Read Online Debra Burroughs - Paradise Valley 06 - The Harbor of Lies by Debra Burroughs - Free Book Online Page A
Book: Debra Burroughs - Paradise Valley 06 - The Harbor of Lies by Debra Burroughs
Read Free Book Online
Authors: Debra Burroughs
Ads: Link
only here to advise Ms. Parker at this time.”
“I see.” The chief’s gaze moved to Emily. “You don’t figure into this, huh? Then why the lawyer?”
Emily was saved from answering by the medical examiner and his crime scene investigation team driving up, drawing the chief’s attention away from her for the moment. The police worked to disburse the crowd enough that they could get through and do their work.
After an onsite examination of the Reverend’s body, the attractive female ME wandered over to where the chief was still standing talking to Emily, Colin, and Alex. She pulled off her latex gloves and tugged him aside to talk privately.
They still had a keen eye on Emily, but Colin was able to inch close enough to hear most of what they were discussing. It might not be completely ethical to eavesdrop, but this was his fiancée, and besides, that boat had sailed when he took the photos with his cellphone.
The ME said the blood pattern on the man’s shirt indicated he’d been stabbed, but told the chief that there had also been blunt-force trauma to the head. And until she got the body back to her lab and went over it thoroughly, she did not want to make a definitive declaration on the cause of death.
“Based on the internal temperature, I’d say he’s been dead approximately two hours,” the ME said, which would have put Emily’s gruesome discovery within the window of his time of death.
Although it would have been better if his death had occurred hours before she’d found him, Colin surmised, surely there was no way Chief Taylor could realistically pin this on her. She barely knew the man and had no motive whatsoever to kill him.
Colin noticed Emily trying to edge closer and he glared at her until she froze to her spot near the car. Then he eased his way back to her so that he wouldn’t attract attention to the fact that he’d been listening in.
He explained what he had overheard from the ME.
“What was he hit in the head with?” Emily asked.
“They won’t know that until she takes a closer look back at the lab.”
The ME cleared her throat and walked toward them. “Are these folks the victim’s next of kin? Should I have a talk with them?”
“No. Don’t go telling her anything, Doc,” Chief Taylor moaned. “She’s a suspect.”
“Oh, sorry, Chief.” The shapely thirty-something medical examiner stopped walking.
The chief gave Emily a defiant stare. “In the car, Miss Parker.”
Emily complied and the chief strode up and closed the car door.
“Okay, Doc, we’re headed to the police station for questioning. Get those results back to me as soon as possible.”
“Will do.” The medical examiner spun around and headed back to the dead body.
Chapter 7
After Alex and Emily had agreed to let someone scrape under her fingernails where the Reverend’s blood was, the chief allowed her to be accompanied to the washroom to clean her hands better and bag her sweater to contain the transfer of the blood—whether or not it ended up being evidence was still to be decided.
With Emily wearing Colin’s jacket zipped up after relinquishing her sweater, Chief Taylor took her and Alex into an interrogation room in the small police station, but made Colin wait outside while he questioned her.
She looked at the video camera mounted in the corner just below the ceiling and tried not to fidget or appear nervous in any way.
“Tell me again why you need an attorney, ma’am. You got something to hide?”
“Of course not. He’s here for my wedding. His wife is my best friend.”
“I see.” Chief Taylor eyed her suspiciously, leaning back in the chair. “So, let’s go over why you have the victim’s blood all over you.”
After receiving Alex’s nod of approval, she again explained how she came upon the dead body. Chief Taylor asked more of the usual questions. Did she know the deceased? Were there any problems between the two of them? Did she kill the Reverend?
“I already
“I see.” The chief’s gaze moved to Emily. “You don’t figure into this, huh? Then why the lawyer?”
Emily was saved from answering by the medical examiner and his crime scene investigation team driving up, drawing the chief’s attention away from her for the moment. The police worked to disburse the crowd enough that they could get through and do their work.
After an onsite examination of the Reverend’s body, the attractive female ME wandered over to where the chief was still standing talking to Emily, Colin, and Alex. She pulled off her latex gloves and tugged him aside to talk privately.
They still had a keen eye on Emily, but Colin was able to inch close enough to hear most of what they were discussing. It might not be completely ethical to eavesdrop, but this was his fiancée, and besides, that boat had sailed when he took the photos with his cellphone.
The ME said the blood pattern on the man’s shirt indicated he’d been stabbed, but told the chief that there had also been blunt-force trauma to the head. And until she got the body back to her lab and went over it thoroughly, she did not want to make a definitive declaration on the cause of death.
“Based on the internal temperature, I’d say he’s been dead approximately two hours,” the ME said, which would have put Emily’s gruesome discovery within the window of his time of death.
Although it would have been better if his death had occurred hours before she’d found him, Colin surmised, surely there was no way Chief Taylor could realistically pin this on her. She barely knew the man and had no motive whatsoever to kill him.
Colin noticed Emily trying to edge closer and he glared at her until she froze to her spot near the car. Then he eased his way back to her so that he wouldn’t attract attention to the fact that he’d been listening in.
He explained what he had overheard from the ME.
“What was he hit in the head with?” Emily asked.
“They won’t know that until she takes a closer look back at the lab.”
The ME cleared her throat and walked toward them. “Are these folks the victim’s next of kin? Should I have a talk with them?”
“No. Don’t go telling her anything, Doc,” Chief Taylor moaned. “She’s a suspect.”
“Oh, sorry, Chief.” The shapely thirty-something medical examiner stopped walking.
The chief gave Emily a defiant stare. “In the car, Miss Parker.”
Emily complied and the chief strode up and closed the car door.
“Okay, Doc, we’re headed to the police station for questioning. Get those results back to me as soon as possible.”
“Will do.” The medical examiner spun around and headed back to the dead body.
Chapter 7
After Alex and Emily had agreed to let someone scrape under her fingernails where the Reverend’s blood was, the chief allowed her to be accompanied to the washroom to clean her hands better and bag her sweater to contain the transfer of the blood—whether or not it ended up being evidence was still to be decided.
With Emily wearing Colin’s jacket zipped up after relinquishing her sweater, Chief Taylor took her and Alex into an interrogation room in the small police station, but made Colin wait outside while he questioned her.
She looked at the video camera mounted in the corner just below the ceiling and tried not to fidget or appear nervous in any way.
“Tell me again why you need an attorney, ma’am. You got something to hide?”
“Of course not. He’s here for my wedding. His wife is my best friend.”
“I see.” Chief Taylor eyed her suspiciously, leaning back in the chair. “So, let’s go over why you have the victim’s blood all over you.”
After receiving Alex’s nod of approval, she again explained how she came upon the dead body. Chief Taylor asked more of the usual questions. Did she know the deceased? Were there any problems between the two of them? Did she kill the Reverend?
“I already
Similar Books
