hands.”
“Drag marks on her?”
Healy shook his head.
“Body’s too far gone.”
“So she could have waded out into the lake someplace and shot herself and floated around until we found her. It’s a big lake.”
“Gun?” Healy said.
“We got a couple guys from the fire department down there in wet suits,” Jesse said. “Water’s dirty. Hard to see.”
“Even if you find the gun in there,” Healy said, “why did she want to do it that way?”
“Didn’t want anyone to know?”
“Suicides always want people to know,” Healy said. “That’s part of what it’s about.”
“True.”
“You find the gun it’ll be because the perp threw it in there after her. You know who she is?”
“No. Could they get any prints?”
Healy shook his head.
“Dental?”
“ME charted her teeth,” Healy said.
“So all we have to do is locate a dental chart that matches.”
“In which case you’ll know who she is anyway.”
“Missing persons?”
“You know how many kids run away every week?” Healy said.
“Any from Paradise?”
“None reported,” Healy said.
“She could have run away from anywhere and ended up here,” Jesse said.
“She could.”
“You matching the dental charts against the runaways?”
“Sure,” Healy said. “I got a guy on it.”
“One?”
“You know how things work,” Healy said.
“Slowly,” Jesse said.
“See,” Healy said. “I knew you’d know.”
“How old was she?”
“Maybe fourteen.”
They were both quiet. The victim’s age hung in the room like smoke.
“We’ll get on it,” Healy said after a while. “You come up with anything, let us know.”
“Or vice versa,” Jesse said.
Chapter Four
Anthony DeAngelo came into Jesse’s office leading a male Dalmatian on an improvised leash. The dog was panting, and restless on the leash.
“Got a date?” Jesse said.
“It’s a him,” DeAngelo said.
“So?”
“I found him up on the pike running around, you know, like they do when they’re lost?”
“Near the donut shop?”
DeAngelo grinned. “Yeah, how’d you know?”
“I’m an experienced law officer,” Jesse said. “Molly got any lost dogs?”
“I checked when I came in the station. She says she got two. One’s a poodle. One’s a Lab.”
Jesse nodded.
“No tags?”
