The grand opening banner still hangs over the entrance.
WELCOME TO SILVER PINES
It almost feels like a cruel joke now.
Tad gives me a rundown as he walks us down the hall, letting me know they put out the fire before it spread beyond the body.
The smell reaches us before the body does.
Gasoline and burned flesh.
Santiago pinches the bridge of his nose as we duck beneath the crime scene tape. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that smell."
I clap him once on the shoulder. "Nothing wrong with that."
He nods.
"Just don't contaminate my crime scene."
Santiago’s face wrinkles up. “No promises.”
The body sits in the chair behind the desk, looking as if he were working. I doubt he expected someone to walk through the door.
The nameplate on the edge of the desk is in pristine condition.
Neil Redford
“Well, there’s no need to wait and figure out who this is,” Levi comments.
I nod. “We need to photograph everything.”
Santiago exits the room and jogs to his truck to get the items we need.
Levi examines the body closer.
“Is there anything in his mouth?” I ask.
Levi forces the jaw open and angles his head to get a better look. “Not that I can see. If the killer stuffed something in there, it’s too far down. Dr. Adler will have to be the one to get it.”
“Maybe the name tag is our only clue,” I theorize.
“More like a flashing neon sign,” Levi comments.
Santiago returns, loaded down with supplies. The shrill ring of his phone cuts through the oppressive silence of Neil's office.
He barely glances at the screen before answering. “Hola, Papí.”
I snag a camera and begin photographing the scene while Levi continues to examine the body.
Behind me, Santiago's boots stop moving. “What?”
Something in his voice makes me lower the camera.
He's staring straight ahead, every muscle in his body rigid. “When did she leave?”
My stomach tightens.
Levi looks up from where he's crouched.
