He glanced toward the back door.
“They couldn’t come in that way while she’s here,” he noted. “She would’ve seen them.”
Which meant they would’ve either had to be in the house already or they came in the front door while JJ was in here. And forthatto happen, Dante would’ve had to let them in. Reese didn’t really see that one playing out. Probably had something to do with the severed finger.
Reese took a step back, stared down at the floor, imagined JJ crumpled on the tile after being knocked out cold. What had they hit her with? Something heavy? Something hard?
He glanced around the countertops. The only thing he noticed that seemed off was a single slot in the knife block was empty, meaning whoever it was likely did use the knife from JJ’s kitchen. Was that opportunity? Or part of the plan?
Turning his attention back to the floor, Reese saw a couple of scuff marks. He snapped a picture.
“They dragged her out of here,” he mumbled, imagining the scene as it played out, JJ being dragged, her shoes leaving the marks.
From the other room, he heard Trey’s voice. When Brantley responded to him, he kept his focus, figuring they could start gathering samples.
Clicking on his phone’s video camera, Reese backed out of the room as he let the scene play out in his head. JJ said she woke up in her bed, which meant whoever knocked her out would’ve had to take her there. Where was Dante during all of this? Had they knocked him out, too? If so, they would’ve had to do it quickly, otherwise JJ would’ve been alerted to their presence.
He continued to walk, through the dining room, down the little hallway, and into the bedroom. JJ was relatively small, so it wouldn’t have taken much to drag her, but the same couldn’t be said about lifting her up onto the bed. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been terribly difficult if she was conscious and willing, offering a little assistance. But she wouldn’t have been. She would’ve been deadweight, which would’ve made it more difficult. Whoever lifted her would’ve needed to be strong. Or they would’ve needed help.
Was there more than one? Someone to overpower Dante? Then JJ? But why wouldn’t JJ hear something if someone came in? Surely Dante would’ve shouted.
Reese looked at the bed, the rumpled blankets, the knife that was conveniently sitting there. When he moved, the light caught on something, and he leaned in, noticed it was JJ’s cell phone. With gloved hands, he picked it up. Taking another evidence bag, he sealed it inside, tucked it in his pocket. He doubted it would give him any information, but he wasn’t willing to take any chances. There could be fingerprints.
There was only one nightstand, and it was on the far side of the room, which meant JJ slept on the other side. However, the blood was not over there. Oddly, it was in a body-shaped design, as though it had been placed there after JJ was on the bed. What would be the reason for that?
Without moving or touching anything, he gave the room a cursory scan. The bed was unmade, but other than that, not much was out of place, with the exception of the closet door standing open.
He peeked inside, saw clothes had been moved aside and a small wall safe was standing open.
“Where does JJ keep her weapon?” he called out to Brantley, who was in the living room.
“Her safe’s in her closet,” Brantley shouted back.
Yes, it definitely was.
The biometric safe, which was just big enough to hold her gun and a couple boxes of ammunition, was open and empty. Meaning what? JJ had gotten her gun out? Why? Had she needed it? Or had she simply not locked it up and someone else took it?
He searched the room for the weapon but was distracted by the sound of an engine outside the window. He slipped his finger between the slats in the blinds, peered out.
“Did you call Travis?” he hollered.
“No. Why?”
“Because he’s here.”
“What the fuck?”
Not wanting Travis to walk in on the horror show, Reese made a beeline for the front door, Brantley and Trey beating him to it. They managed to cut Travis off at the pass, making it halfway across the yard as Travis approached.
“Well, I guess it’s a party,” Travis said in greeting, glancing between them. “Why’re you here?”
Trey greeted Travis with a wave as he headed to his car.
“Where’s he off to?” Travis asked, eyes tracking Trey.
“Get a kit from the car,” Brantley said. “Why’reyouhere?”
Travis’s confusion was apparent. “I got a text from JJ. Said she had some information I might be interested in.”
