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Chapter 49
WHY WOULD ANYONEwant to kill Dan?”
A weepy Alice Martin had asked this same question so many times that Decker thought she might be in shock.
After flashing their badges at the responding officers, Decker and Jamison had been told that the death was not natural or accidental.
“Somebody crushed in hisskull,” one officer had reported.
Now they were all gathered back at Amber’s house after Dan Bond’s remains had been removed from his home. The other guests had left and Amber and Zoe were upstairs resting. Jamison’s sisters had driven Frank’s parents and his siblings back to their motel.
Baron and Riley were still there and were silently studying the floor of the living room.Baron had another glass of whisky in hand.
Jamison put an arm on Alice Martin’s shoulder. “I’m sure the police will find out who did it.”
The elderly woman wailed to her, “Well, they haven’t found out who killed those other people yet.”
Jamison glanced at Decker, who was just about to make a comment when someone knocked on the door.
Decker knew who he wasgoing to see when he opened it.
Detectives Green and Lassiter stared back at him.
Green said grimly, “I think we might want to evacuate the other residents from that street, and I’m only half joking.”
“One of them is here,” said Decker, indicating Martin. “What about Fred Ross?”
Lassiter said, “We woke him up when we knocked on the door. He was in a foulmood.”
“You’re lucky he didn’t have his shotgun with him.”
“Yeah, well, he said if anybody tried to bash his head in, they’d get both barrels in their face for the trouble.”
“What can you tell me?” asked Decker.
“Care to step outside?” said Lassiter.
They went back out on the porch and Decker turned to face them.
Green said, “He’s beendead since around midnight last night.”
“Forced entry?”
“No sign of that. An elderly friend came over to check on him when he didn’t show up for a church meeting and they couldn’t reach him on the phone. She found him in the kitchen.”
“How’d she get in?”
Green said, “She had a key. We checked her out, she’s what she claims to be.”
Decker said.“A uniform told me there was blunt force trauma to the head?”
“Correct,” said Lassiter.
“Murder weapon?”
“Didn’t find one. Perp probably took it with him.”
“And no one saw anything?”
