Justifiable (23 page)

This footage should be enough to use as trade for getting their jobs back now and not harm anything on the Stanton case.

Riley called out, “J. T., you good with us filming the body, but nothing about the blanket or the kid? I’ll label the killing however you say, and nothing identifiable, so it doesn’t leak to next of kin before you reach them.”

J. T. had returned to the scene. He stepped back to Riley, debate flickering in his gaze. But Riley had leveled with him last night and was giving him a chance to say no. “You got sixty seconds then you’re going to have to back up to your truck. I’ll have more officers here to secure the area and shove everyone behind the tape.”

“Got it.”  Riley turned to Biddy who was already filming.

The vic was pushing close to forty, if not already there, thick neck like a man who earned his muscles with hard labor. Walmart clothes and a bad haircut. This was the only time that stiff would get to visit Millionaire’s Row. The ground was black with blood, which explained the marble-white skin where the vic had bled out. His head was dipped forward...almost bowed. 

Biddy paused from filming and cocked his chin toward the Hunting Park gate. “I hear sirens. Actually, I see blue lights. Anything else you want filmed up close before they run us out of here?” 

“Get the tombstone. I’m thinking ‘death cancels everything but truth’ meant something to the killer.”

He and Biddy were walking back to the Tundra when two more squad cars arrived. Riley would lay in some quick sound bites before waving the video under Lehman’s nose. He had a right and obligation to report this killing.

Then everyone would be happy for once. Lehman would have the jump on the story, Biddy would be back at work and Riley...well, he wouldn’t be content until he found Enrique – alive – but he’d be free to pursue leads, too.

Patrol cars rumbling into the park gave life to the chilled air. Officers strung up yellow tape from tombstone to tombstone, like a scene from the old movie,
Crypt
.

“Climb up in the truck bed.”  Biddy produced a mega-spotlight he handed to Riley then plugged the cord into an AC accessory port in the Tundra. When Biddy jumped up in the bed with him he lifted the camera to his shoulder. “They didn’t say we couldn’t film from here.”

“Detective Turner?” one of J. T.’s men called out from the far side of the victim.

J. T. went over to see what they needed then yelled over his shoulder. “Riley, swing that light over here, would ya?”  The detective motioned to his men to move aside.

Riley shined the light up the corridor the officers provided then looked at Biddy. “He wants our tips. He wants our light. He just doesn’t want us here.”

“You know what they say about wanting something.”  Biddy grinned, still filming. “He can shit in one hand and wait for the other one to fill up.”  

A dark sedan pulled in at the end of the current line of cars with another squad car close behind. Blue lights flashed on and off over the headstones and line of police cars.

When the lights on the sedan dimmed then disappeared, the driver’s door opened. DA Investigator Massey emerged, dressed as though she was on her way in for a City Hall meeting.

“She ain’t happy either,” Biddy muttered, lowering his camera.

“Yeah, I’m two for two.”  Riley’s chuckle died in his throat. J. T. wouldn’t have had a chance to talk to her about not executing a warrant yet. This wasn’t the place or time for the detective to put in a word for Riley.

Would she believe him if Riley told her he was just as surprised to be here as she was to see him here?

Chapter 29

“For the love of God, Walker, is that you?”  Kirsten Massey’s words pulsed out on angry white clouds in the chilled air.

Riley watched her silhouette split the patrol car headlights as she made a straight line to him, hips swaying with each sharp step, black hair flicking back and forth in angry sweeps. Direct contrast to her surroundings. She couldn’t be more noticeable if she wore clothes outlined in neon lighting.

He checked J. T.’s men to see that they had extra spotlights in place now so he gave Biddy a nod then shifted the light to the side of Investigator Massey in a way that didn’t blind her. Biddy panned his camera vertically from the ground up, which meant he was getting Massey from her short boots and black pants, beige sweater and a knee-length wool coat just as dark as the pants all the way up to her slinky black hair.

