“In his car,” Will supplied, finally seeing what Reyes was driving at.
“So,” Reyes went on, “I want that car.”
Will leaned back and crossed his hands over his belly. “Good luck getting it. He’s not cooperating anymore.”
“What do you mean?” Reyes asked. “He seemed real interested in what we had to say the last time we were there.”
“Yeah, well, maybe he lawyered up. I don’t know. We’ve askedseveral times for him to come down for more questioning and he’s refused. Up to this point, everything has been voluntary. He doesn’t even know he’s a suspect or that we saw that footage. So, as far as he can tell, he’s not obligated to do a thing more,” Will explained calmly.
“Dammit.” Reyes pounded the desk. “I thought we were careful not to tip him off, because we wanted his cooperation. The second he clams up, this case gets a thousand times harder to prove.”
Will shrugged. “He’s smart. And guilty. It’s a tricky combination.”
Reyes gripped the edge of his partner’s desk and leaned into it, thinking.
“Look,” Will said, “if he’s already suspicious, then what difference does it make? You’re not going to get anything else out of him without a warrant, certainly not his car. So, let’s impound it.”
“Do we have enough to do that?” Reyes asked.
Will held up the phone he brought from the post office. “This is probable cause, Emil. That video is probable cause. The labs on the berries in the yard and the ones from the bridge. We have enough to take his car. If we find something in it, then we go for an indictment, a warrant on the house and office, seize his computers and anything else we think might button this up.”
Reyes blew out a long breath. “Once we take his car… that’s a point of no return with this guy.”
Will pursed his lips. “I think we’re already there. Might as well cuff him and stuff him in the process.”
Reyes pinched his lips together and nodded. “Let’s do it.”
THEY WERE AThis office parking lot the next day. It had rained that morning, but the sun was a mellow presence now, lighting the city up in soft beams. Reyes was glad the sun was out. He didn’t want anyone in Henry’s office to miss this. This small show of force, the ability to catch a man like Henry Davenport off his guard, to embarrass himpublicly—it was personal for Reyes. He saw himselfsticking it to the tall man every time he took one of these bastards down. And it felt good.
He shook the tow-truck driver’s hand as the man lowered the wheel-lift to secure the sleek, black Jaguar. The nice thing to do would be to go inside and inform Mr. Davenport what was happening. But Reyes wasn’t interested in being nice to men like Henry Davenport.
“You sure about this?” Will asked, turning to him.
Reyes smiled. “He’s gonna know one way or another. Might as well inform everyone else in the process. Let them know they’re employing someone who commits uxoricide.”
Will’s face scrunched up. “Commits what now?”
“A scumbag wife-killer,” Reyes explained, and his partner nodded.
Reyes tapped the tow truck guy on the shoulder. “No need for a gentle touch with this one,” he told him. “And be loud.”
The guy grinned and gave him a single head nod. Walking over to his cab, he switched on the sirens.
Will laughed and did the same from their patrol car. Before they knew it, people were lining up at the glass walls of the building, staring out at the spectacle in the parking lot.
By the time the Jaguar was loaded and secured, Henry Davenport was storming across the concrete toward them, his face a red mask of fury, fingers clenched into fists at his sides.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” he spat. “This is my place of business.”
“We’re impounding your car,” Reyes told him, stepping up to the engineer’s tall frame. He enjoyed watching the man’s face slip into a pall of bewilderment.
“Why? What right have you to do that?” he asked, still furious.
“Oh,” Will said, stepping between them. “Maybe you didn’t notice. You see, we’re the law. We haveeveryright.”
Henry took a step toward Will and Reyes interceded. “Refusing to comply with a police officer is a misdemeanor. We can Mirandize you right now, if you like. In front of all these fine people watching at the windows.”
Stomping his foot, Henry spun around and ran his fingers through his pale hair, visibly at the edge of his self-control. When he turned back, he had somewhat composed himself, cheek color moving from beet to tomato. “First, you do nothing to locate my wife. Then you harass me in my home with your inane questions and needless searches. And now this.” His eyes darted to his car being raised on the wheel-lift. “I’m calling my attorney. You will both deeply regret this day,” he growled.
