WE’RE EXECUTING A search warrant at John Baron’s house if you want to tag along.”
Decker stared blankly at Lassiter as she stood on the front porch of the Mitchells’ house early the next morning.
“Where’s your partner?” he asked.
“Running down some other leads. I’m heading this effort up.”
“Why a search warrant for Baron’s place?” Decker said sleepily. She had phoned him before coming over, which had allowed him to hastily dress and meet her on the porch.
“We have reason to believe he might be involved in the murders,” she said.
“And why is that?” asked Jamison, who had just walked up next to Decker. He had told her about Lassiter’s call. Jamison was still tugging down a sweater she had thrown on and brushed her sleep-tousled hair out of her eyes.
“Based on things your friend here told me,” said Lassiter, indicating Decker.
“Baron knew at least three of the four vics. We know he knew Joyce Tanner and that Swanson was living in his potting shed. But who’s the third?” asked Decker.
“The bank holds the mortgage on Baron’s home. And guess who the bank’s point person on the loan was?”
Jamison said dully, “Bradley Costa.”
“You win the prize.”
“So, he has connections to some of the victims,” said Decker. “I’m sure other people in town do too.”
“And then there’s the Toby Babbot connection. That makes it four for four.”
“What connection?” said Decker sharply.
“I dug up an old arrest report. Toby Babbot was charged with trespassing on Baron’s property.”
“What was he doing up there?” asked Jamison.
“He wouldn’t say when the cops asked him.”
“And Baron knew about this?”
“He was the one who caught Babbot up there and reported it to the police. So Baron knew all four victims.”
“And what’s your theory of the case?” asked Jamison.
“Well, the Costa angle is easy enough. The bank holds the mortgage. And as Decker also told me, Baron was into Greek mythology. Thanatos is the Greek god of death.”
“And Joyce Tanner?”
“He was supporting her financially. He was running out of money. Maybe she had some dirt on him and that was why he was supporting her. So he kills her and writes that biblical crap on the wall about slavery. A financial slave, maybe. And Tanner was into the Bible in high school, something Baron well knew.”
“Don’t you think all of that is a bit of overkill?” said Decker.
“What do you mean?” asked Lassiter.
“Greek symbols, biblical verses, all things that could be traced back to Baron pretty easily. I did it just by looking in a yearbook. And that mortgage has been on his property for a long time. So why go out and kill a banker over it now?”
“Because I learned he recently tried to get the debt refinanced at a lower rate because of cash flow issues, but the bank refused, meaning Costa refused. Consequently, he’s in danger of losing the whole property if he can’t make payments and the bank forecloses.”
Decker looked a little taken aback by these new facts. “That still doesn’t prove he killed the guy. And I still think it’s way too overdone.”
“Killers sometime overthink things, Decker. They make simple complicated. They get too cute.”
“Yes, they do. But Baron does not strike me as that kind of a man. What this looks like to me is someone trying to frame the guy and doing a crappy job of it.”
“Well, I’ve arrested people on a lot less, and proved my case.”
“And Babbot?”
“He might have found something up on the Baron estate that made Baron nervous. And I think I might know what that is. And you should too since you found the connection before we did.”
“What?” asked Decker.
“Swanson was a drug dealer. What if he and Baron were in it together? Baron desperately needed money, and I doubt he would care where it came from. But then Swanson wants a bigger cut or maybe gets cold feet and is going to rat Baron out. So Swanson has to die, and so does Babbot if he knew about it. In fact, Babbot might have been buying drugs from them.”
“That’s all speculation,” observed Decker.
“Which is why we’re going to search the property,” said Lassiter. “To get the evidence to prove the speculation is actually true. You in or out?”
“We’re in,” replied Decker, while Jamison looked on worriedly.
* * *
Decker and Jamison followed Lassiter and two police vans up the hill to Baron’s property. It was only seven o’clock in the morning and it was clear that Lassiter wanted to take Baron by surprise.
Decker said, “Baron lied to me. Again. He flat-out told me he didn’t know Costa.”
“Well, maybe they never met. It could have all been through letters or emails.”
“That doesn’t matter. The guy was going to foreclose. That’s a motive for murder and you know it. And he kept that from me.”
“Do you really think Baron was selling drugs with Swanson?”
“I don’t know. A guy lies to me, that taints everything.”
“But you don’t think he really is the killer?”
“I don’t know that he isn’t.”
“But he just seems too…”
“Too what? Nice? Eccentric? Good with magic tricks? That doesn’t cut it, Alex, and you know it.”
Jamison sighed resignedly. “Lassiter looked really happy.”
“Considering her father died in prison because of what she believes the Baron family did to him, she would be.”
“So, nailing the last surviving Baron would be quite the prize for her?”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” said Decker.