out the keys, which he dropped into Jason’s hand. Jason climbed into the car and took off.
Eleven
Claire pulled two flashlights from her box and handed one to Reggie and one to Lilly. Next she grabbed a spray bottle and other ingredients. With quick, efficient movements, she mixed the solution. “All right. That’s done. I guess now we wait.”
“I guess,” Lilly said. She turned the flashlight on and Reggie did the same. How would Jason get the lights turned off?
No sooner had she thought the question than the place went dark.
Reggie’s beam cut through the sudden darkness. Claire moved quickly, giving instructions on where to shine the light.
She started with the pillar, spraying it from where the top of Melissa’s head would have been and all the way to the bottom. She used easy, even strokes to cover the area. Once she had the area sprayed, she lifted another camera from her bag and turned. “The old luminol only worked for about thirty seconds, but this stuff lasts a bit longer. If something shows up, we’ll get it on here. Okay, turn the flashlights off.”
Lilly clicked hers off and Reggie did the same.
Seconds passed. “And there it is,” Claire said.
Blue marks appeared on the concrete column, one in the shape of a partial handprint. Claire snapped pictures until the blue began to fade. “Lights on, please.”
Reggie’s beam appeared, then Lilly turned hers on. She wasn’t sure when Claire had grabbed the Q-tips, but she was busy taking swabs of the concrete column and placing them in small containers.
Another few seconds passed and the lights came back on.
Lilly blinked against the brightness. Claire had started packing up her equipment when Lilly said, “He shot at me.”
The woman paused and Reggie paled. “What?” Claire asked.
“He shot at me, but he missed. The bullet should be around here somewhere.”
“Show me,” Claire said.
“What’s going on up here? Are you folks all right?”
The question came from the entrance to the stairs behind Reggie. Lilly forced a smile. “Hi, George.”
The sixtysomething man paused, hand on his weapon. “Lillian? That you?”
“It’s me.”
His hand fell away from the gun and he strode toward her. Six foot three inches tall with a steel-gray buzz for a haircut, George was a former Marine and pure muscle. Sharp blue eyes took in the scene before him and he crossed his arms. “Like I said, what’s going on?”
Lilly decided to go with honesty. “We’re looking into a murder.”
Those blue eyes narrowed. “The murder that didn’t happen?”
“Oh, it happened all right,” she said.
“Lillian, come on, I’ve known you forever and your father for longer. The cops didn’t find anything the first time you cried wolf, they’re not going to find anything now.”
Claire stepped forward. “Now wait a minute—”
Lilly placed a hand on her arm as Jason pulled Reggie’s car back around. “It’s okay, Claire.” She turned back to George. “Do you mind if we take a look at one more thing?”
He frowned. “What?”
“The man shot at me that night. The bullet’s got to be here somewhere, right?”
“If someone shot at you, yeah, it would be here. Or it could have gone out of the garage. If someone shot at you.”
Jason came over to her and slipped his arm around her shoulder. “Someone shot at her.”
“Who are you?”
“A friend.”
“He saved my life, George. A couple of times. And if the bullet exited the garage, wouldn’t someone have said something about it?”
“Maybe.” He shrugged. “Depends on what it hit. A window? Yes, I would have heard about it. The side of the building? Probably not. But it doesn’t matter. No one shot at anyone.”
“And if it had hit a car here in the garage, you would have heard about the complaint.”
“Absolutely.”
Claire was eyeing George. “How tall was the shooter, Lilly?”
“About an inch shorter than George.”
Claire nodded and walked over to the man. “Do you mind?”
“What?”
“Role playing.”
For a moment, Lilly thought he’d refuse, then he shrugged. “Oh, why not? I got nothing better to do.”
Claire smiled. “Thanks. Now”—she took his arm and led him to stand where Reggie, who was only about five feet ten, had stood earlier—“stand here. Lilly, take your spot.”
With a deep breath, she did so.
“Now shoot her.”
George blinked. “What?”
