Page 81 of Bring Them Home

“True enough, though that makes you wonder why Paul Archer’s body was dumped down the road.”

“Who knows?” She differed so much from Hernandez, she couldn’t begin to presume what he was thinking.

“Do you want to run the warrant past a judge, or do you want me to do that?”

“I’ve already got a call in with a judge on a search warrant for Hernandez’s residence,” the US marshal said as he joined them.

Now he’s eavesdropping… “That wasn’t necessary. The murder took place in Prince William County jurisdiction.”

“Yes, and the victim was enrolled in the US Marshals Witness Security Program.”

Amanda could have thrown it in his face again that they had failed to protect Abigail, but the thought of actually doing so didn’t feel right. She’d sunk her standards earlier by being cruel. She didn’t need to live there, no matter how she felt about the situation or about Russell Holden himself. Really, none of it mattered. Only justice did, and to get there, she’d have to work with Russell because she didn’t see him going anywhere anytime soon. “We’ll handle getting one for the video footage, then. Let me know the minute you hear back on the search warrant.”

“Will do.” Russell gave her a pressed smile, an expression she didn’t return.

As he was walking away, her phone pinged with a text from Liam Baker. She read it out loud to Trent. “‘Rideout will confirm round size during autopsy. You need to know that the victim’s tongue was also cut out and stuffed into her throat. Rideout believes that was done perimortem.’”

Trent gasped. “She was still alive when they removed it. Dear God.”

Amanda was slow to add anything further as her mind tried to make sense of the depravity despite its message being easy to discern. It was pretty much a calling card right to the drug kingpin’s door. “Hernandez called Abigail a rat from a family of rats,” she reiterated.

“Rat is synonymous with snitch. He removed her tongue to let the world know that anyone who speaks out against him signs their own death warrant.”

“I got there too, but could we be missing a deeper meaning?”

“Who can say at this point?”

She couldn’t, but she sensed there was more. Another text came in from Liam, stealing her attention.

Soonest for autopsy tomorrow at 9 AM.

She shared her screen with Trent. “It’s Sunday, but I’m going.”

“Me too.”

She messaged back.

We’ll be there

Amanda pocketed her phone, and she gathered all the photographs and information necessary to question Nina in a folder, including a printout of her background. The officer who had brought her in told them her legal name was Antonina Martini. It dripped off the tongue as if it were some fancy cocktail. But this woman was certain to leave a bitter aftertaste.

Trent called Judge Anderson and received verbal authorization for the camera footage. He was just finishing up a second call when she stuffed the last of the paperwork into the folder.

“I just hung up from talking with Detective Briggs. He’s going to serve the warrant on Hernandez for the security recordings.”

“And taking an army with him, I hope.”

“He promised he’d take precautions.”

Little good that had done her and Trent. They’d approached Hernandez the first time respectfully, and he still took it as him doing them a favor. “Well, I’m ready when you are.” They’d already been told that Nina’s lawyer had arrived.

“I’ll be right by your side.”

They headed down the hall to the interview room. When Amanda opened the door, she was met with two familiar faces. Nina, who they had expected, but also Wilson Duran, who had just represented Lucas Hernandez.

“Detectives, we meet again,” the attorney said.

Amanda ignored his comment, sat down, and clasped her hands over the folder. “Antonina Martini, do you know why you’re here?”