Page 89 of Stay Awake
“No,” she said. “You’re not the first person to ask either.”
“What do you mean?”
“I took the baby and Lance for a long walk last week. Lance’s our rescue dog.” She gestured toward a dog with German shepherd coloring and floppy Labrador ears sleeping in a basket. “When we went out, I noticed a man sitting in a car. He was still there when we got back. I was struggling to get the stroller up the stairs. He got out of the car and carried the stroller up to the top of the stoop. Then he asked me if I’d seen his cousin. He showed me a photo of Liv.”
“Are you sure it was her?”
“Absolutely. I recognized her instantly.”
“What did you tell him?”
“I said I didn’t know who she was.”
“Why did you lie?”
“I didn’t buy the cousin business.”
“You didn’t happen to get his plate number? Or remember the model of his car, or the color?” Halliday asked.
The woman closed her eyes as if trying to remember. “I’d like to say it was dark blue. It was a standard four-door sedan, that I remember. Not sure of the make.”
“What about the man? Did he give you a name? Do you remember how he looked?”
“I was too busy with the baby and the dog to get a good look at him.”
“Would you remember him if you saw him again?”
“I doubt it.” She shrugged. “I’m pretty awful with faces.”
When Halliday returned to the car, Lavelle was stepping out of the disposable coveralls.
“How did it go?” she asked.
“Better than expected.”
He lifted up his trunk. Halliday expected to find it filled with garbage for sorting at the precinct. Instead, lying on the carpeted floor of the trunk were two clear plastic evidence bags. Both were neatly labeled. Lavelle held up the first bag. It contained a white T-shirt stained with blood.
“But that’s not all,” he said, as if he was a late-night TV salesman. He handed Halliday the second bag. Inside was a stainless steel knife coated in blood.
“The murder weapon?”
“I’d say so. The lab will tell us for sure. It was wrapped in the T-shirt and tossed into the trash. I’ve asked for a warrant for Liv Reese’s arrest.”
“Looks like you were right. She did do it after all,” said Halliday, opening the passenger door and getting in.
“It’s confirmation bias, Darcy,” he said, sliding into the driver’s seat.
“What do you mean?”
“People naturally look for evidence to support their preconceived views. You thought Liv Reese might not have done it. You were looking for reasons to prove your point.”
“Not at all,” said Halliday. “I simply hadn’t made up my mind yet. Unlike you, Jack.”
“I was just following the evidence,” he said, turning on the engine. “We’re out of here. We’ll drop off the knife at forensics. Then we have to head straight to the precinct to put out a wildfire.”
“What wildfire?”
Lavelle told Halliday that while she was going door-to-door, Rosco called to tell him the captain had leaked the CCTV footage showing Liv Reese leaving the crime scene.
