I’m sorry. I should have been there for you.
A great detective, a near perfect closing record. Moving up the ranks at a rapid clip. Some kind of man he was. Couldn’t even protect his own family.
I’m sorry.
Darnell moved his index finger from the guard to the trigger.
His weapon was a Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol. Seventeen rounds in the magazine, one in the chamber. Darnell would only need the one. 5.3 lbf of pressure and it would all be over.
Darnell figured he was at just shy of 5 lbf—all this math had gone to his head—when he heard a knock on his front door.?
?Chapter 69
“She’s not here.”
“Where did she go?” Vaughn asked the portly man named John—just John. Had an effeminate air about him, but also gave Vaughn the impression that he wasn’t a pushover.
“Dr.Reeves wandered off again. Ms. Kachinski went to look for him, I presume.”
“He’s gone?”
“Yes. Second time this week. Management—”
Vaughn had heard all this before.
“When?”
“I don’t know. An hour ago? Two?”
“Mind if I see his room?”
John’s thick shoulders lifted. Fell.
“Won’t be his room for long.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Management’s fed up. Insurance isn’t going to cover him anymore—too many field trips, if you know what I mean.”
Odd choice of words: “field trip.” Delaney had come across Dr.Reeves in a field by the second murder scene.
This wasn’t good.
“Can I see his room?” Vaughn asked again.
“Sure.”
Vaughn knew the way. John unlocked the door.
“Suit yourself,” he said, holding it open for him.
Vaughn looked around. It was identical to the last time he’d been here. The small chess board, this time the sole piece, the rook, lying on its side.
Nothing of interest.
Vaughn was desperate to find a link between Zeke and Gene Reeves. And there had to be one. Except... there wasn’t.
Other than the chess board, the room was devoid of personal items. Made sense for a man in Gene Reeves’s state. It did seem a little odd that Ivy wouldn’t have put up something representative of the man her father used to be. One of his degrees, a photo of Gene receiving what was likely one of many prestigious awards.
