Page 30 of Lost Hours
“Likely a handgun,” Mina said. “The most common would be a 9mm.”
“The Veritas expert will be able to tell us for sure.”
Mina moved ahead. He followed again. At the gate and fence securing the backyard, she used her sleeve to undo the latch. Large hanging lanterns fully lit a backyard that opened into a wide expanse overlooking the cove from up high. A glass-and-metal fence illuminated by more accent lights secured the rear of the property but didn’t obstruct the view. A wide stone patio held casual furniture, and a large deck contained a massive teak dining table and chairs.
Nolan fought back a shiver. If Becca was living, they would change her whole world by telling her of her murdered father. No longer would she come back to this amazing backyard the same person she was before her father died. Everything was going to change for her, and he hated that. He hadn’t lost family members, but after losing his buddy, he knew the agony of loss. That was bad enough, he couldn’t imagine losing a father. He wasn’t close to his father, but by all accounts, her dad meant a lot to her.
Mina ran her weaponed hand and flashlight over the shadowed perimeter and lowered them. “I’m glad there’s no immediate threat, but it would’ve been nice if we’d found the shooter tonight.”
“That would be too easy.”
She glanced over her shoulder. “Additional backup should be here any minute, and they can secure the scene for evidence collection. Then we need to get over to the mayor’s house to see if Becca’s there or if we have a second crime scene.”
He nodded. “I’ll call Veritas on the drive, but mind if I take a closer look inside while we wait?”
“I’ll grab some booties and gloves from my car.” She bolted back toward the sidewalk, and he followed. He took a moment at the window to look in. Why, he didn’t know because they both had come to an agreement of what had happened, and now it would be up to an expert to determine the caliber of the weapon and the trajectory of the bullet.
She’d returned to the front door with her supplies and was talking to Abe. “Let me know when backup arrives.”
She held booties and gloves out to Nolan and put on a set of her own. A siren sounded at the main road as they entered the building together.
He moved to the doorway where the bullet would have come from and looked straight ahead. “Dr. Osborne said the bullet exited the mayor’s body. If in fact the bullet fired through that window hit the mayor, we should find the slug in the wall over there.” He pointed across the room, but Mina was already moving in that direction.
She stopped to examine the drywall. “Looks like we have an embedded slug. Small caliber. I still think a handgun is likely.”
Nolan joined her, his booties whispering over the tile floor as he walked. “It’s times like this that I wish Oregon had a gun registration law, and we had a database we could search for handgun owners in the area.”
“I agree, but it might not matter. The gun could’ve been stolen.”
“True,” he said and stared at the hole in the wall. “Maybe our shooter has a concealed carry permit. Everyone on the team had to get new permits through your office when we moved here. Have you issued any others lately?”
She shook her head.
“You’re sure? I mean you weren’t involved in issuing our permits, so maybe someone got one without you knowing about it.”
“Not possible.” She rested a hand on her sidearm. “I review every application before the permit is issued. Besides, no telling if the shooter even had a concealed permit. Most gun owners don’t. And who knows if he even resides in our county.”
He leaned closer to the wall. “Looks like our shooter has skills and one shot was all it took.”
She frowned. “Looks like he has skills in body removal too, because unless our shooter was strong, there should be some sort of trail from moving the body. Be it Becca or the mayor.”
“There is that one little comma on the circle of blood, which could suggest the body was dragged in that direction.” Nolan crossed the room and squatted. “There’s a faint dirt line that looks like it outlines a large rug. Our victim could’ve fallen half on the rug and half on the floor, and the shooter only had to slide the body down the rug, roll it up, and take him or her away.”
She joined him and squatted too. “Looks like you could be right. If so, the shooter’s clothing would’ve been soaked with blood as he held the victim to move him. We find the bloody clothing, we find the killer.”
“Same might be true of the footprint outside. We find the shoe…”
A car door slammed outside. Mina stood. “That’ll be my deputy. Let me give him instructions, and we can be on our way to the mayor’s house.”
Nolan nodded and stood. His night had started with an invitation promising a killer of an evening. The discovery of the mayor’s body had fulfilled the invitation’s promise. But had the invitation underplayed the evening? Did this pool of blood belong to Becca, and they were going to find another crime scene at the mayor’s house? Had two people lost their lives that evening?
9
Two streetlights at the road cast weak beams down on Mayor Sutton’s house as Mina approached. Lights didn’t shine from his windows nor was the outside one on to welcome them. The place was in direct contrast to his daughter’s home, casting a dark and gloomy feel.
“Doesn’t look like anyone is here,” Nolan said.
Meaning Becca wasn’t here either. She could be dead too.
