“I also talked to Anna Cranston and learned they found Sandy’s remains,” she said.
“Good. Good. We’re getting everything we wanted, but still not what I have to tell you,” he said.
Grimm closed the dishwasher and came over to where they had sat at the table. “What’s this?”
“I have glorious news to tell you both,” he explained. “Remember how you couldn’t figure out the three photos of the trophy jewelry that Wills sent you, Quinn?”
“Yeah.”
“That mystery got solved last night.”
“It did?”
“It sure did. The person who had the missing piece of the puzzle tried to plant it in his mother’s room as the police overlooked it in their search, and he was caught in the act red-handed because they had placed surveillance cameras in that room when they came up one short.”
“Holy Toledo! Cliff had the ring? But they searched the house.”
“That’s right. His room, his car, his parents’ room, his parents’ cars. But they didn’t search for him. He had it on him. Detective Phillips believes he may have even had it in his pocket when the three of them were in interrogation.”
“Man. Then Wills must have been lucky to have gotten that photo of it without being caught,” Grimm said.
“Damn skippy,” Sheraton said. “They’ve got him in lockup down at the police station waiting for Agent Street to show up. They’ve left him squirming all night. You need to get down there and cover it.”
“Please tell me they’ve at least mirandized him?” Quinn said. “The last thing we need is for him to walk on a technicality because they haven’t done that.”
“Yes. They did. Detective Phillips did it and offered to call Delacorte for him, but Cliff refused. He said he wanted to represent himself. That he’d just sat for the bar exam, and he was waiting for the results. Frankly, if he passes this time, it will be a miracle. Rumor has it this is his third time taking it.”
“Didn’t Street tell us that attorneys always have their own lawyers in legal matters?” Quinn questioned.
“That’s right. But Cliff said he didn’t need his father’s attorney or the man that was going to represent his murderous mother.”
“Has the DNA come back on the rape kit?” Grimm asked.
“Too soon for that, but with his confession, and as long as Delacorte doesn’t swoop in and try to get him to reconsider representation, his goose is as good as cooked.”
Quinn covered her face with her hands and took several deep breaths. “I’ve been working on this for so long that it’s hard to believe we have reached the end.” She dropped her hands away and looked up. “Can we truly call this a victory? We have three dead women and hopefully, all three of their remains will be found. I’m praying they will still find Barbie’s. Trish and Trenton deserve that much after all they’ve been through.”
CHAPTER 14
As soon asthey walked into the police station the desk sergeant saw them and waved them over. “Detective Phillips said I was to show you back to observation. He’s waiting for you there.”
“He was expecting us?” Quinn said.
“Apparently,” the man said.
“Makes sense if Sheraton had been talking to him before he came over and told us to get down here,” Grimm said.
“I just didn’t realize we’d have access to interrogation like we did yesterday,” Quinn explained.
As they rounded the corner of the corridor, an officer was leading Cliff Beamer in handcuffs to the interrogation room. He saw her and he stopped in his tracks, staring at her. “You Bitch. If it wasn’t for you my mother wouldn’t be locked up now.” He broke free of the officer leading him and ran at her.
Grimm blocked him from reaching her, and the desk sergeant and the other officer dragged him to the interrogation room, cussing and screaming.
Quinn was pressed up against the wall, her eyes wide with shock. “Good lord. He’d have plowed me over if you hadn’t stepped in front of me.”
The observation room door opened, and Phillips looked out. “Is everything okay out here?”
“They are now,” Grimm said. He allowed Quinn to go in first and then he followed.
