11:15 a.m., Thursday, August 13
Bianca Hornberger’s neighborhood didn’t look like the kind of place where people got murdered. It looked more like the place where bar mitzvahs and expensive political fundraisers with tiny appetizers were hosted. The cul-de-sac was peppered with oversized houses with things like pool houses and outdoor kitchens. The only people visible outside were the ones paid to make the yards and pools look nice.
The Hornberger house was an enormous white brick two-story with a circular driveway and a fountain that featured spitting dolphins.
“Cozy,” Riley quipped as Kellen shut off the engine.
“Wait until you see the inside,” he said.
They got out of the car, and the Pennsylvania humidity instantly added a full two inches of frizz to Riley’s hair.
She smoothed damp palms over her pants then remembered she wasn’t supposed to look nervous. She was a civilian consultant with a hot boyfriend and a cute dog, thank you very much. No longer a beleaguered proofreader barely scraping by who had nothing better to do than stalk her ex-husband’s new fiancée online.
“Ready?” he asked, slipping his sunglasses into his front pocket.
She nodded. She’d sat with Gabe that morning, working through nearly an hour of psychic exercises that left her feeling open. Open enough to know that Kellen’s mind was going a mile a minute with thoughts that included the case, Nick, and Beth. The man’s brain was very crowded. “Is there anything I should know first?” she asked.
“The vic was alone in the house when it happened. Everything minus the cause of death makes it look like a robbery gone wrong. The security footage was wiped in a thirty-five-minute window. All the computers and tablets in the house were taken, including the victim’s phone.”
He looked at her as they walked up the drive. “If you need anything in there, like if you want to be alone in the room, just give me the sign.”
“Sign? What sign?” she asked, worried that she’d missed a cop-talk handbook. Did she have a special sign language to learn? Was that how bad guys could nod at their henchmen and the henchmen knew the boss wanted them to escort the good guy to his death, not that they wanted a cappuccino or their car detailed?
Weber grinned. “Relax. Just nod. I’ll get it.”
Riley nodded, then stopped. “That wasn’t a real nod yet. I mean. That was a real nod. But not a code nod. Maybe we should have a code word?”
Kellen put a hand on her shoulder. “You’ll be fine. Don’t be nervous. You’re not a person of interest this time around. So don’t panic and yell ‘cabbage casserole.’ I’m just looking for anything you can pick up on that I’m missing.”
“Do you think the husband did it?” She wasn’t sure if she had the stomach to face another murderer so soon after her first run-in with one.
“I’d rather not taint your impression with my own. Come on, partner. Let’s go scare a nerd.”
* * *
Teddy Hornberger was already scared.And sad. And…a little something that almost felt like relieved. It was an infodump of impressions from her spirit guides that made Riley’s head spin.
He was in his early forties and had the physique of a regular gym-goer. For some reason, that seemed a little off to her. He had thinning blond hair and a healthy tan that didn’t disguise the dark circles under his eyes.
Not sleeping well. Though, she couldn’t blame him, considering his wife had been murdered in their home just days before.
“Detective Weber, do you have any news?” Teddy asked, taking off his glasses and wiping them on hisMandaloriant-shirt.
“Mr. Hornberger, this is my associate Riley. She’s helping us with the investigation. We wanted to walk through the crime scene again and ask you a few follow-up questions.”
“Oh, uh, sure. Should I have a lawyer present?” he asked, looking like a five-year-old who just got put in the corner by their favorite kindergarten teacher.
“Strictly routine,” Riley promised. “I’m very sorry for your loss.”
He tried to smile back at her, but his face crumpled. “I’m sorry,” he said on a shuddering sob. “It’s just been a tough time.”
If this guy killed his wife, she would run out and get a face tattoo.
“I can’t imagine,” she sympathized.
“Do you mind if we come inside?” Kellen asked.
Teddy shook his head and stepped back from the door to let them in.
