Page 82 of Lost Cause
Burke didn’t attempt to hold back his frustration this time. “We found fresh lichens on your boots. The lichens we discussed. The Cladonia arbuscula.”
His statement didn’t seem to faze her. “Like I told you earlier. I’m a botanist. I may be retired, but I still spend as much time as I can in nature. It wouldn’t be unusual for me to track all sorts of things into the house.”
“It’s funny you mention tracking into the house.” Abby crossed her arms. “Because we found the same lichen on the floor in Victor’s library near a cabinet where something valuable was recently stolen.”
“And since Victor doesn’t leave the house, he wouldn’t have tracked it in,” Burke added.
The doctor crossed her arms. “Could’ve been Sylvia or Ugo.”
She could be right, and if she didn’t admit to being near the clandestine grave, they would have to branch out and ask Victor’s employees the same question.
But, Burke would continue trying to get an admission from her. “Neither one of them have a reason to be tramping around Victor’s property. Plus, Ugo doesn’t seem steady enough on his feet for such a trek.”
“Sylvia, then.”
“Do you remember our earlier conversation when I said things would go better for you if you would admit what you’d done?” Abby eyed the woman. “If you’ve done nothing wrong, then you can admit to taking a walk on Victor’s property and tracking the lichen into the house.”
She growled under her breath. “Okay, so I went for a walk the last time I was there. Big deal. Victor needed to take a nap, and I was bored. But all I did was hike out to the cliff and come back to the library to talk to him.”
“The lichen was found by the bookcases, an odd place to have a conversation with Victor,” Burke said. “Do you always wander the room when you talk to him?”
“Sometimes.”
“Why?”
“What difference does it make?”
“Because I’m asking you,” Burke said, trying hard to keep his growing irritation under control. “Give me a direct answer, or I’ll have my deputy take you in for formal questioning.”
If looks could kill, Burke would be dead. “I often pace when talking to him so he can’t see how I really feel.”
“Feel?” Abby asked, coming across much softer than the testy behavior Burke had barely controlled.
“I developed feelings for him. All right? I was drawn to him immediately, but he doesn’t return them and never will. He’ll spend the rest of his days mourning the loss of the love of hislife.” Her eyes misted. “And now I sound like a lovesick teenager. But it’s more than infatuation. I really do care about him.”
Abby glanced at Burke. He caught the implication in her eyes and gave an almost imperceptible nod in response.
Dr. Shore had just given them a motive for murdering Estelle.
Burke’s phone rang. Seeing Kelsey’s name, he quickly answered. “Have you found something?”
“I’ve unearthed human remains,” she said, her tone ominous. “You’ll want to get over here right away. It’s not what you expected. It’s not what you expected at all.”
21
Sour acid burned in Abby’s stomach. She wished the trip back to the mansion had been faster, but even though Burke had done an excellent job of navigating around other boats, it was still thirty minutes before they reached Kelsey.
Crime scene tape had been strung around the clandestine grave, marking the shape of the dig. Mounds of soil now lined the edges of the hole. Kelsey knelt on the far side facing Abby, Shawn on the other. Five-gallon buckets sat next to each of them. They scooped soil in strainers then moved the shifted soil to the buckets.
“Kelsey?” Abby approached the forensic anthropologist, Burke by her side.
She stood. “You’re probably not going to like this, but I’ve exposed enough of the remains to know this isn’t Estelle.”
“But how can you tell?” Burke asked before Kelsey could continue.
“You’re looking at a male, not a female.”
Burke and Abby swiveled in unison to stare at the grave. She hadn’t wanted to look at the remains, but it couldn’t be helped. Inside the half-dug grave lay a fully skeletonized body.
