Page 78 of Bitter Lies

The moment the door opens to the fourth floor, the lingering odor of smoke hangs heavy in the air. His ears perk up in warning, and I reach down and pat his head.

“It’s old smoke, boy. We need to find the source. I need you to give me a clue who we’re looking for. You’ll have your work cut out. I don’t have a sample scent, but maybe you can remember it. Should they show up again, you can tell me.”

Bear tilts his head and huffs.

I swear he just told me off, but his nose is one of the best out there. The identity of our adversary remains unknown. He’s here to prevent anyone from getting a second chance to harm these women if that was their intention.

Approaching the front door, I unlock it and step aside, giving him room to sniff around the entryway. A home always favors its owner’s scent; it dominates, but the rest is there if you know how to find it.

When Bear’s tail thumps, I take a wild guess. “You smell her, don’t you?”

He barks, nose down, and moves through the penthouse like he’s tracking a fresh trail. I can’t be certain, but I’m thinking it’s the one she took to get her and her grandmother out.

My biggest clue is when he stops at a locked door and rises to his hind leg, scratching on it, wanting in.

I don’t have the keys. I could pick it. My lock-picking kit is in my bag, but I’d rather see if I can find them first. Besides, it’s a safe room. Those are designed differently and extremely difficult to break into.

“Soon, keep going.” I snap my fingers.

Bear lands with a thud, then picks up the trail, moving toward the back of the penthouse. He leads me to two separate bedrooms. One unmistakably belongs to Alma, while the other is a guest room where Isabel’s perfume lingers. Even my simple nose can detect her.

“Good boy. Now let’s see if we can get you familiar with Rico. See if you can tell me what happened to him.” With a quick tap on my leg, I signal Bear to follow me.

The best way to get him on Rico’s scent is to find something I know is his. It doesn’t take long to locate his office. Old cigar smoke and liquor permeate the air.

Assuming the old man was probably the only person to sit at the desk, I guide Bear there and let him get a good sniff before giving him the command.

He moves fast.

We cover the penthouse, room by room. He pauses at the locked gallery door, emphasizing our urgent need to get inside. Then continues to the back bedroom, a low growl resonating from his chest before he steps inside.

Something awful went down in here.

When I catch up, what I see is not at all what I expected.

The bedroom’s been ransacked.

I set my bag by the door and order Bear to stay while I pull on my black gloves. “Sit. Stay.”

Then I move.

The room’s been torn apart. Not Rico’s doing. Someone came in looking for something. Something they didn’t want anyone else to find.

Did they find it? Did Rico surprise them, and that’s why he was killed? Or did they take him out first and then search after?

It could’ve been the cops. I’ve seen them tear a place apart while conducting a search and collecting evidence. But if that’s the case, then what the hell were they after? And how the hell did they know to search the bedroom and not his office?

Nothing stands out at first glance.

I pull out my phone and start taking photos. This room will need a thorough cleaning, so I snap away. Capturing every nook and cranny. You never know what will stand out later. Best to go overboard and take too many than later wish you’d taken more.

When I step into the bathroom, a pool of dried blood stains the tile. This has to be where Rico bled out.

Splatter marks the walls, hinting at a violent crime. The shattered mirror above the sink points to where a bullet met its end.

There won’t be a casing left behind for me to find. The cops likely took it—or the shooter made sure there wasn’t one to find. A clever criminal would erase any trace of his involvement.

I thoroughly photograph the bathroom, capturing every vital detail. These will help me piece together what happened and how it unfolded. If I can’t, Darius has a forensic science team on staff who can.