The Veiled Cage (Lady Lawyer Series Romantic Suspense Novels Book 1) (16 page)

“
I was wondering the same thing
.
”

“
What does it mean
?”
Jasmine asked.

“
Well, for one thing, it means they grabbed her and left her house intact, presumably
,”
Ruby said.

“I’
ll do a full sweep
.
”

“
Great. W
e’
ll be a ways behind you.
I’
ll tag you after we interview Susan
.
”

“
See you. Welcome to the team, Jasmine
,”
he tossed over his shoulder as he walked away.

Jasmine sighed as she watched him take long strides, and jolted as she looked over to see Ruby watching her with a smirk
.“
Welcome back, Jazz. Ready to continue our investigation
?
”

“
Yes, yes. I have the prints. Wha
t’
s next
?
”

“
You play Susan Combes.
I’
ll play Jerald
.
”

“
Why ca
n’
t I play Jerald
?
”

“
Do you have a spare outfit in my car
?
”

“
No
.
”

“
Tha
t’
s what I thought
.”
Ruby positioned herself on the drive
r’
s side
.“
Susan comes at Jerald with a kitchen knife. She cuts deep enough to bring him dow
n—
significant, according to the size of the pool, but not enough to bleed out. Would you consider yourself average size for a female
?
”

“
Yes
.
”

“
So would I. Jerry goes down
.”
Ruby fell to her side
.“
If Jerry struggled, it woul
d’
ve been harder to get him up the steps. Le
t’
s make it easier for her. Jerr
y’
s passed out from shock and blood loss. Move him into the cabin. Avoid the blood trail, please
.
”

Jasmine hooked an arm under Rub
y’
s shoulders, and hoisted her weight.

“
Interesting instinct. Remember the drag marks
.
”

Jasmine grabbed Rub
y’
s wrists and pulled. Ruby moved scant inches
.“
W
e’
re going to be here all night
.
”

“
Want to switch
?”
Ruby asked.

Jasmine huffed and gripped Ruby under her shoulders.

“
How much pressure is on your feet right now
?
”

“I’
m really digging in
.
”

Ruby laughed
.“
Not so skinny now, am I? Where are the woman-size shoe prints? Or barefoot prints? Release me for a minute
.
”

Jasmine dropped Ruby and shook out her arms
.“
I could get you there, eventually
.
”

“
What if I were a hundred pounds heavier
?
”

“
No way
.
”

“
Look down
.
”

Jasmine bent and examined the ground.

“
I
t’
s hardened since this afternoon, and still you can see your prints. Notice how they are
n’
t as well-formed? You dug in your heels to drag me. Where are the corresponding prints? We have shoe impressions alongside and underneath the drag marks, but nothing consistent with dragging someone from behind
.
”

“
Want me to keep going
?
”

“
No, but I admire your commitment. Le
t’
s head up the steps
.
”

Jimmy walked out the front door. He shook his head at Rub
y’
s rumpled appearance
.“
You out here practicing for your rematch with Marian
?
”

“
Something like that
.
”

“
You need me to hang around for a while, keep the spotlights on
?
”

“
No, w
e’
ll be inside by the time you break them down. Get home to your wife and work on wowing her with those anniversary plans
.
”

“
Thanks for saving my ass, Ruby
.
”

“
Any time, Jimmy
.
”

“
You landed a good gig
,”
he told Jasmine.

“
Most of the time I know it
.”
She rolled her shoulders
.“
Good night, Jimmy
.
”

They stepped aside as personnel filed past carrying a large black bag.

Seeing Jasmin
e’
s stricken expression, Ruby asked her
,“
How many grown men does it take to carry a murder victim
?
”

“
Yo
u’
re making riddles? Tha
t’
s morbid, Ruby
.
”

“
No,
I’
m solving a murder. Want to join me
?
”

“
Yes
.
”

“
Answer the question
.
”

“
Two
.
”

“
So what
?
”

“
I
t’
s an observation. Le
t’
s follow the trail
.”
Ruby pointed down
.“
It leads insid
e—
no hesitation, no pooling by the front door. If Susan and Jerald arrived at the same time, and she slashes him in the driveway, is she going to run up and open the front door before hauling in the body? Go ahead
.”
When she looked up and saw Jasmine standing stark still and stiff as she stared at the front door, Ruby said
,“I’
ll lead
.
”

Jasmine sighed, and stepped to the side.

