Page 50 of Silencing Stolen Whispers
The football spiraled through the air in a gentle arc, and Lily caught it against her chest with a satisfying thud. Her face lit up with pure triumph, and she immediately cocked her arm back to return the throw. They were definitely going to need to work on her offensive stance.
After about five minutes, Emily called out to Lily that it was time to go. Kinsley escorted her niece back to her parents, making sure to delay Noah’s departure by a few seconds.
“Hey, that thing we talked about last Thursday? I think it’s taken care of,” Kinsley advised in a low voice so as not to be overheard. “I ran into Beck Serra at The Plow last night. Long story short, I think he was trying to dig up a story.”
She and Noah never, ever spoke aloud about what happened that night. This was the second exception in two years, and she planned on it being the last.
“Love you, sis,” Noah murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He then grimaced before pushing her away. “Go home and take a shower. You smell like Dylan after he’s spent the day on the ranch.”
Kinsley got in the last shove before he joined his family, lifting Lily up from behind and settling her on his shoulders. Shewas already trying to talk them into stopping for ice cream on the way home.
“Kin, come over here,” Alex called out after joining Wally and Izzy on a bench. She crossed to her gym bag, removing her flag football belt. Once it was stored, she moved over to the group. “Rebecca Chambliss has an airtight alibi for last Wednesday night.”
“Well, shit,” Kinsley muttered as she lowered herself to the ground. She began to remove her knee brace while following up with Wally. “I heard you were finishing up your report on Hannah Scriven yesterday. Anything you can tell us that might give us some guidance?”
Kinsley and Alex had already agreed they needed to follow up with Bailey Scriven. Several instances made them suspect she was hiding information, and rummaging through her sister’s personal belongings before the police could search them was a major red flag.
Unfortunately, if they pressed too hard, the entire Scriven family might lawyer up. It was best to tread lightly until their hands were forced.
“As a matter of fact, I did some testing with CC,” Wally said as he leaned forward to untie his cleats. He had given a name to the dummy used in reenactments, paid for by the city. CC stood for Cadaverous Carl. “The height of your killer is somewhere between five feet seven and five feet eleven.”
“That is quite the gap,” Alex said from his seat at the end of the bench.
“Since the murder weapon was wiped down, I can’t be sure how the perp was brandishing the poker.”
“And if the killer was holding it like a bat?” Izzy asked, although she didn’t have a stake in the case.Her tattoo sleeve was fully visible in the afternoon light, with the intricate designsseeming to shift and move as her arm muscles flexed.“Like this?”
“Five feet ten or eleven, depending on his or her arm length.”
“What about someone who isn’t athletic?” Kinsley posed the question as she set her brace to the side.
“Shorter.”
“Alex, what height was listed on Jade Patel’s license?”
“Five feet seven inches.”
“So, within the height range.” Kinsley’s knee didn’t hurt as much as she expected, and a little more stretching should help prevent any unwanted pain. She pushed herself off the ground before brushing the grass from the back of her shorts. “Alex, you mentioned checking Jade’s schedule with the librarian. She’ll be working tomorrow morning, right?”
“Yes. I also need to follow up with Hannah’s advisor. She wasn’t on campus last week, but she’s due back first thing tomorrow morning.” Alex slapped Wally on the shoulder. “I’m headed home. I’ll see the two of you later this week. Kin, I think your cell phone is ringing.”
“Thanks, Wally. Catch you later, Izzy!” Kinsley called out as she jogged over to her gym bag. She pulled her cell phone from the side pocket and, unsurprised by the name on the screen, answered the call. Holding the phone between her shoulder and ear, she rummaged for her keys. “I was expecting you to ignore me for at least a week. Come over to my place, and we can share a bottle of wine. You can fill me in on everything. Just remember, Lydia—no personal details about my brother.”
20
Kinsley Aspen
July
Monday — 9:03 am
The leather steering wheel was warm beneath Kinsley's palms as she guided her Jeep through the campus parking lot. The clouds from last night’s storm had finally cleared and taken a lot of the humidity with them. It was a beautiful Monday morning with temperatures in the mid-seventies.
“How much damage was done?” Kinsley asked Alex as she pulled into a parking spot in front of the library.
“Enough to make Paul a very happy plumber.” Alex's voice came through the Bluetooth speakers with the resignation of a man whose Monday morning had already gone sideways. “I'm telling you, Kin, there's water everywhere. My mother's kitchen looks like the aftermath of a biblical flood. Unfortunately, Paul can’t get here for another hour.”
“They say things like this come in threes. At least you were able to get the water turned off,” Kinsley said, offering somesilver lining. She shoved the gear into park. “Nothing a mop can’t fix, right?”
