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“Just find my Kat. Please.”
May’s words were still ringing in Amanda’s ears as she got into the car with Trent. “Why does it feel like we just set off a bomb and walked away?”
“In a way we did.”
“I would have talked to you about the ransom theory, but it didn’t work out that way. Then Malone called, and I floated the theory past him. I thought it best to get on it sooner than later.”
“I think it’s a solid theory. If the shooter wanted Katherine dead, she would have been shot on scene. That alone tells me there’s some other endgame here.” With that, he hit the gas and set them in the direction of Katherine’s house. Down the street, he asked, “What did Malone call to tell you?”
She filled him in, and summed up with, “He didn’t have a whole lot.”
“I’d say.” Trent took a right-hand turn and added, “It’s not a surprise it was Katherine’s phone in the lot. Her abductors were smart to leave that behind. Are we looking at professionals?”
“Some aspects have me leaning that way. The gloves, tinted plate covers, the partnership, but other factors not so much. Why kill an innocent girl? Why would the shooter leave the bullet casings behind? We need to dig into Katherine’s life, focus on her past in New York and the cases she worked there.”
“In complete agreement,” Trent said. “There’s some reason Katherine would go dark when talking about her time with the NYPD.”
“Yep. I suspect it factors in to why Katherine distances herself from people. It could be to protect them or herself,” she said, sharing her earlier thinking.
“We need to reach out to Natasha and Katherine’s former boss at the NYPD and see if they can point us in anyone’s direction. Someone she put away perhaps,” Trent said. “But if we’re looking at someone from New York City, how did they know where to find her?”
“That’s the easy part. Remember that article from last year?”
He looked over at her, and his eyes widened. “Right. I remember that, but it only would have gotten them as far as Prince William County. It’s not huge but it’s not small either. So how exactly did they track her down?”
TEN
Amanda had to leave a voicemail for Katherine’s former boss, Lieutenant Warren Catherwood of the NYPD 63rd Precinct. She stressed that it was a life-and-death matter relating to Katherine Graves. She also called the District Attorney’s office for the ADA, only to get their voicemail system. Instead of trying to navigate through, she’d call back. It was 8 AM, but they opened at nine.
Trent pulled into Katherine’s driveway, and the officer who had followed parked on the street out front.
This was Amanda’s first time here. It wasn’t like her relationship with Katherine ever extended outside the department when they worked together at the PWCPD.
The house was a two-story and held a substantial footprint. It was also in a neighborhood that primarily catered to those in a higher tax bracket, typically higher than any honest cop could expect to see.
Trent let out a whistle. “She drives a Mercedes and lives here. Are we sure she’s one of the good guys?”
“I’m sure. Perhaps she made good money in New York, or she might have inherited after her mother died.” She was thinking more along the lines of an insurance policy, but it could have also been financial investments that were passed along.
“If so, not worth the price of admission to upper class. Katherine’s abductors wouldn’t need to see the diner to anticipate a payday though. This place alone screams money. They could force Katherine to withdraw money herself and, in exchange, she keeps her life.”
“Good point.” She made a quick call to Malone and requested that they gain access to Katherine’s finances and get someone to watch them for recent transfers or withdrawals. He assured her he’d get on this as soon as possible.
Stepping inside, Katherine’s pungent lily of the valley fragrance hung in the air. It conjured all the smells from that morning at the gas station. With this context, Amanda realized she had detected the scent there. Something as simple as spritzing oneself with perfume was so ordinary. The day would have started off that way for Katherine before it took its drastic turn.
Trent punched the code into the security system, and it beeped. “We’re in. Ninja, ninja,” he prattled off with a smile, and she shook her head despite appreciating the insertion of joviality.
Amanda wiped her shoes on the front mat, resisting the urge to take them off. She had expected to feel like she was trespassing or invading Katherine’s space, but she didn’t. Maybe it was because they had a purpose being here.
The home was clean, the wood floors and tiled entry gleaming with the sunlight that was streaming through huge windows. There was an expansive sitting room to the left, and to the right was a dining room, the kitchen behind that. Staircases, one leading up, the other down, were across from the door, and sat in the middle of a wide hallway that ran to the back of the house.
They did a sweep of the main level, and everything looked like it was in order. There were no signs the place had been ransacked. They returned to the entry.
“Something to help direct our steps would be nice,” Amanda said.
“Well, we haven’t got to her home office yet. We might find a clue there?” Trent’s suggestion wasn’t delivered with much confidence given the arch of a question.
“I’d guess we’d find that upstairs.” Amanda led the way.
