She smiled and kissed his forehead. “Yes, you can, but you better follow directions.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He threw his arms around her neck and squeezed.
“Let’s go find my partner,” the officer said as the two left the room.
Detective Jacobs shut the door. He placed the folder on the table and took a seat across from them. “We looked into that car you reported seeing before the fire. The owner works at a factory across town and reported it stolen after getting off work and discovering it missing. I put an APB out on it.”
“Were there surveillance cameras in the parking lot?” Maybe, they could see who had taken it, determine whether it was the same people from the diner.
“One of our officers spotted it this morning and investigated.” Detective Jacobs opened the folder. “He discovered two bodies. We were able to use a portable fingerprint scanner and determine their identities. Fortunately, they had criminal records. They matched the descriptions of the men who attacked you at the diner.” Detective Jacobs pulled two color photos from the folder, turned them around, and slid them across the table.
Quinn gasped. With a shaky hand, she picked up the photo on the right, the one closer to Reid. She put it back down and jabbed the photo. “That’s him.” She’d never forget his sinister dark eyes and crooked nose.
Reid took her hand in his, steadying it. She turned her hand and grasped his fingers. He gave her a reassuring squeeze, and she returned it, an innocent gesture that made her heart do a funny dance.
“That’s the man from the alley.” Reid used his free hand to point to the man she had pointed to. Then, he tapped the second photo. “That’s the man I subdued in the diner. How’d they die?”
Detective Jacob’s words sank in.Bodies. He’d said “bodies.”
“Single gunshot to the head.” Detective Jacobs returned the photos to the folder. “Based on rigor mortis and body temp, they had been dead approximately eight hours.”
The hope that had filled her when they walked in vanished, replaced by dread. “This is only just beginning.”
“What makes you say that?” Detective Jacobs asked.
“Because we got a call about two minutes before yours telling us it wasn’t over.”
Would this ever end? Quinn rested her head in her hands. Her pain pill had worn off. Her head pounded and her back hurt. They’d explained the phone call to Detective Jacobs. He’d taken her phone and left the room. He said something about tracing it. She wasn’t sure whether he would be able to track the number. God willing, they would, but then, chances were the owner of the number wasn’t using a personal phone.
The door burst open, and JJ came in. He looked like he’d been to the fair and won all kinds of prizes. “Look what I got, Momma!”
He laid his loot on the table and started spreading it out. She took it all in. There was a rubber bracelet with the police department logo on it, fruit snacks, a frisbee, a small bottle of water, an autographed picture of the K9, stickers, and a key chain.
“Wow. You got a lot of stuff there.” She pulled him onto her lap and snuggled him.
“They gave me a badge, too.” He pulled his shirt out to show her the plastic police badge. “I’m not a real officer, though. But I will be one day.”
She kissed the top of his head. “You can be whatever you want to be.”
“I want to be a K9 officer, just like Officer Porter. I’m going to have my own doggy partner.” He opened his fruit snacks and popped one in his mouth.
She loved his enthusiasm about the future. She didn’t have much at the moment.
Detective Jacobs came in with her phone. “Here you go. The call was made from a burner phone. Chances are the guy has already thrown it away and moved on to another phone.”
She accepted her phone. “Thank you.”
He sat across from her and looked her in the eyes. “In light of recent events, it’ll be a good idea for you to find a quiet place and lay low for a couple of days. We’re working hard, but with the original guys, uh, indisposed, we have more questions than we had before and fewer answers than we need.”
That’s exactly the thing she wanted to hear. Not. The police were supposed to be the heroes. Solve all the problems and save her. What was she thinking? She was relying on the wrong people. God was in control, and He would handle everything.Forgive me, Lord. Let me lean on You and trust You.
“We’re done with your house and have released the scene. Your landlady has already called people to board up the windows. It’s not ready for you to go back to living in, but if there’s anything you’ve forgotten, you can go in and get it.”
“Thank you.” She sagged. She and JJ were essentially homeless. How was she supposed to provide for JJ?
“Call us if you think of anything new or if something else happens.” Detective Jacobs walked to the door and opened it for them.
She helped JJ collect his goodies, and they followed Reid out of the building and to the rental. Her phone rang, sending goose bumps over her body. What if it was their mystery caller?
