“When you say humans, who do you have in mind?” Leduc asked.
“The only people that have a motive for the killing and have broken the law in front of me are the aunt and uncle.”
“Are you seriously suggesting that we execute Muriel and Todd Babington if they framed Bobby Marchand for murder?” Livingston asked.
“No, I’m just saying that legally we could.”
“Well, I couldn’t,” Newman said.
“You mean you would not, not that you could not,” Olaf said.
“Yes, that is what I mean. If I have issues killing a wereleopard that happens to be someone I know, then I sure as hell don’t want to kill human beings that could be safely kept in jail for life. We only kill the supernaturals because they have proved too dangerous for prison. Muriel and Todd can rot in jail or be executed after a trial. We don’t have to kill them to keep the prison staff safe.”
“True,” I said.
“I did not say that we had to kill them. I said we could kill them legally,” Olaf said.
“No, just no. We don’t know they’re guilty of anything except being greedy and stupid,” Newman said.
He pushed away from the desk and went to stand so he was looking out the window by the door. I realized the night wasn’t quite as inky black in the window. It wasn’t dawn, or even light, but more as if the darkness was lessening. I thought about it, and I could feel the press of dawn like a promise out there. The air would smell different if we opened the door, as if night and day had different scents the way that dogs and cats smell different. I couldn’t tell any other time without a watch, but I could sense when the sun was close to rising. I think it was all those years of fighting vampires and praying for the light to come and help save us. It was still dark enough that there was nothing for Newman to look at out there, but I don’t think the view was the point. He just didn’t want to look at any of us right that minute.
“No one is killing Muriel and Todd on my watch,” Leduc said.
“Because you know them? Because you have a history with them?” Newman asked without turning away from the window.
“Not just that, but they’re harmless. I don’t believe they hurt Ray.”
“But you don’t know they didn’t,” I said.
“I know them, Blake. They might have been able to kill Ray if they needed money bad enough, but they wouldn’t have been able to cut him up like that. Todd wouldn’t have had the stomach for it, and Muriel wouldn’t have had the strength.”
“Do you have any other suspects besides them and the wereleopard in the cell?” Olaf asked.
Newman turned around so he could look at me. I looked back at him but had nothing helpful to share.
“No,” I said.
“Not yet,” Newman said.
“What if you don’t find anyone else to blame?” Kaitlin asked.
“Let Newman check with the judge about extending the warrant deadline. Then we’ll worry about figuring out whodunit,” Livingston said.
“You cannot be on board with this, Dave,” Duke said.
“Duke, if there’s even a chance the wrong person’s name is on that warrant, we need to figure it out before anyone else gets killed.”
“I didn’t figure you for one of those liberal bleeding hearts that feels sorry for the poor wereanimal,” Duke said.
“You know me better than that, Duke.”
“I thought I did.”
“We need to figure out whose prints those are,” I said.
“Well, they aren’t Jocelyn Marchand’s. That’s for sure. She’s tall, but her feet are dainty compared to the prints,” Newman said.
“Who else was in the house?” I asked.