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“Our supervisor who was out sick the night of Anne Marlowe’s murder, Kevin Gaines, slid into Todd’s role, and we got a new supervisor, Doug Jones.”
“That’s a lot of changes,” Riley said.
“That was my thought.” Harper nodded.
“Let’s look at the idea of Andi being set up in relation to all these personnel changes,” Greyson said, smoothing his jacket.
“Either the changes are directly related to something going down in the lab that night...” Riley looked at Harper for confirmation, and Harper nodded. “Or it’s a huge coincidence. But I, for one, am skeptical of coincidences.”
“What we need to figure out is who gained the most from what went down,” Deckard said, a raw sensation gnawing at his gut.
“Kevin’s and Doug’s promotions were big, but Todd’s was a huge leap, and he surpassed our forensics director, Greg Dunkirk, for the position.”
“So Greg was up for the position?” Riley asked.
“I only heard a few rumors, but if the forensic science academy was looking to fill the position with someone from our lab, Greg had the superior position and knowledge. He has his PhD in forensic science while Todd just has his bachelor’s. It doesn’t make sense.”
“We should start our investigation by interviewing Todd Phillips,” Deckard said.
“Okay, I’ll get his number,” Harper said. “I imagine he still has the same cell number.”
“In person is always better,” Deckard said. “That way you can read a person’s body language, their expressions. We’ll pay him a visit tomorrow.” It was surreal looking at things from a different perspective, but he’d promised Christian he’d investigate for Andi, and he’d keep that promise. But he couldn’t control the outcome. He prayed it wasn’t one that crushed his brother.
THIRTY-ONE
ANDI ROUSED FROM SLEEPand blinked at the vaulted ceiling with wooden beams overhead. She rubbed her eyes.Where...?Her sleepy mind started to wake.Christian’s. Blinking, she rolled over and gazed out at the beautiful mountains, the sun’s rays lighting the yellow aspen leaves. Her gaze tracked down to the jutted sandstone crags layered with shale. A light flashed across the top.
She blinked again, wondering what the sun was illuminating. The light flashed again, its shaft skipping across a section of the blanket covering her.
Curious, she moved toward the sliding door, opened it, and stepped to the edge of the stone patio. The light ceased as she searched the ridge. A shiver snaked up her spine—the sensation of being watched raked back over her again.
“Hey, Andi,” Christian said from the other side of the patio. “I didn’t know you were awake.”
“Yeah.” She turned to face him, but out of the corner of her eye she caught a swift shift of movement. She spun back, and the silhouette of a man ducked into the trees. “Christian!”
“Go inside,” he said, running past her with his gun in hand, dust kicking up behind him.
No way was she letting Christian chase the man on his own. She raced back in the house, slipped on the shoes she’d borrowed from Riley, and grabbed her gun from her purse.
Darting back outside, she scrambled up the sloping hill and moved into the trees. Shafts of light illuminated small pockets in the forest, but shade dimmed the remainder. “I’m in,” she hollered, giving Christian a heads-up so they didn’t accidentally shoot one another.
Rounding a steep, angled bend in the slope, she made out two figures weaving around trees, flitting in and out of her line of sight.
She increased her pace, breaking into an all-out sprint. Her lungs burning in the cool air, she wasn’t making up time fast enough.
Please, Lord, let Christian get him.
She was tired of looking over her shoulder, waiting for the next attack to come.
Struggling to fasten her gaze on the two men and not focusing on the ground before her, she stumbled over a rock, tumbled forward, unable to correct herself fast enough. She landed hard, her knees taking the brunt of the fall—knees still bruised and scabbed from the first attempt on their lives.
Pop. Pop. Pop.Three gunshots reverberated through her chest. Birds squawked, surging toward the sky in a dark swirl about fifty yards due west.
She scrambled to her feet and plowed forward.
Pop. Pop.
Her chest squeezed, blood whooshing in her ears.Please, Lord, let Christian be safe.
