A woman was yelling in the background, “Let me in my house!”
“Tell Dominique Sharp that Detective Stenson and I will be there in a matter of minutes.”
At the mention of Dominique, it felt like Trent pressed the gas harder.
“Will do,” Traci said and hung up.
Before the line cut out, Dominique was still ranting.
“Brace yourself,” Amanda said. “Dominique sounds like a handful.”
It was only a few more minutes before Trent was pulling up to the cordon line on Charmed Court. A crowd had formed while Amanda and Trent had been gone, and people were lined up against the tape. It didn’t matter how advanced society became, at the core people were nosy and predictable. Somehow witnessing other people’s suffering made many feel better about their own lives.
A red Cadillac Vistiq was parked at a haphazard angle with its nose almost touching the tape. People were gathered all around the vehicle.
Arms were flailing in front of the hood, and Amanda could guess who they belonged to from here. She got out of the car and walked with Trent through the crowd, their badges held up to part the sea of people.
“Excuse me.” She almost tripped over the foot of a woman who was slow to move out of the way. “Step aside, ma’am. Thank you.”
They reached Officer Cochran, and she and Officer Brandt were struggling to hold a woman back. The crepe suit she wore flowed over her body, a tailored fit. Expensive. The clothing and her protective stance next to the luxury vehicle confirmed her identity.
“If you don’t stay put, I’ll have no choice but to arrest you, ma’am,” Brandt threatened the woman.
“Dominique Sharp?” Amanda cut in.
The woman turned around, seeking the person who had called her name, her eyes scanning the crowds. Amanda nudged closer to her.
Traci Cochran saw Amanda then and relief flooded her expression. “That’s Detective Steele, and her partner, Detective Stenson, that I told you about.”
“You might recognize my name,” Trent said. “I left you a couple of messages.”
“Yes, I remember. What is going on here? This is my house, and they won’t let me inside, let alone past this line.” She shot an evil look at a woman who came within two feet of the Caddy.
“It’s all right now, ma’am. You can come with us.” Amanda lifted the tape, and Dominique bent under it.
“Finally. Someone’s going to give me answers.” Dominique looked over her shoulder. “My Cadillac, though? I’d rather put it in my garage than leave it out there on the street.”
“That’s not an option right now. It will be fine where it is.” Amanda butted her head at Traci Cochran, who nodded.
“It better be, or I’ll be suing the Prince William County PD. I’m a lawyer.” She plucked a silver case from her pocket, pulled a business card from it, and extended it to Amanda between two long, slender fingers. Her nails were long and pointed, manicured and polished in a hot red.
Amanda extracted the card, careful not to get cut by Dominique’s talons. The embossed logo readSharp & Associates. She held the card so that Trent could see it.
“It’s my company, and I didn’t get to where I am by letting people tell me what I should and shouldn’t do. And that includes cops.”
“Well, as you might have gleaned, there’s a situation inside your house.” Out of mercy, Amanda didn’t declare the woman’s home a crime scene in so many words.
“Okay,” she dragged out. “What is Christine doing here?”
Amanda passed Trent a side-glance. This woman was a piece of work, but despite that, there was no easy way to tell her that someone was killed in her home. “Let’s just walk up to the house.” Amanda suggested this to get farther away from the crowds. A quick look over her shoulder, and she saw the PWC Newsvancoming down the street. No doubt it had Amanda’sfavoritereporter, Diana Wesson, inside, arriving to break the story. Hopefully, by the time she and Trent left, Wesson would be gone.
Once they got closer to the house, Dominique pushed out a breath. “All right. I’ve been patient. Tell me what’s going on.”
“Detective Stenson and I came here after Christine’s loved ones were concerned about her welfare. Since her vehicle was in the driveway, we tried ringing the doorbell. When that failed, we went around back and found the sliding patio door open.”
Dominique crossed her arms. “There’s no reason that should have been open.”
“Which is what we thought, so we exercised our right in such a situation to enter your home. Before I say more, we may want to go around the back, so you can have a seat.” Amanda was showing concern for Dominique’s feelings.
