said.
'They don't take photos of cars as they're leaving,' his partner added. 'More's the pity.'
Allen noticed Ski's frown. 'What, Deputy Nyland? You don't like that scenario?'
'Yeah, I do. Except, that would mean that Starks had parked a car in the garage in the medical district, walked to Sally Buckland's house, where he killed her and picked up her car. Right?'
'I reckon.'
'Okay. From the medical district to her house is a distance of what? Two miles at least?'
Somerville gave a negligent shrug. 'Thirty-minute walk.'
'For you and me,' Ski said. 'But not for a man with an injured leg.'
'He told me it was black and blue and swollen,' Berry said.
'A limp wouldn't have attracted much attention in that area,' Somerville said. 'Lots of rehab clinics. Day surgery places. People on crutches, wheelchairs. A guy with a limp wouldn't have attracted attention.'
'I guess,' Ski said, but still with doubt. 'That's a lot of walking for a man with a bum leg.' He explained that Starks had walked almost a mile from the abandoned Toyota to Walmart in Merritt. 'Part of that was over rough ground and in the dark. If you're right, he did that
'He didn't want the Toyota to be seen by any of her neighbors, who could later identify it,' Somerville said.
The detective's explanation was thin but logical, and Ski didn't have a better one.
'What's the skinny on that Toyota?' Allen asked.
Ski said, 'The VIN has been scratched off. The license plate belongs to a blue 2001 Taurus in Conway, Arkansas. One of our deputies talked to the owner. He was recently in Houston, had his license plate lifted while he was here, but he's not sure where or when the theft took place.'
'Starks was laying his groundwork.'
'Apparently. But it wasn't too smart of him to return to Merritt last night after killing Sally Buckland,' Ski said. 'He had to know that every peace officer in deep East Texas was on the lookout for him with a warrant for his arrest for the lake house shooting. Yet after stashing Buckland's body here, which seems another reckless thing to do, he went back to Merritt and hid in a ratty motel. What the hell for?' He shook his head in frustration. 'Doesn't make sense to me.'
'He had unfinished business in Merritt,' Berry said softly. '
Caroline hugged her closer. 'Is that all for now, Detective?'
They wrapped up with Allen and Somerville. As they congregated at the front door to exchange contact information, Ski noticed Berry staring down the hallway toward her bedroom. When she came back around, there were tears in her eyes. It would be a long time, if ever, before she could go into that room and open the closet door without remembering the gruesome discovery she'd made. Oren Starks had contaminated her home, too.
As Caroline and Berry went through the front door, Detective Allen detained Ski. 'Another sec, please, Deputy?'
'Sure.'
'Who's the character?' Allen nodded through the open doorway toward Dodge, who was standing just inside the yellow crime scene tape, smoking and chatting with a uniformed Houston police officer.
Ski replied, 'He's a private investigator, working for Ms. King.'
'He's packing.'
'He's licensed to carry.'
'So he said.'
'Then what's the problem?'
The detective shrugged. 'I don't know. Is there one?'
'No. He's sound. He was a former cop here in Houston. When did you join the force?'
' 'Eighty-six.'
'You missed each other. He left in 'seventy-nine.'
'Any particular reason why?'
Ski glanced beyond Allen and saw Somerville propped against the entryway wall, intent on his cell phone. 'Have you got your man there checking?'
'I do, yeah.' Allen smiled, but not with humor.
'Dodge had some insubordination issues, but he wasn't fired. He left by choice.'
'Good. A police department doesn't need a man like that.'
Ski locked gazes with him and, in a steely voice, said, 'You're right. It needs a thousand.' He let that sink in, then said, 'Excuse me.'
By the time he rejoined Caroline and Berry, Dodge was also walking toward them. Ski could tell by his expression that he had acquired new information. 'What?'
Dodge glanced warily at the women. Caroline said, 'Don't spare us weakhearted females, Dodge. What did you learn?'
He took a final drag on his cigarette and flicked it into the gutter. 'That officer was one of the first responders. Talkative guy.' He looked at Berry and asked a question that seemed out of context. 'Did Sally Buckland have any boyfriends?'
'Not that I know of. Another man wasn't the reason she rejected Oren. Why?'
'Because this cop told me that the only thing on her body was one piece of jewelry. A silver link bracelet.'
Berry's face drained of color. 'With a heart-shaped charm.'
Dodge looked hard at her, then at Ski, who answered his silent query. 'Starks gave Berry a bracelet like that.'
He didn't expand on it. He didn't need to. They all realized the significance of the bracelet. Oren Starks was fixated on two women to whom he'd given identical pieces of jewelry. Both had rejected him. One was dead.
'By the way, Berry, you called it,' Dodge said. 'You were afraid for her. I'm sorry I read it wrong.'
'Same goes for me,' Ski said.
'Neither of you could have saved her,' she said sadly. 'She was long dead before Oren used her cell phone to call me.'
Before more could be said, Caroline intervened.
'Berry needs to be put to bed. What hotel have you booked us into, Ski?'
'A Sheraton only a couple of miles from Delray. Busy hotel. I wanted you where there'd be a lot of people.'
Caroline placed her arm around Berry's waist and guided her toward her car. The men fell into step behind them.
'I'll lead you there, but stay close,' Ski said to Dodge, who would be driving Caroline's car.