“With your hand. You know. Lift your arm like you have a gun and aim at her.”
“Oh, oh, yeah. Okay.” He did.
“Now, Lilly, run the way you did that night, and George, you follow her with your arm like you’re aiming to shoot her.”
Lilly dashed toward the elevators, because that was where Jenny had been parked.
“Okay, you can stop,” Claire called.
Her heart pounding, Lilly stopped. She stood still for a moment while the memory of that night slashed through her. The crack of the gun echoed in her mind and she whimpered.
Then warm arms slid around her and pulled her close. She shuddered.
“You’re safe, Lilly,” Jason murmured against her ear.
The fear faded, but she couldn’t suppress another shudder. “I know. Thanks.” She pulled away from him and instantly missed the secure feeling he gave her.
She turned to see Claire running her fingers over the wall, walking down it slowly. Until she stopped. “Here. Found it.”
Jason blinked. She’d actually done it. Jason took Claire’s kit to her and set it on the floor. While she worked on extracting the bullet, Jason walked over to join Lilly, Reggie, and George.
Lilly looked at him. “Now what?”
“The sun is getting ready to come up. I say we let Claire get back to her lab and do her thing while we hide out and get some sleep.”
“Hide out?” George asked.
“The man who killed Melissa is now coming after me,” Lilly told him. She’d keep his name to herself at this point. “I’m only barely managing to stay one step ahead of him and his hired killers.”
George sighed. “But they never found any evidence.”
“He cleaned it up.”
“But the security footage—”
“Was tampered with,” Lilly said.
“Then you need to go back to the cops,” George said.
“I will. When I can prove it.” She glanced at Claire. “And I’m getting closer by the minute.”
He scowled. “Did you have something to do with the power going out?”
“No. Not me. Exactly.”
“I did,” Jason said. “I’m a fireman. I know how to cut the power when I have to. Claire needed darkness for about five minutes, so I gave it to her. I simply found the power box and shut it down.”
“Could have asked for help. Someone could have gotten stuck on the elevator.”
“Sorry about that.” He knew he didn’t sound too sorry. He’d thought about the elevators but knew it would be only a short time they’d be out of commission. If someone had been on one, the only thing they’d be in danger of was a panic attack. “Look, we’re done here. Can you just keep this under your hat for the time being?”
The man didn’t answer.
Lilly stepped forward and placed a hand on his forearm. “Please, George? For me?”
“Ah, Lillian.” George huffed a sigh. “I guess. For you. Will you promise to be careful?”
“Of course.”
“Fine.” He shot a hard look at Jason. “But no more tampering with the power.”
Jason raised his hand as though taking a solemn oath. “No more tampering. I promise.”
“Go on, get out of here.” He chucked Lilly on the chin. “Be careful, kid, you hear?”
“I hear. Thanks, George.”
“Right.” The man went to the exit stairs and disappeared through the door.
Lilly let out a slow breath and Jason cupped her elbow. “Let’s go. We’ve got to get Claire back to the airport.”
“Actually, before I go, I need to get a DNA sample from the dead woman. Gotta have something to compare with the blood samples, you know?”
Jason blinked. “How do you plan to get that?”
“I don’t know. I was hoping you might have some ideas.”
Twelve
Reggie drove from the parking garage back to the building he and Lilly shared. Claire rode with them, the evidence tucked into her bag.
“You said we needed DNA evidence to prove it was actually Melissa in the garage,” Jason said.
“Yes.”
He nodded. “What time do you have to be back today?”
“I have a meeting at four this afternoon. Why?”
“What about her apartment?” Lilly said. “We could go there and get the evidence.”
“How would we get in?” Jason asked. “It’s probably a building like yours. You either have to know someone or live there to get in.”
“True.” Lilly bit her lip. “All right. What if I got the DNA for you? Could you take it back and see if it matches the blood?”
“Of course. But, again, how?”
“Well, she was just reported missing yesterday. I imagine her desk at the office hasn’t been touched yet.”
“What are you thinking?” Jason asked.
