Jim’s office. The sheriff’s criminalists may find something we can use.”
“And if that fails,” Will added, “we interview every crime scene investigator who’s been on staff since Anna Clark’s homicide.”
When Will came back to Robin’s apartment it was after four in the morning, but she hadn’t slept much.
Robin had never seen Will looking so weary. He was beyond tired, but more than that his sad eyes registered defeat.
“What happened?”
“Jim is dead.”
“Jim? The same Jim who was in my loft this morning?”
Will nodded.
“I thought-we hadn’t heard from Glenn in two days, I thought maybe he’d left the country.”
“Glenn didn’t kill him.”
“I don’t understand. Was there an accident?”
Will took her arm and moved her to the couch. She sat, taking his hands. “What happened?”
“Jim was killed at his home tonight. I screwed up big-time.” Will shook his head, trying to make sense of the senseless. “That whole thing with Trinity this afternoon, trying to divert Anna’s killer, to lead him into thinking we weren’t reopening the case-it didn’t work. In fact, it may have pushed the killer into action.” He ran a hand through his hair and leaned back on the couch, closing his eyes. “Jim was a friend.”
Robin squeezed Will’s hand. “I’m so sorry. How do you know it wasn’t Glenn? Maybe he saw the newscast and was angry that the case wasn’t being reopened.”
“We considered that, except that Jim opened the door to his killer. No sign of force. It was someone he knew. Someone he trusted. His home office was cleared out. I don’t know exactly what Jim had with him, but clearly whoever killed Anna thought he’d found something incriminating.”
“You need to get some sleep.”
“I can’t. I’ll grab a couple hours later. I need to get down to the station and retrace Jim’s steps. I got word on my way over here that Jim left work early. That guy never leaves early. If someone was watching him, that might seem suspicious. I won’t know until I find out who spoke to him, what he said, what they saw. But what really makes this truly the worst case of my life-I know the killer. It’s someone I’ve worked with, someone I would also open the door to without hesitation. How could I work with a murderer for years and not know it?”
Robin put her head on his shoulder and Will’s hand went automatically to her hair. “I know exactly what you mean,” Robin whispered.
They rested for a few long minutes and Robin thought for sure Will had fallen asleep. She debated waking him, knowing he had work to do, but also knowing he needed at least two hours sleep just to function.
He wasn’t sleeping. He said, “I wish I didn’t have to go.”
“Me, too.”
He sighed, tilted her head to kiss her. “But I’ll talk to you later, let you know what’s going on.”
She nodded. “Take care of yourself, Will.”
“Sure,” he said without conviction, then left.
For three hours, Will almost forgot about Theodore Glenn. He and Hans worked side by side reviewing security tapes of the time that Jim Gage left the lab, poring over his e-mails, and waiting for preliminary evidence reports. Two detectives, Hazelwood and Dominguez, were working with them. Causey said they could have anyone else they needed.
Carina came in at seven thirty looking as crappy as Will felt. At the same time, Doug from e-crimes ran into the bull pen. “Hooper! I got something.”
“I hope it’s a break.”
“Property owned by North Bay Law Offices in Rancho Santa Margarita. Bought a year ago-the same month that Sara Lorenz began renting out her house downtown.”
Will sent Hazelwood and Dominguez to the bank to meet with the manager regarding the corporate accounts linked to Sara Lorenz and the law firm, then immediately sent a patrol and backup to the house. Will followed with Carina and Hans, calling SWAT to stand by in case they ascertained that Glenn was on the property.
The house was large, on a half acre in the gated community of Rancho Santa Margarita. Will noted that it was on the same street as Bryce Descario’s house. Had Glenn been watching the other night when they stormed that house based on the note Glenn had left for Will?
He glanced at Hans and knew the Fed was thinking the same thing.
Will motioned for four men to cover the back, and when they were in place Will pounded on the front door, gun out.
“San Diego Police Department!”
No answer.
He nodded to the two cops who had a ramming iron to break down the door. He nodded at Carina to go low.
As soon as the door was open, a piercing alarm went off.
“Take care of that!” Will shouted to one of the cops. Gun out, he scanned the entries, staircase, and corners. He motioned for the officers behind him to take different rooms. The first floor was cleared quickly.
“There’s a broken computer in the den,” someone shouted.
Cautious but quick, Will led the way upstairs. Cops fanned out to check each room.
“Detective!”
Will walked down the wide hall to double doors leading into the master bedroom.
Blood spatter grotesquely decorated the room, arcs of blood on the ceiling and walls surrounding the queen- size bed where a woman-who Will imagined had been Sara Lorenz-lay shredded. A knife protruded from the bed next to the body.
“Everyone out until the crime unit clears it,” Will said after two cops searched the room to make sure no one was hiding. He stood in the middle of the room with Hans and Carina. “He killed her in a rage,” Will said, almost to himself.
“It seems very disorganized,” Hans concurred. “Violent. With his other victims it wasn’t as personal. I wonder if she said or did something that specifically upset him.”
“Like threaten to turn him in?” Carina suggested.
“Maybe he thought she had,” Will said. “Or he no longer needed her.” He looked closely at the blood surrounding the body. “She’s been dead for several hours. The blood is starting to dry.”
“It looks like rigor mortis has set in,” Hans said, “though without fully inspecting the body it’s hard to say how long. But at least eight hours, probably closer to twelve. The coroner should be able to give us a good estimate. Were there any other properties your e-crimes team uncovered?”
“No,” Will said. “Not in California. Doug’s searching Arizona, Nevada, and fanning out from there.”
“If this was his only safe place, why kill her and leave?” Carina wondered.
“He’s moving forward on his plan,” Hans said, “whatever it is he’s planned next.”
They slowly walked through the crime scene waiting for the investigators. In the bathroom doorway, Will said, “He showered. He showered right here after killing her.” Towels with blood lay on the floor, and a facecloth tinged with pink hung over the shower spout.
Hans said, “This definitely doesn’t fit Glenn’s pattern.”
“Because of the overkill?” Will asked.
“Because it doesn’t appear that he tortured her, at least not like his previous victims. He stabbed her to death, but it looks like it happened in rapid fashion, few defensive wounds. From everything you’ve told me about Glenn, he doesn’t get angry.”
“Unless he perceives someone as betraying him,” Will said. “Like in court. He lashed out at everyone because he didn’t believe he would be convicted.”
“Therefore,” Hans concluded, “everyone had betrayed him. Everyone lied.”
“Sara,” Will mumbled, “what were you doing with a killer?”
“Will,” Carina said quietly. She stood on the far side of the bed.
He looked and saw what she’d found on the nightstand. An open letter addressed to him.
