A suspect’s attorney needed to be present for in-person lineups to prevent bias or improper procedures by the officer in charge.
“Seems likely. Let’s plan to do it first thing tomorrow. After all that’s happened today, Malone could use a break.”
“You’ve got a thing for her.” Londyn cast an appraising look at him, one that he’d seen in the interview room.
He honestly felt like a suspect who was guilty of some crime, but his only crime was caring about one of his witnesses. “I’m not saying I do, but if I did? What then?”
The depth of convictions that Londyn was known for in the department rang loud and clear in her expression. “Then I’d have to keep a better watch on you to make sure you don’t do or say something you might regret.”
He’d wondered if she’d report him or support him, and now he knew what Londyn Steele was made of. He’d be glad to work with her again. “Thanks for having my back.”
“Anytime.” She smiled. “I’ve got the last of my interview photos ready to send to you. I’ll do that now.”
Ian thought about the interviews and how they fit in the investigation at this point. “Since Snipes wasn’t in our class, you wouldn’t have interviewed him at the hotel.”
“Correct.”
“We’ve got a lot on Snipes but not irrefutable proof that he’s our guy. Was there anyone you talked to who you like for the murder?”
“There are people who I haven’t talked to yet, but there was no one in the list of men I interviewed.” Londyn’s phone dinged, and she dug it from her jacket pocket. “Well lookie here. Junior’s phone records.”
“That’s good news.” Ian worked hard to let it erase his disappointment with Snipes clamming up.
“You want me to work on these records or interview the final male guests?”
“Phone records.” They seemed more likely to lead them to a direct connection between Snipes and Junior.
“I’ll get started.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “And if you want, I’ll request Snipes’s records too.”
“Excellent.” Her enthusiasm was contagious, lifting his spirits. “Let me know what you find.”
“Of course.” She dropped into her chair.
He crossed the room to his desk and took a seat to call forensics. First, he got the criminalist on the phone who’d handled Snipes’s clothing.
“Like you thought, we found GSR on the shirt, pants, and boots,” the criminalist said.
“Any touch DNA?” Ian asked.
“We have samples, and I’ll personally deliver them to the state lab today.”
Ian hated that they didn’t do DNA in-house, but the state lab was the only agency that ran DNA for law enforcement in the area. Thankfully, they had multiple locations including one on the east side of the Portland metro area.
“Let me know once you drop it off, and I’ll try to get it bumped up the priority list.”
“That would be great.”
Ian didn’t know if he would be able to cut the DNA processing line that always existed, but murder trumped most everything, so he was hopeful. “What about the boots? Find anything there.”
“A trace of mulch.”
Ian explained that Sierra had found a boot print and cedar mulch at the hotel.
The criminalist didn’t speak for some time, and when he did, his tone, had deepened and turned terse. “Have her call me.”
He obviously didn’t like that Ian was using Veritas, but too bad. “Anything else I should know about?”
“We located several weapons and ammo. Not the murder weapon, of course, as you already have that, but the lab will run them to see if they connect to any unsolved murders.”