Ruby braced herself and opened it. She motioned Jasmine to follow as she stepped inside
.“
Nothing but a blood trail leading through the entryway and down the hall
,”
she said, and bent down to examine the trail
.“
Notice anything off about it
?
”

“
No, uh, it seems pretty clear cut
.
”

“
Does
n’
t it? I
t’
s thicker in areas and moves in short bursts. That could be consistent with dragging. Pull, take a break. Pull, take a break. Wha
t’
s going on alongside the trail
?
”

“
Drops
.
”

“
Yes, gravitational drops. What are they doing among drag marks? Are you sure you want to continue
?
”

“I’
m sure
.
”

“
The
y’
ve removed the body, but it will still be hard to both see now and to un-see later. Murder scenes stamp a distinct and deep mark in on
e’
s memory
.
”

“I’
m in this, every step
.”
Jasmine jutted out her chin.

“
Let me go first, and if you do
n’
t follow tha
t’
s fine. Understood
?
”

Jasmine nodded.

Ruby walked down the hall and let Jasmine follow at her own pace. At the threshold, she stopped and took a minute to adjust to the red, to the smell. She let the layered wave of emotions rise, and rode it out until it subsided. Then she turned her attention to the thick crimson smearing white walls.

Jasmine peered in. Her complexion turned ashen. She rubbed her hands over her eyes yet the vision lingered. Opening them again, she covered her mouth.

Ruby steered her out of the room
.“
Focus on my voice. Look at me. Breathe. In and out. Tha
t’
s it
.
”

Jasmine complied.

Ruby waited until Jasmin
e’
s eyes focused and her breathing steadied
.“
Are you with me
?
”

“
Yeah. Sorry
.
”

“
Ther
e’
s nothing to apologize for. You can stay out here. I do
n’
t think any less of you for being affected by human tragedy.
I’
d think less of you if you were
n’
t
.
”

Pink crept into Jasmin
e’
s cheeks
.“I’
m ready. I
t’
s jus
t
—”

“
A shock, I know, to see it in real life. Crime dramas do
n’
t convey the visceral stomach punch. Even though the victim has been moved to the morgue, death lingers. You made it into the room, and you did
n’
t projectile vomit on me. Thank you for that. I
t’
s enough for your first day
.
”

Ruby reentered the room. She forced her thoughts away from imagining the deceased laying in the tub. Away from the glazed unseeing look that haunted her dreams. Restricting her thoughts to the curved pattern.

Finished, Ruby shut the bathroom door behind her.

Jasmine paced the hallway.

“
How are you doing
?
”

“
Better
.
”

“
You can wait outside
.
”

“
Are we done here
?
”

“
No
.
”

“
Then
I’
ll stay
.
”

Ruby nodded, and said
,“
It appears all the action happened in this area. W
e’
ll still walk through the rest of the cabin. Appearances can be deceiving
.
”

Chapter 10

Ruby and Jasmine closed up the cabin and went out into the stillness of night.

Gazing at the lunar-reflecting water, Jasmine said
,“
It really is beautiful here. I can see why Carol comes here to find peace
.
”

“
You did well with her. You have good instincts
.
”

They returned to Rub
y’
s car.

“
Would you like me to drop you at your apartment
?
”

“
No. Sorry about back there
.
”

“
Unnecessary, Jazz
.
”

“
I want you to know I can take it. Do the job
.
”

“
Yo
u’
ve had a stellar first day, Jazz
.
”

“
Thanks
.”
Jasmine settled into her seat.

“
PSC, call Levi Hollins, voice only
.
”

“
Levi speaking
.”
A brisk male voice stated.

“
Levi, i
t’
s Ruby
.
”

His voice brightened
.“
Ruby,
I’
d love to catch up, but
I’
m in the middle of something
.
”

“I’
m aware. Heard you caught a big one tonight
.
”

“
Yes,
I’
m almost done organizing the discovery that keeps flooding in for the file
.
”

“
Fantastic. You see, I caught the same one as you
.
”

“
Your practice is good, I take it
.
”

“
It is. I talked to Johnston at the scene. H
e’
s eager to keep the ball rolling. Did he ask you to forward discovery to me
?
”

“
He di
d—
to the defense. That i
t’
s you is a pleasant surprise. I was about to look up the defendan
t’
s counsel. You saved me a step
.
”

“
Good.
I’
m on my way to see my client.
I’
m happy to swing by, and speed up the transfer by using my PSC
.
”

“
Sure, come by.
I’
ll be here another twenty to thirty
.
”

“
Tha
t’
s all I need
.
”

“I’
ll let security know yo
u’
re heading up
.
”

“
Thanks, Levi. See you soon
.
”

“
Do you always meet with the charging attorney
?
”

“
Only when there are red flags
.
”

“
Which are
?
”

“
Yo
u’
ll catch on during our conversatio
n—
not sure if Levi will, but I suspect that you will
.
”

Ruby parked and led the way into the atrium
.“
The prosecuto
r’
s office occupies the top seven floors on the court side. W
e’
re heading to twenty-two
.
”