When she came fully into focus, Riley felt an unwanted stir at the sight of her that surprised him. Had to be the overwhelming sense of relief he was still experiencing over the possibility that Enrique might still be alive.

Or that he’d simply lost all sense of self-preservation.

This woman could do nothing but cause him more trouble than he was already in. Sure, he had all the freedom of speech rights he could ask for, but the killer had drawn Riley deep into this mess in a way that would be hard to explain soon if they didn’t find the guy. In the meantime, he’d have to tap dance around Kirsten Massey.

She didn’t hiss or show claws when crossed. No, she went for the jugular vein when she rose to a battle. There was something about a woman with fire that spawned his interest. Go figure. Especially since this one would use that fire to incinerate him.

Just proved that the lower half of a man’s body completely disconnected from the brain when introduced to a particular set of female pheromones. 

She didn’t change direction to see the corpse first, still pinning that formidable gaze on Riley. A crimson scarf wrapped her neck in a brutal slash of red.

His backup weapon had usually been charm and he needed it now in spades.

“How is it, Walker,” she started before she even reached him. “That you manage to get here so quickly?”

Riley jumped down from the bed, diverting the light so that some still illuminated her face without broiling her skin. He shook his head, warding off the attack. “You wouldn’t have known about this without my tip and we haven’t gone near the body.” 

“J. T. told me you got the call again. Did you manage to get through to J. T. right away after the killer called or did your thumb slip and hit the ‘end’ button three times to buy you an extra ten minute head start?”  She glared up at Biddy. “Cut that camera off right now unless you want to share a cell with Walker.”

Her demand broke the fragile silence in the cemetery and shifted the macabre mood into business as usual.

“Turn it off, okay?” Riley asked Biddy before his cameraman gave her his ‘freedom of speech’ response.

“That’s crap, but whatever.”  Biddy flipped a switch and the light on top of the camera died then he lowered the heavy piece to the truck bed.

Riley turned back to answer her, but she cut him off. “Do
not
waste my time with your well-constructed time line for calling Detective Turner.”  She shoved a hand on each hip. “Do you really think we’re that stupid?”

“I don’t think
you’re
stupid,” Riley answered in an innocent tone. “And I definitely don’t think Detective Turner’s stupid, so I’m not sure who you’re alluding to with ‘we.’”  He figured he was hitting on all cylinders when she paused in silent thought.

Riley followed up with a smile. 

Big mistake. That yanked the plug holding back her boiling temper.

“I’m so not in the mood for cute crap,” she snapped. “I want answers, now. No bullshit or I’ll add breaking and entering to your list of transgressions.” 

Riley lifted his shoulders. “I called J.T. the minute I got the killer’s call. Gate was open when I got here. Hell, we followed Turner inside. I’m playing by the rules.”

J. T. stalked up to them in time to catch the end of her spiel. He hiked an eyebrow full of doubt at Riley.

No help there.

Right now, Kirsten and J. T. were on the same team that Riley needed to divide for any hope of getting out of this.

As J. T. stepped into their circle of conversation and crossed his arms, listening, Riley asked Kirsten, “You don’t want me to give Detective Turner my report first? I sort of thought
J. T.
did the initial investigation then sent his reports to you, but hey – ”  Riley lifted his hands away from his body in a what-the-hell motion. “If you want to take my statement first, that’s fine.”

J. T.’s dark eyebrows lowered and he opened his mouth to speak. If he appeased the investigator he’d ruin Riley’s division tactic.

But Kirsten jumped in, unwittingly aiding him.

“Of course, not.”  The chagrined look she gave J. T. almost made Riley feel bad for putting her on the spot. Almost. “Give him your statement then
I
want to speak with you.”

She was a spitfire with a straight-laced sense of duty. Didn’t take much to get her ticked off, but she wouldn’t dare cross the lines of protocol.

