“Since Christine lived on her phone, the charge could have already been depleted when she got here.”
“Either way, it’s safe to say it died anytime between Friday night and this morning.”
“Yep. We need to get this plugged in and see if we can find out who brought her here.”
“To do that, we’ll need the PIN or pattern to unlock thedevice. Do you think Spencer or Christine’s daughter might know it?”
It would take time for Digital Crimes to hack in. Getting Christine’s phone records would take even longer. “Her name’s Riley… the daughter.” She wasn’t sure if she told Trent that much before now. “And all we can do is ask them.” Not that she looked forward to talking to either one of them without seeing Christine’s body for herself. They’d have questions she couldn’t answer. “Come on, let’s get it over with.”
NINE
Before leaving Charmed Court, Amanda plugged Christine’s phone into the portable charger and tucked both back into her purse. She also slipped upstairs to notify the CSIs they found Christine’s purse in the entry closet. They gave little reaction to the news, but at least Amanda shared the update.
Amanda called Riley’s number on the way to Spencer’s and got her voicemail, where she left a message. It was two thirty by the time they were pulling into Spencer’s driveway.
“The whole thing is just unsettling,” Trent said as they trudged up the sidewalk to the house. “The tarp, the placement of the body. It’s like…”
“Don’t say ‘serial killer.’”
“Well… Ordinary people killing withordinarymotives don’t usually put their victim’s body in a tarp.”
She couldn’t deny that logic, but she didn’t want to leap to this being the work of a serial killer either. It was far too soon to go down that path. “We’ll follow where the evidence takes us.” Upon saying that, a wave of doubt rolled over her.Could Spencer have done this?
The front door was flung open before they reached it, and Spencer was standing there. “Is she…?”
Amanda stiffened. “It’s best we talk inside.”
“Ah, sure.” Spencer retreated into the house.
“You remember Trent?” she said as they followed. They had met during another investigation, where Spencer’s crew had been called to fight a fire in the woods and stumbled on a shallow grave.
“Yeah.” Spencer closed the door behind them.
The three of them sat in the living room, and the silence swelled for several seconds.
“Please, guys, just tell me what’s going on. Did you find her?”
She forced herself to meet her half-brother’s eyes, fearing she’d get sucked in by a strong emotional response. Her weakness was feeling too much for what others were going through. “We found her Lexus, purse, and phone at a client’s house in Woodbridge, in the Agee subdivision.”
Spencer inched forward on the couch cushion. “She had a listing there. On Charmed Court.”
Amanda nodded. “That’s where all her things were.”
“And Christine?” Spencer swallowed, his Adam’s apple kicking out.
Trent glanced at Amanda, and she nodded for him to put it into words.
“A body was also found at the house,” Trent said. “It seems likely it’s Christine, though we can’t confirm this yet.”
“How can you not know if it’s her?” Spencer’s forehead scrunched up while pain and confusion clouded his eyes.
Amanda licked her lips, trying to summon her voice. She couldn’t tell him about the tarp without crossing a line. “We can’t disclose that, Spencer.”
He blanked over and tears fell.
An ache burrowed in Amanda’s chest. “I’m sorry we can’t say any more.”
“You’re sorry?” Spencer shot to his feet and paced the living room. He stopped a few moments later, facing her. “When will you know… if it’s her?”