“I’
ve never seen it this quiet
.
”

“
I
t’
s a bit eerie when you first come through after hours. You get used to it
.”
Ruby signaled to the officer at the desk
.“
Ernie, still working hard I see. You push off your retirement again
?
”

“I’
m still a spring chicken. Wh
o’
s your friend
?
”

“
Jasmine Sinclair, nice to meet you
.
”

“
Pleasure
.
”

“
Mind if we head up
?
”

“
Levi told me to expect you. Go on. Try not to cause too much trouble now, Ruby
.
”

“
Nothing a spring chicken like you could
n’
t handle
.
”

As they entered the elevator, Jasmine said
,“
Twice in one day
.
”

“
You did well here
.
”

“
Feels like ages ago
.
”

“
This is a walk in the park compared with your hearing
.
”

They arrived on twenty-two and walked down the lighted corridor to the front entry. Ruby rang the bell, and waited.

A man with salt-and-pepper hair standing on end appeared
.“
Good to see you, Ruby. And this i
s
—”

“
My intern, Jasmine Sinclair
.
”

“
Nice to meet you, Jasmine. Excuse my appearance. I
t’
s been quite the evening. For you two as well,
I’
m sure
.”
He directed them into the first office on the right
.“
I
t’
s smaller than my last office, but it suffices
.
”

“
Levi had the corner office in the Community Prosecution Division before he was transferred here, to Violent Crimes, a couple months back
.
”

“
Four months
.
”

“
Sorry, i
t’
s hard to track the transfers. Johnston did heavy restructuring, did
n’
t he
?
”

“
Tha
t’
s one way to put it
.
”

“
How would you put it
?
”

“
You know i
t’
s a political office, Ruby
.
”

“
Yes, very well
.
”

“
I stay out of politics
.
”

“
Le
t’
s start the download, shall we
?”
Ruby handed over her PSC, and Levi linked it to his computer.

“
Thirteen minutes to completion
,
” he said.

“
That gives us a little time to chat
.
” Ruby eased into a chair
.
“
I have to say the new assignments surprised me
.
”

“
I would never say they were
n’
t appropriate. But I will say they were surprising
.
”

“
I considered Ms. Wright the most qualified to manage the Drug and Property Uni
t—
not Stark
.
”

“
That seems to be the consensus
.
”

“
Stark is first chair on this case
.
”

After a sharp inhale, Levi started coughing.

“
I second your sentiments
,”
Ruby said.

Once Levi regained his breath, he said
,“
Sure, he came from Violent Crimes, but he does
n’
t have the chops for a first-degree murder case.
I’
m sorry. I overstepped. It certainly has been a long night
.
”

“
For us, too. We can talk about something else.
I’
m working on a timeline. When did Johnston arrive on-scene
?
”

“
At seven-fifty
.
”

“
Do you know when he placed the nine-one-one call
?
”

“
At seven-fifty-five
.
”

“
When did the first responder arrive
?
”

“
Eight-oh-one
.
”

“
You have a mind for details, Levi
.
”

“
Thanks, Ruby
.
”

“
When did you complete the probable-cause statement
?
”

“
Well, I added to it to place formal charges
.
”

“
What about the PC to support the warrants
?
”

“I’
d have to pull that up." He tapped at his keyboard
.“
Let me see here . . . it was at eight-nineteen
.
”

“
You work fast
.
”

              “To be honest, Johnston drafted most of it. He said he started it right after he talked to dispatch. He wanted to help speed things along for his friend
.
”

“
When did he send you a draft
?
”

“
The transmission was received at eight-oh-nine. I reviewed it and entered it into the system
.
”

“
Your name is on the PC statement
?
”

“
Yes
.
”

“
Did anything seem unusual about Johnsto
n’
s draft
?
”

“
I did
n’
t give it much thought. I entered it into our syste
m’
s template, submitted the corresponding paperwork, and arranged for its presentation to a judge
.
”

“
Think about it. Eight minutes after the first responder arrived, Johnston had a PC statement drafted. Does that seem fast
?
”

“
Yes, tha
t’
s fast
.
”

“
Did
n’
t you work with him on charging when he was in drug and property
?
”

“
Yes, I did
.
”

“
Did he wow you with his ability to zip through a PC statement
?
”

“
No, his speed was
n’
t memorable
.
”

“
It was average. Tha
t’
s my recall, too.
I’
m impressed he managed such a steep increase in productivity. Maybe h
e’
d have some tips. You know how I love efficiency
.
”

“
You certainly do
.
”

Rub
y’
s PSC signaled
.“
Well, the transfer is complete
.”
She grabbed her PSC and held out her free hand
.“
Thanks, Levi. Great to catch up
.
”