"That's very possible," Andy agreed with a nod.
"Nothing else missing from the house?"
"No signs of burglary that we can see. And his wallet was still in his pocket, with cash inside," the forensic tech confirmed.
May was getting a picture of how this must have played out. It wasn't a random attack, that she could see. This had most definitely been planned. Someone had known Ed was coming home and had waited for him. Someone had planned this, with the intent of killing Ed. It hadn't been a burglary gone wrong.
May glanced at Owen, seeing that he was thinking the same. There was a very high level of premeditation in this attack. She sensed that this was a crime of extreme hate.
“Do you know how this person got in?” she asked.
The forensic tech shook his head. “We’re still busy examining all the possible entrance points, and we hope we get more information soon.”
That meant, now, it was time to talk to Molly and see if they could get any closer to who it might have been. The wife might have important information, but May wasn't looking forward to speaking to Molly. Not at all.
This was going to be a potentially devastating interview, and she’d need all her strength and self control to get through it.
CHAPTER FOUR
Next door was a mirror image of the house they'd just been in, but before she even reached the front door, May could hear the sobs coming from the front room. Her stomach twisted, and she glanced uneasily at Owen.
This was going to be soul destroying. If May was being honest with herself, she was dreading it.
But, to her astonishment, she didn't see the same dread in his eyes. In fact, Owen looked surprisingly stern. He had the expression that May knew well. It was the “nobody is above the law” look.
For a moment, May felt a flare of anger. How could Owen come across as hardcore at such a time when speaking to Sheriff Jack's own daughter?
Owen didn't look as if they were approaching a bereaved family member, but rather as if she was a suspect. Resisting the urge to snap at him, May wondered if this was just his way of coping with this sensitive situation. Perhaps he was shutting out all emotion, she thought, raising her hand to knock at the door.
It was answered by a concerned-looking woman, in her forties, with a kindly face and frizzy, blonde hair. She was wearing a blue sweater that looked homemade. This must be the neighbor, May guessed. Her eyebrows raised when she saw them.
"Deputies Moore and Lovell," May introduced herself and Owen. "Can we ask Molly a few questions?"
"She's still devastated by this. We’ve told her she can stay here overnight, or for as many days as she likes. I want her to feel safe and cared for,” the neighbor explained. “But yes, please, come in.” She led the way into a small, cozy living room which May noted also had a view of the lake.
Molly was sitting on the sofa, looking drained. Her dark hair was tangled, her eyes swollen, her skin blotchy. In spite of that, she was an attractive woman, with striking features and a slim, athletic build. However, she looked so desolate, so miserable, and so grief stricken that May felt her heart melt.
Molly looked up at them, her expression a mixture of stress and anxiety. May could see the resemblance to Sheriff Jack in her strong bone structure and the pale blue color of her eyes. She guessed Molly must be in her late twenties. Sheriff Jack was in his mid fifties. And Molly was his only child.
"Have you found the . . . the monster who did this?" Molly asked in a hoarse voice.
May noted she was wearing jeans and a smart blouse. She'd obviously traveled home in this outfit from her work function and hadn't yet changed her clothes. But where had she been? she wondered, as she and Owen sat opposite her.
After hovering at the door, the neighbor left, leaving the three of them alone.
"We don’t have any leads yet," May said. "But we're working on it."
"Ed shouldn't have been killed like that," Molly said, shaking her head and twisting her hands together. "He didn't deserve to die like he did, in such a brutal way."
"We know you're devastated by this," she said. "But we're going to need to ask you questions. Do you think you can cope with that right now?”
"Sure." Molly took a shaky breath. “I’ll try.”
"When was the last time you saw your husband?"
"Well, I left for the work event yesterday morning," Molly said.
"And did you speak to Ed before you left?"
