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She shook her head. “He was wearing one of those dark ski masks.” She tutted. “How very insipid.”
Falco looked to Barton. “Was he wearing a ski mask when you saw him?”
“No. He must have slipped it on when he went around the back of the house. Like I said, he was probably six feet, medium build, brown hair. He had his back to me, so I didn’t see his face.”
“You didn’t see the make of the vehicle when he fled?” Kerri asked. These questions had been asked already, but it was important to see if his story stayed the same.
“I didn’t. I ran through the house after him, and by the time I was back around at the front, he was gone. To be honest, I’m not even sure which way he went from there. The guy had to be a serious runner to move that fast.”
Like the intruder, Barton had brown hair, was about six feet and with a medium build. His face was nondescript. The sort a witness likely wouldn’t remember. No visible scars, tats, or other identifiable markings.
“Remind me where it is you live?” Falco prodded.
“At the end of this street. I’m renting a garage apartment from a friend.” He stood. “I should go, or I’ll be late for work.”
“We may have other questions,” Kerri said. “You have a cell phone number?” The rectangular bulge in his back pocket provided the answer but not the number.
“Yeah, sure.” He recited the number.
Kerri entered it into her cell. “You said you work at the Trader Joe’s over on Summit?” That would be maybe twenty minutes away. She had shopped there a few times.
“Yeah.” He looked away. “Feel free to call me if you think of anything else.” He nodded to Taylor. “Gotta go.”
He was lying or maybe just leaving out some relevant fact. His eyes were far too evasive, his expression too closed. Kerri called after him, “Thank you, Mr.Barton.”
When he’d gone, she sat down on the sofa. “Ms.Taylor, we haven’t reported your connection to your nephew.” Considering the Walsh aspect of the case had been taken from them, she certainly hadn’t felt compelled to do so. “Have you spoken to anyone about him? Or did he ever have friends or colleagues visit him here?”
“No one.” She paused, frowned. “Except Sadie. Sadie Cross. She came over several times.” Taylor smiled. “I think they were a bit more than friends.” The frown deepened. “She said she would have someone watching after me. Do you suppose Mr.Barton is a friend of hers?”
Kerri’s uneasiness lessened a fraction. Right there was likely the fact Mr.Barton had omitted. “That would explain him happening along just when you needed him.”
Falco pulled out his cell. “Why don’t I call someone to have a look at your doors? I’m not sure those locks are going to be reliable with the way the wood is cracked.”
“I have a retired friend who lives in the neighborhood. I’ll call him. He’s always happy to help.”
“All right then, I’ll call Cross and confirm her association with your Good Samaritan,” Falco said.
While he stepped outside, Kerri asked, “Ma’am, is there anything else we can do for you while we’re here? Would you like to file an official report?”
Taylor shook her head. “No. No. That’s not necessary. You and Detective Falco being here is quite sufficient.” Her face fell. “Really, if you can find the person who killed my Asher, that’s all I need.”
“We’re optimistic that we’ll have more on that soon.” Kerri gave her a smile and hoped she wouldn’t have to explain how his murder was no longer theirs to investigate. Or the fact that Kerri desperately needed to be elsewhere because she was terrified for her daughter. “Ma’am, I realize this question may not be a pleasant one, but I have to ask. Is there any possibility Asher may have used illegal drugs, even occasionally? You’ve insisted that wasn’t possible, but can you really be completely certain?”
Taylor’s expression turned to horror. “Oh my word! I keep telling you that Asher was the most antidrug young man you would ever meet.”
Before she could demand to know why she’d asked again, Kerri went on. “Was there something that happened in his past that made him feel particularly antidrug? Beyond the general reasons, I mean.”
“Not to my knowledge. I don’t recall him talking about drugs the few times I saw him during his high school and college days. I suppose there could have been something. But since he moved here, he spokeadamantly about it. In fact, his keen focus on the issue concerned me a bit.”
“How so?”
“A person in his position as a DDA needs a certain amount of objectivity and the ability to spread his attention. The sort of single-minded focus could create issues in his career and certainly in his personal life.”
“Thank you for clearing that up, ma’am.” Kerri could see how an obsession of any kind could affect his work; possibly lessen his ability to be objective.
“None of this makes sense.” Ms.Taylor shook her head. “Obviously, I understand that in his career, he made enemies. You can’t be in the legal field without making a few. For God’s sake, I’m still stunned about Lana’s secretive visits. I had no idea, and I don’t think Asher did either. I can’t imagine what she was doing.”
Kerri didn’t have the faintest idea what Taylor meant. “Asher’s mother visited him recently?”
