WHY WOULD ANYONE want to kill Dan?”
A weepy Alice Martin had asked this same question so many times that Decker thought she might be in shock.
After flashing their badges at the responding officers, Decker and Jamison had been told that the death was not natural or accidental.
“Somebody crushed in his skull,” one officer had reported.
Now they were all gathered back at Amber’s house after Dan Bond’s remains had been removed from his home. The other guests had left and Amber and Zoe were upstairs resting. Jamison’s sisters had driven Frank’s parents and his siblings back to their motel.
Baron and Riley were still there and were silently studying the floor of the living room. Baron had another glass of whisky in hand.
Jamison put an arm on Alice Martin’s shoulder. “I’m sure the police will find out who did it.”
The elderly woman wailed to her, “Well, they haven’t found out who killed those other people yet.”
Jamison glanced at Decker, who was just about to make a comment when someone knocked on the door.
Decker knew who he was going to see when he opened it.
Detectives Green and Lassiter stared back at him.
Green said grimly, “I think we might want to evacuate the other residents from that street, and I’m only half joking.”
“One of them is here,” said Decker, indicating Martin. “What about Fred Ross?”
Lassiter said, “We woke him up when we knocked on the door. He was in a foul mood.”
“You’re lucky he didn’t have his shotgun with him.”
“Yeah, well, he said if anybody tried to bash his head in, they’d get both barrels in their face for the trouble.”
“What can you tell me?” asked Decker.
“Care to step outside?” said Lassiter.
They went back out on the porch and Decker turned to face them.
Green said, “He’s been dead since around midnight last night.”
“Forced entry?”
“No sign of that. An elderly friend came over to check on him when he didn’t show up for a church meeting and they couldn’t reach him on the phone. She found him in the kitchen.”
“How’d she get in?”
Green said, “She had a key. We checked her out, she’s what she claims to be.”
Decker said. “A uniform told me there was blunt force trauma to the head?”
“Correct,” said Lassiter.
“Murder weapon?”
“Didn’t find one. Perp probably took it with him.”
“And no one saw anything?”
“Well, there were only two other people on the street. Martin and Ross. Both were probably in bed at midnight.”
“How about the DEA agent across the street?” asked Decker.
Green said, “Kemper lifted that surveillance yesterday. They finished processing that scene and the one next door where you shot Brian Collins. We don’t have the manpower to keep a guy idle like that. So there was no one on patrol duty.”
Lassiter said, “The killer must’ve been watching and knew there was no cop present. Then he goes and does the deed.”
Green said, “But why the old blind guy? Why would anyone target him? He couldn’t have seen anything.”
“But he could hear things,” said Decker. “He knew there wasn’t a plane flying over that night. It was his suggestion that it might have been a drone.”
Green popped some gum into his mouth. “Donna mentioned your theory about that. You think he might have told someone else what he told you? And that person might have killed him?”
“It’s possible. I can’t think of another reason why someone would want to murder him. He’s not the sort who would have a lot of enemies. Was there any sign of robbery?”
“No. I don’t think he had much to steal.”
“When I went there to interview him Bond had to open three door locks. I don’t think he would have left his door open.”
“So someone had a key,” said Lassiter.
“Or he knew his killer and let the person in,” noted Decker. “And based on my experience with Bond, at that time of night, that would take a lot of trust.”
Green snapped, “Are you making any sense out of this?”
“Not yet.”
Green pulled his badge off his belt and threw it down on the porch.
“Why the hell do I even wear this thing if I can’t protect my town?”
Decker bent down, picked up the badge, examined it to make sure it wasn’t dented, and handed it back to Green. “We’re going to get there, Detective,” he said.
“How can you be so sure?” asked Lassiter.
“Because in our line of work, failure is not an option,” replied Decker.