Page 37 of I’ll Be Watching You

Jack turned to a photo of the scene. “He was either parked facing north and went north, or parked south and drove south, because the Swanson’s vehicle is blocking most of the street, he wouldn’t have been able to get by without driving on the sidewalk.”

“South,” Otto said. “The north is a dead end. The road curves east and ends in a cul-de-sac.”

“Professional,” Jack said.

“Could be.”

Jack believed it. “Two bullets each victim—he had investigated the area and knew how to get out quickly. Maybe he had a driver. Maybe he didn’t even get out of the car, simply drove in Reverse to the corner then left the neighborhood.”

“When the autopsy report comes in, we’ll know exactly how far away the shooter was. This isn’t in the report because detectives don’t like to speculate in writing where it could get them slapped by the defense for jumping to conclusions, but based on visual evidence, they believe that the killer was parked on the street and shot from his vehicle as the Swansons backed up right in front of him.” To demonstrate, he put his right hand on an imaginary steering wheel, leaned to the left, and held his left hand as if it held a gun. “If that was the case, he would have had to back up, then turn the vehicle around and drive south. Or, he got out of his vehicle and approached the passenger side, Mrs. Swanson rolled down the window, and he shot them point-blank. The witness, their son, didn’t see a vehicle leaving the scene, and the crash happened seconds after the shooting. We’re talking a very tight timeline.”

“Again, professional. Yet . . .”

This time, Otto nodded. “You’re thinking they knew the killer.”

“Yes, I am,” Jack said. “Why else roll down the window?”

“A beautiful morning? Someone needed directions?” Otto shrugged. “It’s definitely a theory. We’re talking middle of safe suburbia where the most serious crime is maybe drunk driving. No brass was found, and no witness noticed a lone man sitting in a vehicle on the street. Police have collected all security footage from every neighbor who has cameras facing the road on the Swansons’ street, and the perpendicular road which leads out of the neighborhood. But they’re still going through it.”

“Would you let me know if they identify him?”

“If I can. What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. But it might help us piece together what happened to my dad.” Jack paused, then decided to tell Otto more. “I’m worried about my family. My mom said our entire family was threatened, including Austin. My grandparents are spending a few days at Logan Monroe’s resort, just in case someone tries to get to them, and Austin is with my girlfriend and her family in a secure house.”

“Safety in numbers.” Otto stared at Jack. “You really think they’re going to come after your family.”

“That was the threat they held over Dad’s head, that his children—and my son—would be killed.”

Otto glanced toward the wall of photos of his own boys. Anger flashed across his face. “Damn.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry about all this, Jack. There was little evidence at the scene. Seven in the morning, people going to work, going to school, and no one saw anything. They’ll re-canvass. Sometimes people remember a detail later, or someone wasn’t home when the police first knocked on doors. I’ll take another look at the file tomorrow, let you know if anything was added or changed.”

“I appreciate it,” Jack said.

The Suns were up two points with four minutes left when Otto walked Jack to the door. “Margo isn’t getting back together with Rick, is she?” Otto asked.

“No.”

“He blew it.”

“Maybe. But it takes two, doesn’t it?”

Otto nodded. “Yes, it does. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a stranger, Jack. Keep in touch, even when you don’t need information.”

“Not so much Margo’s fault as my girlfriend,” Jack admitted. “I spend most of my free time with Laura.”

Otto laughed, shook Jack’s hand. “Well, then, I’ll just have to plan a barbecue soon to meet her.”

“We’d like that,” Jack said and left.

Chapter Thirteen

Tess Angelhart

The sun had just dipped behind Camelback Mountain, bathing the exclusive Alvarado Historic neighborhood in the kind of golden light that hummed with old money. Gabriel’s brick and adobe home, which looked modest on the outside, but was drenched in class and elegance on the inside, was set far back on the street. Tess loved her fiancé’s house, even though she occasionally felt out of place. Sometimes, she didn’t know how Gabriel had fallen for her. They had been raised completely differently, and Gabriel was perfect. Handsome, smart, kind, a pediatric surgeon who saved the lives of children. Maybe not perfect, but close to it.

But she tried not to question their relationship, though her self-doubts always seemed to creep in when she was stressed. She’d had two failed engagements and her self-confidence had taken a huge hit. Yet, she loved Gabriel, and they were getting married. He had shown her his love in a multitude of ways, and accepted her family and how important they were to her.

She didn’t think it was necessary to have a bodyguard, but Jack and Mom both insisted, so Nate Lorenzo had followed her to Gabriel’s. She wasn’t quite sure how she was going to explain everything to Gabriel. He wasn’t going to be happy. He already thought her job was too dangerous. In May, she’d been caught in the middle of an arson fire, and in September she’d been held at gunpoint, and while he didn’t come out and tell her she should quit her job, he had suggested she work from home whenever possible.