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However, the diagram of the body, where the person performing the autopsy marks the wounds on the corpse, features an injury to the back of her head that corresponds to a matching wound on her forehead. Holes, to be more specific.
“It’s obvious they were in a hurry,” he concludes, sitting back in the chair, tenting his fingers beneath his chin. “What if they knew Charlie had already seen it and had to swap it out right away before anybody else saw it?”
“I guess they didn't get to the medical examiner before the autopsy was conducted.” On a hunch, I Google the name on the report. The first result confirms my suspicions. “Well. Isn't that a coincidence?”
“Let me guess. The medical examiner is dead.”
“According to this article, within two weeks of filing the report.”
Romero’s jaw drops. “Get the fuck out of here. I was kidding.”
“I’m not.” Clearing my throat, I read aloud. “A tragic accident involving faulty gas lines took the life of a respected medical examiner, along with those of his wife and two daughters, in an overnight explosion which leveled the family home.” I blow out a heavy sigh, shaking my head.
“Jesus Christ,” he mutters. “I wonder if Charlie knows that.”
“Now tell me this isn't all connected somehow. What are the odds?”
“It's possible.”
“Possible? It seems pretty damn apparent to me.”
He lifts a shoulder. “It could also have been an accident. Those things do happen all the time.”
“It could’ve been what happened, yes, although for all those things to occur within the same time frame. That’s more of a coincidence than anything.”
“It's too big a coincidence to be overlooked, for sure. I'll give you that.” He winces before standing and pacing the room, looking everywhere but at me. “I just want to make sure we don't go off half-cocked. I know you want this to be true for Bianca’s sake, only let's not jump to conclusions.”
“I don't think it's too big of a jump.”
“It could be.” He rubs his hands together, walking in quick, short steps. “It's obvious the report was altered. Probably by some ignorant dipshit. Like a rookie they didn't have to pay very much.”
“See, that's the thing. Charlie knows there are guys on the payroll in the department. There will never be any convincing him he's wrong about his theories because that grain of truth is at the center. So if that's true, any other scenario could also be true.”
“Right. So unless there's evidence either way…”
“He will never let this go, which means he will always be after my ass, meaning he could potentially make life a living hell for me, but most importantly, for Bianca too.”
“What can he do if he doesn't have a job? He couldn't manage to make a charge stick when he was a detective.”
“There are other ways to fuck with a man's life. Such as careening into his compound and pulling a gun on him.” And making sure I can't be with his daughter without her suffering pains of guilt. Eventually, he will tell her he knows, and there's no guessing how that will turn out.
The thought is enough to make all my instincts flare, the desire to lock her away so she doesn't have to face him. Wouldn't that make things easier? Wouldn't that make it better?
Of course, it wouldn't. Not in the long run. I told her she could have space and freedom, and I meant it. Unfortunately, I can't change my mind whenever it suits me now. I fucking hate this.
“Okay.” He comes to a stop behind his chair, gripping the back of it with both hands. “What do we know? We know she had a round hole in the front and back of her skull. What else?”
“Not much else at the moment, but you're going to change that. I want a full file on her. Past employment, where she went to school, parent’s names, siblings. And if you can get your hands on any other reports surrounding the accident, I want to see them.”
“Do you think she crossed someone, so they put a bullet in her head? I mean, is it possible she had a gambling problem no one knew about?” He’s trying to pick out a needle from a haystack. There’s a reason this crime hasn’t been solved yet, and not just due to the cops who were paid off. There’s no apparent reason to kill her.
Romero stands up straight, sucking in a surprised breath. “Why does it have to be her? Why does she have to be the problem?”
“I don't—”
“Wait… what if whoever killed her… What if they were after Charlie?”
“Well, that's what he assumes,” I remind him. “That this was a message. Kill the wife, get through to the husband, him.”
“That's not what I'm saying. What if they were literally trying to kill Charlie instead of her? They could have expected him to be with her. Followed her from the house, then ran her off the road. It's possible, isn't it?”
