He shrugged. “I knew you’d come looking, and I also knew you had access to most of this from your office, although that’d get you in trouble. So I saved us both a ton of time and dancing around and just compiled it.”
My chest warmed, and hope burst through my chest. “You don’t think Tessa killed Danny.” Oh, I knew she hadn’t done it, but relief lightened weights I hadn’t realized hung heavy on my shoulders.
“I’m not ready to say that,” Pierce said, his eyes beyond green in the small office. “My instincts are usually on track, and I don’t think she did it, but I’ve been wrong before. I haven’t cleared her or Devlin. It doesn’t make sense that he’d drop the gun for her to take, but maybe he’d been ready to leave when she came in the door. So you need to continue to keep your distance from him until we arrest somebody.”
At that second, I knew that not every bit of evidence was in my pretty pink file folder. I couldn’t blame Pierce for that, though. He’d been more than generous. “This is nice of you.”
“Yeah, it is. Remember that in the future,” he muttered. “Besides, at some point, we have to turn over everything to your sister’s attorney, and you’d have access anyway.” He cleared his throat. “The only prints on the gun were Tessa’s, but the lab pulled a different set off the bullets. It doesn’t come back to anybody in the system, including Devlin.”
Okay. That was good. Very good. Not great, because anybody could’ve touched the bullet, but it was something.
I rifled through the papers and found Kelsey Walker’s information and address on the bottom sheet. Excellent. “Thanks for the address on Kelsey. I want to talk to her.”
“We’ve cleared her for the murder. She was at the concert down in the park with about a hundred witnesses,” Pierce said. “Feel free to talk to her, but go gentle because Pucci really did a number on her. I don’t think she would’ve held firm with the battery charges against him.”
I always went gentle. “This is the pinkest file folder I’ve ever seen.”
He chuckled. “I found it in the supply closet, and it reminded me of you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Anything interesting in here besides Kelsey’s alibi information?”
“Yeah. Pucci has quite the sheet with all sorts of crimes for your reading enjoyment. In addition, his phone records show that he was in contact with Tessa as well as Aiden Devlin. A lot of contact.” Pierce finished his latte and tossed the paper cup into the garbage, which was across the room.
“Three points for you,” I murmured. Wait a minute. Pierce looked like a weathered good ole boy surfer from California sometimes, but there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he’d reached the level of detective because of sharp intellect and well-honed strategic abilities. What was missing from the file? “If you’re trying to get to Aiden or the Lordes, I’m not the way to go,” I said, looking up to meet his gaze directly.
“I have no doubt if it comes down between your sister and Devlin that you’ll save Tessa.” His chin lowered, and he looked every inch the cop. “Please listen to me for once. The last place in this world you want to be is between me and Devlin, Anna. Even if he didn’t take out Pucci, he’s involved in the entire situation, and none of it is pretty. This time, he’s going down. Stay out of the line of fire.”
Chapter 13
Kelsey Walker lived in one of the stylish brick apartment buildings in the older part of Timber City. Trees were mature, sidewalks were cracked, and the lawns were cute and small. I stood on her weathered gray porch and knocked on the charming round-topped door.
Shuffling sounded inside, and then the door opened.
Whoa. I stepped back. “Hi, Kelsey. I’m Anna Albertini from the prosecuting attorney’s office, and I’d love to ask you some questions, if that’s okay with you.”
She studied me for a moment. Kelsey looked to be in her early twenties with green eyes and dirty blonde hair back in a ponytail. She looked a little bit like Tessa, except for a monstrous black eye that extended down her cheek in odd purple and yellow striations.
“Come in,” she said.
I followed her inside and shut the door behind me. “Thanks.” Now that I was there and she’d let me in, I wasn’t sure exactly how to proceed.
She gestured toward the sitting area that held a soft yellow sofa and chair set in front of an older fireplace with a painted white mantle. “Have a seat.”
I took the chair and she took the sofa, putting one leg beneath her. Today she wore blue shorts and a white tank top that showed bruises down both arms and around her wrists. Another set of bruises stood out on her pale neck, showing where Pucci had apparently tried to strangle her. “Are you sure you’re up to this?” I asked, my heart aching for her.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m fine. Just a little sore with nothing broken. At the very least, I’m still alive.” Spirit glowed in her eyes.
Even so, I couldn’t take advantage of her. “You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want. I’m here more in a personal capacity, although I am a prosecuting attorney.”
She set a light blue sofa pillow on her lap. “I didn’t kill Danny.”
“I know. The police have cleared you.” The buzzing of a lawnmower filled the quiet afternoon outside. “Who do you think killed Danny?”
She shrugged and then winced as obviously something ached. “Heck if I know. He wasn’t the nicest guy.” She looked up, and the bruise on her cheekbone made me want to punch Danny in the face. Too bad he was dead. “You’re Tessa’s sister, right?”
I nodded.
“You’re the youngest Albertini?”
