"The brass won't be happy to hear that."
"I'm not here to make them happy. I'm here to give my professional assessment." Kari looked through the glass atHatathli, who sat with his head in his hands while Sharon spoke quietly to him. "He's right about one thing—his DNA being at both scenes suggests someone planted it. That takes planning, access, and motivation. We need to figure out who had all three."
"Which means we need to look at the crime scenes with fresh eyes." Maria pulled out her keys. "Garrison's house first?"
"Yeah. Let's go."
***
Paradise Valley looked exactly like its name suggested—a desert paradise for people who could afford to buy their way into paradise.
Garrison's house sat behind gates and manicured landscaping, a sprawling mansion that probably cost more than Kari would earn in her lifetime. Yellow crime scene tape still marked the front entrance, though the initial processing had been completed days ago.
Maria used her credentials to get them past the private security that patrolled the neighborhood, and they parked in Garrison's circular driveway. The house loomed above them, all angles and glass and expensive taste.
"No signs of forced entry at any point," Maria said as they approached the front door. "Garrison's security system was armed when he got home from work that day, but he disarmed it himself around six PM. The system wasn't triggered again until the next morning when his housekeeper arrived and found the body."
"So either Garrison let the killer in, or the killer had a way to bypass the security system."
"That's the theory." Maria unlocked the front door with a key provided by the estate executor. "But here's what bothers me—why would Garrison let Thomas Hatathli into his home? They weren't friends. Hatathli had publicly called him a criminal.What possible reason would Garrison have to open his door to someone who'd threatened him?"
They stepped into a foyer that could have held Kari's entire apartment. Everything was expensive and tasteful—marble floors, original artwork, furniture that looked like it belonged in a museum. The kind of wealth that Garrison had built through real estate investment.
Including the Sunset Ridge Resort, which had destroyed the petroglyphs.
"Where was the body found?" Kari asked.
"Second floor, home office." Maria led the way up a sweeping staircase. "Garrison was shot once in the chest, likely died within seconds. The medical examiner estimated time of death between seven and nine PM based on body temperature and rigor mortis."
The home office was at the end of a long hallway, and Kari could see where the crime scene techs had processed the space. Dust from fingerprint powder, markers indicating where evidence had been collected, the outline on the carpet where Garrison's body had been found.
"Your report said hair samples were found near the body," Kari said.
"Yeah, three strands. All matched Hatathli's DNA profile." Maria pointed to the markers. "They were on the carpet, within a few feet of where Garrison fell. The prosecution's theory is that Hatathli confronted Garrison here, they argued, and Hatathli shot him."
Kari walked around the office, trying to visualize the scene. The desk faced away from the door, which meant Garrison would have had his back to anyone entering. The windows looked out over the backyard and pool area.
"If someone was watching the house, waiting for an opportunity," Kari said, "they could see when Garrison wasalone and which rooms he was using." She studied the layout. "You said no forced entry. What about the back door?"
Maria pulled out her phone, scrolling through crime scene photos. "The patio door was closed but unlocked when we processed the scene. We assumed Garrison had locked it, but..."
"But maybe he didn't."
"Leaving it unlocked would be stupid for someone as wealthy as Garrison. You don't live in a mansion and leave doors unlocked."
"Let's find out." Kari pulled out her own phone, opening the case file information Maria had sent her earlier. "The housekeeper who found the body—Elena Morales. Is she still working here?"
"The estate is maintaining the property until it's sold. She comes by twice a week to keep things in order." Maria checked her watch. "It's almost three. She might be here now—she usually comes in the afternoons."
They went back downstairs and found Elena in the kitchen, a woman in her fifties with tired eyes and the kind of quiet competence that came from years of domestic work. She flinched when she saw them, then recognized Maria from the initial investigation.
"Detective Santos. I didn't know anyone was coming today."
"Sorry to surprise you, Elena. This is Detective Blackhorse—she's consulting on the case. We have a few follow-up questions if you don't mind."
Elena nodded, setting down the cleaning supplies she'd been organizing. "Of course. Anything to help catch whoever did this to Mr. Garrison."
"You worked for Mr. Garrison for eight years, is that right?" Kari asked.
