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We have teams scouring the woods to look for a weapon. They’ve been doing it for two days already and nothing has been found. It’s possible she has it with her or tossed it into the river. It’s possible someone else entirely did this and they’re already halfway across the country.
My phone rings as we’re leaving the cabin with nothing but her hairbrush and toothbrush in bags for DNA. Oh, and the prying eyes of the villagers all gathered at the nearest house, watching us like hawks.
“Captain,” I answer.
“Warren. You at the Forester residence?”
I glance back at the small cabin as Forge and I walk toward the path that’ll bring us to our car.
“We’re just leaving.”
“Was she there?”
“No.”
There’s a pause. “Any indication of where she went?”
“Looks like she packed some clothes and food before she left. Nothing that tells us where she was going.”
“What about the house? Anything suggesting she was involved?”
“Nothing obvious. We’ll have to wait for forensics, but right now, it looks like she came home, grabbed stuff, and took off.”
“Then we need to find her.”
Something about the way he says it makes me pause. Why is he so stuck on finding her specifically? Yes, she was seen in the area, and she was definitely at the house, but we can’t put all our eggs into one basket.
“We’re working on it,” I say.
“Work faster. If Forester was in that house, I want to know what she was doing there. She may be the only person who can tell us what happened that morning.”
“Or she could be the person who did it,” Forge says loud enough to let the Captain know he’s here and listening to the call.
“Which is exactly why I want her found,” Captain snaps. “Either way, she knows something.”
I glance at Forge. “We know that.”
“Then find out what it is,” he barks into the phone. “I want her brought in, Warren. The second you locate her, you call me. Before you question her. Before you do anything else. Understood?”
I stop, causing Forge to stop too and give me a questioning look.
“You want us to call you before we question her?”
“I want to know the second our only witness and suspect to a homicide is located,” he snaps.
It makes sense.
At least, it should.
But something about it just feels a little off. I’m starting to wonder if he is closer to this case then we know. It’s happened before—family members working on cases they shouldn’t. And there is a reason they shouldn’t; because they act like this. They can’t see clearly because they’re too close.
“Understood,” I say.
“Good. Keep me updated.”
He ends the call, so I shove my phone into my pocket and keep walking.
“What’s wrong?” Forge asks as we each the car.
