Page 32 of Night Prey
“Of course.” If Londyn was put off by seeing their suspect in the detective’s bullpen, her impartial mask didn’t reflect it, but she had to be wondering why he’d brought her there instead of just having Londyn email the photos to him.
Londyn picked up a stack of files from the chair by her desk. “Have a seat.”
Malone dropped gracefully onto the chair. Her designer clothing and boots made her stand out in the department, even sitting next to Londyn, who dressed fashionably and was more put-together than most of the detectives, who often looked rumpled after long hours of work.
Ian focused on Londyn. “I hoped you’d have photos from your interviews for Malone to look at. Assuming that you were able to do some interviews.”
Londyn leaned back in her chair and took a long swig from a can of diet cola. “I went through the first half of the list and got right over to the hotel before people checked out. Everyone agreed to let me take their photos, and I have a few guys who could fit the build. None of them admitted to knowing Junior, though.”
“You think they were blowing smoke?” he asked.
“The truth. Unfortunately.” She ran her hand over her hair that needed no smoothing. “I’m just about done reviewing the second half of the list from the hotel manager, and I’ll be heading back to the hotel in a few minutes. But I can make time to show the pics.”
“Thank you,” Malone said.
“Don’t thank me. If you identify the guy in my photos, my next interviews aren’t as urgent.” Londyn chuckled, then looked at Ian. “But seriously, if I didn’t have to go back to the hotel, it would give me more time to lean on Junior’s phone company. They’re taking their sweet time in getting the files to me.”
“Not unusual,” Ian said. “But frustrating.”
Londyn mimicked pulling her hair out and chuckled. “I did talk to Junior’s doctor. He knew about Junior’s cancer and had referred him to a specialist, but he had no records from the specialist saying Junior had gone to see him.”
“So the cancer might’ve been a factor in what he planned to tell Malone.” Ian pondered the news. “And his mother,” he added, remembering the notation on Junior’s copy of the reunion flier.
Malone looked up at him. “You plan to tell his parents about the cancer?”
Ian shrugged. “It might make them feel better, knowing he was spared the suffering of death from cancer. And perhaps knowing they were going to lose him anyway might help with the grief.”
“I think it would,” Malone said. “Now that I know my parents’ accident wasn’t one, it helps to know the crash wasn’t my dad’s fault.”
“Maybe Iwilltell them then.” Ian stared over Londyn’s head and thought about when he’d met with Junior’s parents. Ian still wasn’t sure what he would do, but he would take Malone’s comment into consideration.
“How did the visit to Peck’s place go?” Londyn leaned back. “Did he know if the car was tampered with?”
“He didn’t, but he still has the car in the same condition.” Ian explained what they’d learned.
Londyn’s eyes widened. “Seriously. Wow. Who’d have thought that car would still be around.”
“It was a lucky break. I’m going to talk to the LT and open an investigation. It’s a long shot that there’ll be DNA or prints on the vehicle after all these years. Having an expert work the scene might be essential to recovering it. So I’ll ask his permission to use the Veritas DNA expert to handle the car. I’d appreciate your support on this.”
“Of course.” Londyn looked at Malone. “Any thoughts on why your parents were murdered?”
“None.”
“The Veritas team is doing a deep dive on their background,” Ian said. “Hopefully it will produce a strong lead.”
Londyn pinned her focus on Malone. “You and your brother must be unsettled by the news.”
“Yeah.” Malone clutched her hands tightly in her lap.
Ian ignored the continuing need to comfort her and stood. “Okay if I leave you here to look at the pictures?”
“Not a problem.”
“I’ll come back after I meet with the LT and finish opening the new investigation.” He crossed the room to Hoffman’s office and knocked on the open door.
“Good, take a seat,” Hoffman said. “I was hoping for an update on the reunion murder.”
Ian sat in a side chair and brought his supervisor up to speed. He followed by explaining about how Malone’s parents died and that this could be why Junior was killed. He ended with a request to let Veritas handle the DNA. “They’ll eat the costs.”
