So much for her fame. “Yes. Could I ask you a few questions?”
“Not now. I’m not gettin’ great reception. We’re on the road. Coming to Savannah to tie up the loose ends and all. The police said they’d be done searching Billy’s place today, if you can believe that. Dear Lord, if you ask me, it would take years to search that place proper, but what do I know? They also want me to ID his body. I guess I can do that. Not lookin’ forward to it, I can tell you that much.” She sounded resigned and irritated that her life in Florida had been interrupted, even though her father had just died and been the victim of a vicious homicide. She sighed and turned away from the phone and said, “Light me up one, will ya, hon?” A moment, then she was back again. “Looks like I’ve got a shitload of junk and a damned dog to deal with. God knows if he still has goats or whatever up there. Hell, what a mess. Look, if you want to talk to me, maybe meet me there—at his farm—in the morning?”
Again, Nikki heard a male voice say something to Janelle. “Yeah, I said, I know,” she responded, then into the phone once more, “We’ll be there by ten.”
“About the dog—” Nikki started, but Janelle had already cut the connection.
“You find anything of interest at the Huber place?” Jamison Kittle asked as he slipped into Reed’s office and pulled the door shut behind him, effectively cutting off the sounds of voices, ringing phones, footsteps, and the general din from the hallway.
“We found lots of stuff,” Reed said. “All of it junk. You’ve been out there?”
Reed had been at his desk for a couple of hours after returning from Pooler. He’d grabbed a quick lunch, a basket of fried chicken and biscuits from a vendor on the street, when he got back to the city, and had had enough time to catch up with his partner and read through the statements from people the police had interviewed, all of which had confirmed what Augustin had told him over the phone.
“Yeah, finally made it out to Huber’s farm last night. I guess I just missed you.” Jamison leaned against the doorframe. “Naomi was pissed that I left the house. Even a murder wasn’t a good enough excuse to leave Lara’s sweet-sixteen party.”
“You only turn sixteen once.”
“And you only get murdered once,” Jamison shot back, with a smile. “And as for the teen years? The teen years. We’re all lucky to have survived.” He nodded at Reed, who nodded back in complete understanding. They’d known each other since college, long before Jamison had served in the army, moved back to the area, and swept Naomi off her feet, causing her to break her engagement to a local guy and marry Jamison Kittle instead.
Reed smiled at the memory. He’d been best man at Jamison’s wedding, usurping the role usually assigned to a brother. Jamison had four younger brothers whom he’d named as groomsmen. Rather than choose one of his siblings, he’d opted instead for his best friend.
Now he said, “So bring me up to speed. You’re convinced we’re dealing with a homicide?”
“Don’t you think so?”
“You’re the investigator. I’m just the ADA.”
“Just,” Reed said with a small laugh. Jamison had moved up the ranks quickly. With DA Katherine Okano permanently retiring after being on the job twice, there had been opportunities available in the district attorney’s office, and Jamison had taken advantage of them. It didn’t hurt that his father, Harrison Kittle, had paved the way. Harrison senior had once worked in the very office Jamison now occupied and, after being elected DA, had eventually become a federal judge.
Jamison seemed to be on the fast track, following in his father’s footsteps.
“So how about we get a cup of coffee, or sweet tea, or whatever, and you fill me in?” Jamison suggested. “I’ve been cooped up all day. Missed lunch.”
Reed grabbed his jacket before following Jamison outside and across the street to a local coffee shop, where Jamison ordered a sweet tea and a shrimp po’boy with a side of fried green tomatoes and Reed settled for a regular coffee.
“As I said, I missed lunch,” Jamison explained as they sat at a shaded table in the back of the bistro. Birds hopped from the branches of the trees overhead or picked at crumbs that had fallen to the brick patio. A small waterfall gurgled in one corner, and potted plants were strategically placed to give the illusion of privacy, though the area was nearly deserted. As soft jazz played from hidden speakers, a woman in her twenties sat in the corner, earbuds visible in her ears, her concentration on her open laptop as she sipped coffee. Another couple was picking at pastries while paying attention to no one but each other.
A waitress brought their order, and Jamison tucked his tie into his shirt before digging in. As he ate, Reed brought him up to speed on the investigation, including what they’d discovered at the scene, their focus on Billy Huber’s ever-growing list of enemies, and the circumstances of how he’d died. “I’ll be getting a preliminary autopsy report today, possibly tomorrow morning, but Ito was convinced someone killed Billy Huber, probably someone with a serious grudge. As it turns out, we could have more suspects than usual. Estranged family members, neighbors who didn’t get along, acquaintances who didn’t like him.” Reed sipped from his cup and watched as the woman in the corner closed her laptop and tucked it into a case. “You know, a lot of times we hear what a nice guy the murder victim was, how they didn’t have an enemy in the world. This time, it’s just the opposite. Billy Huber didn’t seem to get along with anyone.”
“That right?”
“So far, no one has a kind word to say about the guy.”
“Anyone at the top of the list?”
“Not yet.” He shook his head and leaned back in his chair. “We’re trying to weed out anyone who could possibly have been in the area.But the time of death is uncertain, his body having started to decompose and with the storm and all. The lab is still working on it, testing the condition of his stomach contents and his eyes. It’ll take a while for the blood work.”
Jamison finished his sandwich, wadding the checkered paper and tossing it into the trash. “Anything else interesting?”
“Nothing certain, but there is one thing that bothers me.”
“Only one?” Jamison asked, smiling.
“There is an oddity.”
“What kind of oddity?”
“Probably nothing, but there was a stone that seemed to be wedged under the body. One of the deputies noticed it.”
