Page 12 of Say Now
"The body’s still in there this time," Claire told Alison.
Special Agent Martinez showed her badge as they approached the house, and the officer stood aside to let the special agent and criminal psychologist in.They walked through to the living room, finding one forensic tech crouched by the body and the other dusting an evidence marker.
"I’m Officer Bills."The officer was tall and a little shaken."His ex-wife found him this morning.She has a key to his place, and apparently drops off their dog with him at the start of the week.They have shared custody of it.She came in and found him like that."
The officer gestured toward the man slumped against the wall.
"The evidence markers?"Alison asked.
"The killer left them.We don't really know if we should place evidence markers next to the evidence markers."
"I remember this crime scene," Claire said."Ronald Watkins was released from prison on Dr.Hartley’s recommendation, and he strangled someone in their home three hours later.It took them two days to catch up with Watkins, and he’s in his second year of a life sentence."
"And this is a creation of the crime scene?"Alison asked.
"Yeah, as far as I can remember it.I can get access to the photos and check, but it looks like how I remember it.Watkins went to a random house, knocked on the door, gained entry, and strangled the woman inside.They found her body a day later, Watkins a day after that.It was an open and shut case.He left a lot of evidence at the crime scene."
"This killer?"Alison asked loudly.
The tech dusting the evidence marker looked around."Nothing so far.The only things he left at the scene were the evidence markers and the photos on the wall."
Alison and Claire had been so focused on the dead body that they had only just noticed the six crime scene photos nailed to the wall above the victim."
"I guess I don't need to look them up," Claire said.
"Look how they’re spaced," Alison said."It’s precise.The killer we’re looking for is precise.He would have brought his tools with him.He would have consulted the photos and then left them for us to show how perfectly he modeled the scene.What about the evidence markers?Can they be bought by the public?"
"They were printed," the tech said."You can see the imperfections that you get from a 3D printer."
"He was strangled to death?"Claire asked the other tech.
"He was.Deep bruising around the throat, redness in the eyes, and multiple other signs that confirm strangulation.No other wounds that I can see.It doesn’t look like Dr.Hartley put up much of a fight, if any.It would have been relatively quick."
"Then he placed him against the wall just like the victim in the photo," Alison said."Who has access to these crime scene photos?"
"Most people in law enforcement will be able to access them.There was nothing made public at the time, but I know of multiple other cases where crime scene photos were leaked to the press—for a price, of course.They might be online.The family could have requested them after the case was closed."
"So, a lot of people?"
"In an ideal world, it would be restricted to the handful of people who were involved with the case, but in reality, hundreds or thousands of people could theoretically get their hands on them.Watkins could have gotten copies from his lawyer and passed them on if he wanted.It doesn’t narrow down our list of suspects."
"Hey, we have a problem outside."The officer from the door had come inside."I have a guy outside who wants access.He has a badge, but… I don't know.He looks a little volatile."
"I’ll deal with him," Alison said.
She had a pretty good idea who was waiting out there for her.She’d asked Dale Kent not to get in the way.When it was his sister’s case, she understood it.This murder was not his to meddle in, and she needed to make sure that he didn't let his anger mess it up for them.
If he made the case about his revenge for his sister, he would only get in the way of what she did best, and that could mean losing their killer.Alison knew how to catch killers; she only had to figure out how to deal with a cop who had the best intentions but was hampering her.A cop on one side, a killer on the other, and Alison was stuck in the middle.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Alison exited the house to find another uniformed officer at the door with Dale Kent.The officer was trying to calm Dale, while not directly engaging physically with him.
"Sir, if you just hold on a second, my colleague is going up the chain of command to ensure there is no problem with you going in there."
"Chain of command?"Dale boomed."Do you know who I am?"
"I am aware, Captain Kent.I hope you respect that I can't just let anyone into the crime scene.I’m only following protocol."
