“I’m sorry I put you in harm’s way, Easton. Clearly, Lyle Barnham wasn’t properly vetted. How are you doing?”
“I’m good, thanks to Stryker,” Emerson replied.
“Your heroic act will be acknowledged by the department,” Tiana said to Stryker.
“I’m no hero,” Stryker replied. “But I know two people who are.”
24
Lyle’s Family
At four in the morning, Emerson rang the doorbell of the Barnham estate. With search warrants in hand, Nikki stood beside her, while the uniformed officers waited in their cars. Telling someone they’d lost a loved one was one of the hardest parts of Emerson’s job.
If that wasn’t bad enough, she had to tell Carla and Tee that their only child had been a serial murderer.
After a few minutes, Nikki banged on the front door. “Arlington County Police!”
A sleepy-looking woman in a bathrobe answered the door. “What’s going on?”
“Are you Carla Barnham?” Nikki asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m Detective Cardoso. This is Detective Easton. We’d like to come in and speak with you about your son, Lyle.”
“Ah, hell, what’s he done?” Carla swung open the door and escorted them into the living room, but she didn’t sit.
“Do you live alone, ma’am?” Nikki asked.
“I live here with my husband. He’s on business in Florida, flying home this afternoon. Do I need to bail our kid out of jail or something?”
“I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but your son is dead,” Nikki said.
“Lyle?” Carla asked. “No, he’s in the guest house, where he spends most of his time. Lazy bum.”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Barnham, but he’s not there,” Emerson said. “We can check with you, if you’d like?”
Carla fished a pack of cigarettes out of the bathrobe pocket, along with a lighter. “How’d he die?”
Emerson and Nikki exchanged glances. Carla’s lack of emotion astounded her.
“I had identified Lyle as a person of interest in a string of murders in the DMV,” Emerson began. “You might have seen something about them on the news or social media.”
“You mean the Wedding Gown Killer?” Carla asked.
“Yes,” Nikki replied.
“Are you telling memykid killed those women?” She lit the cigarette and inhaled a long drag.
“We believe he did,” Emerson replied. “When I asked him to meet me at the station, he broke into my home and tried to kill me. He was stopped just before he did.”
Carla stared at her while the smoke swirled in her face. “Do I need to ID his body, now?”
What a cold-hearted bitch.“No,” Emerson replied.
Carla took a few steps toward the front door. “I’ll let my husband know when he gets home. Where’s his body?”
“With the medical examiner. We can release him after the investigation has been completed.” Nikki held up the warrants. “We need to search your homes for evidence.”
