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Archer’s lips thin as he nods. “Same neighbor.”
“She’s either extremely caring or extremely nosy. Either way, she’s good for us.” I stand straight and swallow at the ache in my knee joints. “Is Garry here?”
“He’s in a cruiser out front with a uniform,” Fletch answers. “He was belligerent when we drove up, demanding a lawyer, so we’ve got him on ice until we take him to the station.”
“We wanted your thoughts first,” Archer adds. “We wanted to know what happened before we talked to him.”
Nodding, I draw a deep breath and glance across as Aubree straightens out. “Initial investigation shows our victim died from blunt force trauma to the back of her skull. However, lack of wounds to her hands and elbows suggests she was already out when she fell. Bruising on her right cheek signifies a blow, but Doctor Emeri and I will pursue that more thoroughly in the lab.
“My professional opinion is she was struck on the side of the face with a fist—not an object, or we’d see the distinct markings of such. When she fell, she fell at such velocity that the corner of the counter fractured her skull. The swelling of her brain is what killed her.”
“She was pushed?”
I shrug. “She wasn’t caught. Her attacker in no way attempted to slow the velocity with which she fell.”
“Alright. Well…” Archer runs his hands through his hair. “We’re gonna take Thoma to the station. Try and tie this up today.”
“Good luck.” I take another pack from my bag—cotton swabs and plastic baggies—so I can collect the hair and blood that remains on the corner of the kitchen counter. “If he’s already screaming for a lawyer, I bet you’ll be there for a while.”
“Yeah.” Archer turns and waves Fletcher ahead. Then glancing back to me, he murmurs, “Wait up for me, honey.”
He doesn’t come my way or attempt to kiss me. He doesn’t touch me at all. But his words startle me from my work and draw my eyes over to his.
He grins when my face no doubt pales. “Relax. The world isn’t gonna fall apart.”
“Kinda feels like it.”
I glance to Aubree, only to find her face puckered as though she sucked on a lemon… or as though she’s holding in a burst of laughter.
Rage surges forward in my blood as I try to set aside Archer’s words. “Get back to work. I want you to call the lab and get confirmation on the skin under Louisa’s nails.”
“Yes, boss.” Snorting under her breath, Aubree peels back her gloves and takes out her phone to dial. “You seem awfully short-tempered for someone who slept most of the afternoon and all of last night.”
The moment my rage-filled eyes whip back to hers, she squeaks and darts away.
“Calling the lab!”