“In that case, I’ll give my statement to Turner.”  Riley cast the detective a look of “do something” like take out a notepad, which Turner did.

“I’m going to take a look.”  Kirsten angled her head at the corpse. “Stay here, Walker. I’ll be back as soon as Detective Turner is through with you.”

“Yes, ma’am.” 

Kirsten’s lips tightened with irritation. She wheeled away and marched off. 

Riley grinned at the rear shot. All passion and fury. Too bad she was with the DA’s office.

J. T. shook his head and rolled his eyes as if Riley had made a big mistake.

“What?” Riley asked.

“She
hates
to be called ma’am.”

“Really?”  Riley chuckled. He’d tuck that away to use later. J. T. started writing as Riley rattled off his statement. Before finishing he had a question for J. T. “Any luck tracing that last call? He had to be on a cell phone watching us.”

J. T. nodded. “That one
was
a cell phone.”

“Really?”  Hot damn.

“Don’t get excited. They found it in a garbage can. The phone was a prepaid and the number fit a stolen phone report.”

Shit.

When the detective walked away from him to where a cluster of officers now scurried around the site, Riley turned to Biddy. “Can you edit this tape?”

“Sure. Got it all set up in my basement.”

“I’m stuck here until she’s appeased or I’ll end up in jail. J. T. told me last night she’s got a warrant ready to process.”

Biddy gave him an ah-shit sigh. “Told you she was a ball buster.”

“First I’m going to convince her I’m worth more to this investigation free to move around than I am locked up then I’ll see what I can get her to share.”  Be easier to open a clam with a toothpick, but he’d cracked hard nuts before. Riley checked his watch. “It’s going on four-thirty. Why don’t we meet at WNUZ at six so I can do the voice over and we’ll offer Lehman a deal he can’t refuse before we jump everyone on the morning news.”

“No problem.”  Biddy loaded the equipment in the bag and carried it with the ease of toting a sack of feathers.

Riley waited in the designated spot.

And waited.

Massey ignored him for the next hour and then some, which started cutting him close on reaching the station in time with traffic piling up.

Two other news stations had already packed up and left. A flock of helicopters still filmed from overhead. Photographers traipsed all over the cemetery for shots, but nobody had the film Biddy had taken or the report Riley would voice over.

All he needed was five minutes to make Lehman capitulate. WNUZ’s GM might be a bastard on his best day, but Lehman was serious about rebuilding that station. He wouldn’t refuse a story that would help WNUZ’s bottom line.

When Massey finally looked his way, Riley waved and tapped his watch.

She said something to J. T. who nodded then Miss Investigator Massey strode toward him. Light peeked over the horizon in waves of pink, orange and purple. When Massey finally reached him, Riley was prepared for anything she said except, “I’d like to see your cell phone.”

Refusing her would put him on shaky footing immediately. “Sure.”  He fished the phone out of his pocket and handed it over.

“Thank you.”  Massey turned around.

“Whoa, wait a minute. I need that phone.”

She looked over her shoulder. “Really?”

What the hell? But he wouldn’t get anywhere by antagonizing her. “There’s just an Unknown ID from the guy’s call. How about taking a quick look and handing back my phone then if you’re going to be tied up for a while we can meet over breakfast or lunch. My treat.”

“I’ll think about that.”  She took another step.

“What? Hey, we both have a job to do, but I’ve got less than thirty minutes to make it to the station.”

Massey turned back around at that and walked straight to Riley.

“You were one of the first witnesses on this scene, and you know about the blanket, so you’re not going anywhere until Detective Turner is ready to take you with him.”  She angled her head in a way that said she would not negotiate. “I’ll allow you to remain uncuffed, but you are a person of interest in this case. Take one step away from where you stand and you’ll land in lockup before you can say your name. As a minimum, I can put you in protective custody immediately. And this?”  She held up his phone. “Is mine right now. You wanted to be in the middle of this investigation. Consider your wish granted.”