Ties That Bind

Chapter 30

THEY WERE AT THE STATION using the DMV database, hoping that something would turn up with the letters AVL on a plate, connected to a Honda. All she needed was another break.

"Surely, something's got to come up in the system." Madison vented to Terry while sitting back in her chair.

"You realize the chances of this."

"Please don't get negative on me today. I don't have any patience."

"Don't get negative? Kind of hard not to. It's not how I envisioned spending my Sunday."

She heard his words but didn't pay much attention beyond that. "I'll let it run the search and come back later."

"Something I said?"

"Terry, it's always something you say." She rose to her feet before extending the invitation for him to come along.

"Where are we going?"

"Laura's."

"Laura's?"

"You ever hear of the expression, you sound like a parrot?" She paused. "Look who I'm talking to. Of course you have."

He cocked his head to the side. "But what about the chief?"

"The chief wants answers and that's what we're working on getting him. Hey, I'm multi-tasking." She pointed at the monitor. "What more can the guy want?"

"I don't know..."

"Fine, suit yourself. Sit here, babysit the search while I go out and do some real work."

"I'm coming." His words came out with a heavy sigh. "What do you honestly expect to find?"

She could answer it simply but he would go into drilling her about the obsession with the photograph. It was one thing to defend her to the chief about it, another if he was actually putting faith in it. She imagined he'd say something about there being lots of guys who have dark hair and eyes. The teens had seen him from a bit of a distance. When they saw the photo, they jumped on it.

"Let's put it this way, I'm sure we missed gathering a crucial piece of evidence." She referred to the photo of Laura with the Saunders, the one she was reminded of in the lab with Cynthia the other week. Crime Scene didn't have a reason to collect it at the time, but now they needed to get their hands on it.

Maybe they'd get lucky and find prints to cement the proof of forgery. She knew the scene had been released and the integrity of the photograph was compromised, but it could give them a solid direction in which to steer the investigation.

"Maybe he stalked both women."

Madison slid behind the steering wheel. "I'm starting to lean that way. And that being the case, planned on killing both women. It wasn't random."

*****

MADISON PULLED INTO LAURA'S DRIVEWAY.

"How are we getting in?" Terry asked.

A smile lit her face. Had he only thought of that now? "The Saunders gave me a copy of the key." She held it pinched between two fingers and waved it in front of him.

Walking through the front door, the images from the first visit flooded her mind. She easily pictured the CSIs working in the room, and the fact a faint smell of decomposition hung in the air, assisted with her recollection.

"Right here." Madison walked toward the bookcase. The photograph was displayed in a wooden frame. She put on a pair of gloves before lifting it, if only for the purpose of saving Cynthia from eliminating her prints later. Staring into Laura's eyes, she knew. "It's the same photo of her."

Strength left her legs making them rubbery. The hairs rose on her arms. They were getting so close to finding this bastard. She pulled out an evidence bag, and sealed the framed photo inside.

"You realize there's no way this can be submitted as evidence."

She expected some sort of confrontation with him. "Of course—" His cell rang.

He answered, turning his back to her. She only caught pieces of the conversation. "Yes...I'm with Madison...I'll be home soon." He closed the phone. His cheeks were flushed.

"Everything all right?"

Terry waved a hand, dismissing her, but she didn't have time for a rebuttal as her cell now rang. "Knight."

"You have any answers yet?" It was the chief.

Do you think I'm the magical detective who can solve a murder in six hours?

"We're working on it." Her voice was monotone, carrying a defiant edge. "I assure you, we're getting closer."

"Good to hear. The minute the family's been notified I want to know."

Strange request, but she knew where it stemmed from. "So you can release Heather's name to the bombshell reporter?" Her eyes met Terry's. He smirked at her, likely admiring her attitude.

"My, now who is the super detective?"

Her body quaked with the rush of adrenaline. "Family's been notified." Kevin Hampton qualified as that.

The chief hung up on her. She snapped her phone shut.

"I can tell that was the chief." Terry watched her as he ran a hand along a bookshelf.

"What gave it away? My tone or apparent urge to want to punch something?"

"Bombshell." Their eyes met and they both smiled.

"Guess she's going to have the story. Get herself rich on someone's death."

"Happens all the time. You don't have to like it, Maddy."

"Good, cause I don't. Not one bit, actually. But this..." She held up the frame in the bag. "This I like."

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