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“Ah, take your sweet time. We have ten minutes.” She was teasing him, but he didn’t seem to find her jest amusing. She held up her hands. “Apparently your goat is easy to get.”
“If you got a goat, it wasn’t mine.”
She snickered, and the screen filled with Luis Navarro’s background.
“This isn’t looking good.” Trent pointed toward his monitor.
She leaned in and saw that Navarro had a record. “Add this to the list of things against this guy.”
“I’d say. History of assault and battery five years ago.”
“Who did he assault? Did he serve time? If so, how long?” She assumed he’d have spent some time behind bars.
Trent consulted another database. “Looks like he was given two years’ probation. Slap on the wrist, but it wouldn’t seem it was enough to teach him a lesson, especially if he graduated to murder.”
“That’s light. What are the details?”
“Looks like it was a domestic. Police were called to the scene, and a woman claimed he’d hit her.”
“This is the first time hearing this guy beats women.”
“It’s not like these assholes announce themselves.”
Amanda let the comment slide because she knew it had come from a very personal place for Trent. His aunt had married an abusive man and cut Trent and the rest of his family out of her life.
“Steele? Stenson? Glad to see you’re back.” Malone was standing in the doorway to Trent’s office space. “I asked the officer in Cells to notify me when you had Navarro brought up for questioning. Anything you care to update me on?”
Amanda met Trent’s gaze and blew out a breath that had strands of her hair fluttering up. “Where to start?”
“Anywhere. I’m not picky.” Malone put his hands on his hips.
She let him know about their talk with Felicity Kelley’s agent, leaving out the break for lunch afterward. It would also be best to skim over Felicity being pegged an armchair detective. They didn’t have a clear connection between her latest work and her murder; they did when it came to The Romeo Killer. Sticking to the facts would get them in front of Navarro faster. She filled in Malone on how the book played out, the killer’s motive, the scene itself, the reason for the Queen of Hearts playing card, and the meaning of it being folded into eight squares.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Malone shook his head. “I can’t buy into all this symbolic crap.”
That fact didn’t surprise Amanda, having known the man all her life. His belief system was based upon teachings from the Catholic Church, and he didn’t venture much outside traditional views. “Some people do, Sarge. In this case, the killer did, and I believe it’s also why that aspect was replicated at Kelley’s murder scene.”
“Elaborate.” Malone’s brow wrinkled as he crossed his arms and angled his head.
“As I just told you, it was to symbolize power, strength, love, devotion…”
“And this fits Navarro, how do you figure?”
“Felicity had turned down his proposal,” Trent said, stepping in. “And she ended things. We have yet to establish if Navarro was aware that Felicity was moving on with another man. But if he did, that would be another hit to his pride.”
“All well and fine, but playing devil’s advocate here, you have aspects lining up with the book, what’s steering you away from Felicity’s murder being the start for a copycat killer?”
“Are you asking whether we’ve considered it the work of a serial?” Amanda was shocked at Malone’s suggestion as he was always the last person who wanted to go there.
He hitched his shoulders. “Keeping an open mind.”
“Well, there are distinct differences,” she said.
“Which you also told me.”
“Let’s start with the lingerie. In the book, yes; not with Felicity Kelley. There was a fire burning for hours in the fireplace, and Navarro had more than enough time to dress her in something lacy. But he didn’t.”
“I have a feeling you’re going to tell me why.”
