He tapped the photo. On it, Reece guided Dayanara to the back of the house. Crimson liquid stained the entire front of Dayanara’s gown.

I looked at Detective White. “Where’s the knife that Dayanara had earlier?”

“I’m not sure. I only see it in the earlier footage. Once your assistant has her, it’s gone.” He brought the last two photos to the front. “And then we have these. It seemed that this time around, four to five in the morning was pretty busy for all of them. Your grandmother did her best to remain in the shadows. I almost didn’t catch her. She wore all black and walked around many trees, but right here I spotted her heading toward her garden. Can you make her out?”

“Yes.” My mouth went dry. My fingers trembled.

“She doesn’t show up on the cameras again until six in the morning, where she is fully dressed in new clothes and meeting you at the front steps.”

“I’d just arrived back from a business trip. She always meets me at the steps when I return, but she never told me she’d been up all night walking around the property. In fact, she shoved me toward the kitchen so that she could make my favorite soup. I offered to get her some herbs from the garden, went out there, and that’s when I discovered the first victim.”

You knew a dead girl was out there, didn’t you, Grandma? Why didn’t you tell me?

“This is the last photo. Your brother left the back of his studio at four forty-five in the morning. It is unclear where he went. There appears to be more blind spots near your brother and grandmother’s living spaces. I would like to have cameras placed there without them knowing it.”

Unease sat in the pit of my stomach, but I nodded that his idea was okay. A week ago I would’ve never considered uniting with a stranger to spy on my family, but then a week ago no innocent girls had died under my watch.

“The only footage of your brother I find is him later in the day, around nine in the morning, where it appears he’s singing in a tree.”

“He does that when he’s nervous.”

“What do you think he was nervous about?”

“I’m not sure, but I plan to find out. In fact, I plan to find out why all of them--Reece, Grandma, Dayanara, and Hex--were running around the grounds early in the morning while a young girl was killed.”

“I would like access to your brother’s studio, Grandmother’s cottage, and assistant’s rooms, as well as Dayanara Castillo’s living quarters.”

“You have my permission, but if there is one thing I know about my family, it’s this: if they know you’re coming to look, they’ll hide it all. I’ll need to have them away for something else while I allow you the time to search. However, for Dayanara’s quarters I would like to be there. I can’t have her transported now.”

“I understand.”

I yanked out my top drawer, opened my small lock box, and pulled out several keys. “I keep extra keys for my assistant’s living quarters. She’s on the third level in the west wing. That whole area is hers. If you unlock the main hallway you’ll have access to all of her rooms.”

“When should I try there?”

“She’ll be the easiest to keep busy. I’ll have her leave now. Hold on.” I pressed the speakerphone button and dialed her number.

“Hello?” she asked after the first ring. “I saw the door was locked so I ran down to the kitchen to grab us some food.”

Why didn’t you tell me Dayanara had gotten out of her living quarters the night the first girl was killed? What are you hiding and why?

“Breakfast for me won’t be necessary.”

“Is everything okay, sir?”

“I’m just exhausted. I’m going to sleep. However, I need you to go to my Orlando office. The original signed contracts to the CTS deal are there. This is too delicate for someone else to handle. It has to be you.”

“You want me to fly to Orlando to get them?”

“Yes. When will you be able to leave?”

Her exasperated breath traveled over the phone to me. “I can leave in less than an hour. Will I be taking your private jet?”

“Of course.”

Once the call finished, I returned my attention to Detective White. “I suggest you begin your search of Reece’s living area around five. That will give you plenty of time.”

“And the others?”

“Have you had any sleep, Detective White?”

An embarrassed expression crossed his dark face. “Not yet, but neither have you, it seems.”

“Well then, let’s get some sleep and meet tomorrow morning to search Dayanara’s area. Unless you happen to find the murder weapon in my assistant’s space.” I’d meant the statement to be a joke, but with the photo of Reece walking back with a bloodied Dayanara lying right on front of my desk, neither of us laughed.

Tags: Kenya Wright Mystery
Source: readsnovelonline.net