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I gave Jack a quick glance, but he was absorbed in the surroundings. I’d learned the thing about being involved with a cop was that he wasalwaysa cop. Those instincts didn’t take a vacation. His focus was on the crowd, cataloguing anyone who might look suspicious or who didn’t fit. Just because the country was different didn’t mean a killer’s mentality would be. They liked to watch for the most part. To see the reactions of police and witnesses alike.
I let Jack do his thing and hopped out of the Jeep, grateful to have my feet on solid ground. People immediately swarmed Joe, rapidly firing questions. The death of Leon Stein was obviously catastrophic to the community. He was loved and had built his legacy here. Had a wife and children here. But what made someone kill a man like Leon Stein just shy of his hundredth birthday? That’s what we had to find out.
I felt underdressed in the navy shorts and white linen top I’d put on, but I hadn’t exactly packed with a crime scene in mind. I figured I could bleach the shirt if I got blood on it and the shorts were dark enough to hide any stains. I’d learned to be practical when it came to dressing in my line of work. I hardly ever wore makeup and I’d been living in sunscreen and moisturizer for the past several days. My toes still had polish on them from the wedding and my hair had been trimmed and given some kind of rinse so the tropical humidity didn’t make it frizz. My hair had never frizzed. It was straight and black and swung just at my chin. But they assured me at the salon it was better to be safe than sorry. I’d pulled it back in a stubby ponytail at the back of my neck so it wasn’t hanging in my face.
I was a pretty low-maintenance kind of woman. I’d spent too long in the medical field, where being a woman was still considered inferior. We’d had to work harder and be smarter to make it through residency. So I’d learned to ignore the things that made a woman feel more feminine. It was a shame really. I’d always thought a third year female student should be able to do rounds without being told she was sleeping her way to the top because she was wearing mascara or lipstick.
Jack was dressed in a pair of loose khaki cargo shorts and a black Tommy Bahama shirt. The relaxed clothing didn’t take away from his physical appearance. He was a true Alpha male in every sense of the word. When he went somewhere people paid attention. They watched and listened and stayed back. Because despite the vacation clothes, Jack looked dangerous.
“Please, please,” Joe said, holding up his hands and quieting the crowd. “I know you are upset, and we will have answers soon. These are my police friends from America, so they are very experienced with violent death and horrible crimes.”
I raised my eyebrows and looked at Jack. It was kind of sad to say we were experienced with horrible crimes and violence, but we were probably the best chance this community had of finding out what had happened to Leon Stein.
Joe broke away from the crowd and came to the back of the Jeep where we waited. He dug out latex gloves from a cardboard box and handed them over.
“What should we do now?” he asked.
Jack blew into his glove and pulled it on easily. And then he did the same with the other. “You know everyone here?”
“Yes, everyone,” Joe answered.
“That’s good. Start talking to them one-on-one. See if anyone saw or heard anything. Construct a timeline of events. Who saw him enter and exit the church. Where he sat. Who he talked to. Things like that.”
“I see,” he nodded. “Like TV. That’s a good idea.”
“Yep, just like TV,” Jack said deadpan. “See if anyone noticed what cars were parked nearby. And watch their body language. If anyone seems nervous or their behavior is off make a note of it and we’ll follow up. Doctor Graves will be able to determine if Leon was killed here at the church or his body was moved there. Whatever the case, someone had to have seen something. And someone killed him.”
“All of these people are good people,” Joe said, shaking his head. “They would never do anything like this. We are very peaceful, and Leon was one of our own. He was a good man. It had to be a tourist.” A ferocity came into Joe’s dark eyes, and I could tell he was offended at Jack’s suggestion. He was loyal to his community, and that kind of loyalty would never find a killer.
The unfortunate truth about our line of work was that everyone was a liar until proven they were telling the truth.
“I’m not saying it wasn’t a tourist,” Jack said, speaking softly. Jack had a way about him. He was one of those men who never had to raise his voice. When he spoke people listened. He had a natural authority and ability to lead. “And it’s probably a good idea to suspend boat and ferry services off the island for the time being. You can think of an excuse to shut them down. All I’m asking is that you collect information and listen and observe. You’re a cop. You might not be an experienced one, but your gut will tell you when you’re on the right track. Sometimes people don’t realize they know something until you ask the right question. They know you and trust you. The biggest majority of police work is documenting the facts. That’s all you need to do.”
Some of the starch went out of Joe’s posture and he nodded in agreement. “I can do that. Do you want me to show you the body?”
I dug through the box and shoved some plastic baggies in the back pocket of my shorts, along with a little black leather pouch that had tweezers and other small motor skill tools in it to collect evidence. I could take photos from my phone. That was pretty much the extent of our equipment. I didn’t even want to think about how we were going to transport the body.
“Nah, we’re comfortable finding our way around,” Jack said. “But let me know how involved you want us to be once we start. We don’t want to step on any toes. You’re welcome to take over at any time.”
“No, this is best,” Joe said. “Leon deserves someone with experience. And I don’t have that. Thank God.”
Jack nodded and put his hand on the small of my back, and we walked around the side of the church and away from the crowd.
Chapter Four
The church wasdeeper and more sprawling than it looked from the front, and it rose up in elevation, so by the time we made it to the courtyard that connected the church and the clergy house my shirt was sticking to my back and I was breathing heavy.
The courtyard was protected by a black wrought iron fence overflowing with bright purple bougainvillea. It should’ve been a peaceful area. Shaded and serene. A place for reflection. The gate stood open and we passed under the arch. Wild vines scraped the top of my head and caught in my hair as we walked beneath it. The courtyard was small and private with benches placed in the shaded areas. It was sandwiched between the church and a small plain house in matching stucco.
A statue of a saint stood rigid and fierce in the center of the courtyard. I would’ve been scared to face my sins too if I’d had to stare at him for very long. He held a sword and a shield as if ready for battle. Maybe he was. There were a lot of demons in this world to fight.
I hadn’t grown up Catholic, and it had been a while since I’d stepped foot in a church of any denomination. I’d spent a lot of years angry at God, and questioning why I’d been dealt such a shitty hand. Getting word that my parents had driven over a cliff in a double suicide, finding out they’d been under investigation by the FBI for using the soldiers returning home in caskets to smuggle illegal goods, and then discovering my dad was still alive and into some very shady shit had been about all the reality I’d been able to stand over the past couple of years.
I did thank God for Jack. I’d have been lost without him through all of that.
“That’s definitely a dead body,” Jack said, coming to a stop beside me. “And an interesting one at that. Don’t ever tell anyone I don’t know how to show a woman a good time.”
I ducked my head so no one would see me smile. I had a feeling the priests wouldn’t see anything amusing. In truth, we didn’t see anything amusing either, but gallows humor was pretty typical at crime scenes. And we’d seen enough atrocities over the years in this business that we had to laugh. It was a hell of a lot better than breaking down in tears.
