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Authors: T. L. Haddix
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in Lexington a call. You said Hart, right?”
“Yeah,” Chase said.
“I talked to him earlier this spring, when we first connected the dots,” Gordon said. “Maybe this will be the break we need.”
“We can hope. Hey, listen, can you drive up tomorrow evening for a powwow at Ethan’s?”
“Let me check.” After a moment, Gordon sighed. “I can, but it’s going to probably be seven or later before I can get there. Is that going to be too late?”
“Shouldn’t be. We’ll see you tomorrow, then.”
After hanging up, Chase waited impatiently for Stacy. When she arrived, he led her back to the kitchen and showed her the package. She studied the papers Chase had spread out on the counter as she pulled on a pair of latex gloves.
“When did this come in?” she asked.
“I’m not sure,” he answered thoughtfully. “Sometime in the last couple of days, I imagine. The postmark is from Saturday. When Nellia gets back, I can ask her. She keeps a log of all the office’s correspondence.”
“Good,” she replied. “So she didn’t open this? You did?”
“That’s correct. Given the fact that I lost my grandfather last week, she figured it was personal correspondence. Obviously, it is, but not the way we expected. He fell silent as she read the contents of the letter.
Raising her gaze to Chase’s, she studied his tense posture before she spoke. “This is pretty blunt. Other than the shock value, was there anything in this that jumped out at you?”
Chase shook his head. “No, not really. How this guy met Kiely, if it’s the truth. That stands out a little, because we never knew before. It doesn’t really help the here and now, though.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Maybe these words will mean something to the detectives in Lexington.” She slid the card and papers into an evidence bag. “I’ll need to get your fingerprints, as well as your staff’s, for comparison. Who’s your mail carrier?”
Chase told her, then added, “Nellia and Gina should be back from lunch soon.”
Stacy filled out the label on the evidence bag, then got out her fingerprint kit. “Roll your sleeves up, Counselor. You don’t want to get ink all over that pretty shirt.”
Chase looked down at the shirt he was wearing. “Probably not,” he said with a sigh. “Beth got me this for Christmas.” He unbuttoned the cuffs and moved the sleeves out of the way before giving Stacy his left hand. She quickly rolled his fingerprints and then did the other hand. As she finished, they heard the front door open. Nellia's and Gina’s voices floated back from the front room.
Chase stepped over to the kitchen door. “Would you mind coming back to the kitchen for a minute? We’ve had a little incident,” he called. He moved to the sink to wash the ink from his hands as the women hurried back through the office.
Gina came into the kitchen ahead of Nellia. “What’s up, boss? Oh, hi, Detective Kirchner,” she said, startled. “Everything okay?”
His face grim, Chase explained the situation. “I can’t go into too many details, but I received a card from someone possibly involved in the death of Kiely Turner. Detective Kirchner needs to get fingerprints from both of you for comparison to rule out contamination.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Gina said, concern evident on her face. “Whatever you need.”
Stacy had gotten a new card ready, and she motioned Gina over. As she took the prints, she asked Nellia about the correspondence log. “Chase mentioned you keep track of all the mail?”
“Yes, I do,” Nellia confirmed. “Because so much of what comes in here is related to current or pending court cases, it’s necessary to record everything. It makes life a lot simpler. I’ll get that log for you as soon as we’re finished here.”
“That will be tremendously helpful.” Stacy started taking Nellia’s prints. “The card I need the information on was mailed from Lexington, Kentucky.” When she finished, Nellia
“Yeah,” Chase said.
“I talked to him earlier this spring, when we first connected the dots,” Gordon said. “Maybe this will be the break we need.”
“We can hope. Hey, listen, can you drive up tomorrow evening for a powwow at Ethan’s?”
“Let me check.” After a moment, Gordon sighed. “I can, but it’s going to probably be seven or later before I can get there. Is that going to be too late?”
“Shouldn’t be. We’ll see you tomorrow, then.”
After hanging up, Chase waited impatiently for Stacy. When she arrived, he led her back to the kitchen and showed her the package. She studied the papers Chase had spread out on the counter as she pulled on a pair of latex gloves.
“When did this come in?” she asked.
“I’m not sure,” he answered thoughtfully. “Sometime in the last couple of days, I imagine. The postmark is from Saturday. When Nellia gets back, I can ask her. She keeps a log of all the office’s correspondence.”
“Good,” she replied. “So she didn’t open this? You did?”
“That’s correct. Given the fact that I lost my grandfather last week, she figured it was personal correspondence. Obviously, it is, but not the way we expected. He fell silent as she read the contents of the letter.
Raising her gaze to Chase’s, she studied his tense posture before she spoke. “This is pretty blunt. Other than the shock value, was there anything in this that jumped out at you?”
Chase shook his head. “No, not really. How this guy met Kiely, if it’s the truth. That stands out a little, because we never knew before. It doesn’t really help the here and now, though.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Maybe these words will mean something to the detectives in Lexington.” She slid the card and papers into an evidence bag. “I’ll need to get your fingerprints, as well as your staff’s, for comparison. Who’s your mail carrier?”
Chase told her, then added, “Nellia and Gina should be back from lunch soon.”
Stacy filled out the label on the evidence bag, then got out her fingerprint kit. “Roll your sleeves up, Counselor. You don’t want to get ink all over that pretty shirt.”
Chase looked down at the shirt he was wearing. “Probably not,” he said with a sigh. “Beth got me this for Christmas.” He unbuttoned the cuffs and moved the sleeves out of the way before giving Stacy his left hand. She quickly rolled his fingerprints and then did the other hand. As she finished, they heard the front door open. Nellia's and Gina’s voices floated back from the front room.
Chase stepped over to the kitchen door. “Would you mind coming back to the kitchen for a minute? We’ve had a little incident,” he called. He moved to the sink to wash the ink from his hands as the women hurried back through the office.
Gina came into the kitchen ahead of Nellia. “What’s up, boss? Oh, hi, Detective Kirchner,” she said, startled. “Everything okay?”
His face grim, Chase explained the situation. “I can’t go into too many details, but I received a card from someone possibly involved in the death of Kiely Turner. Detective Kirchner needs to get fingerprints from both of you for comparison to rule out contamination.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Gina said, concern evident on her face. “Whatever you need.”
Stacy had gotten a new card ready, and she motioned Gina over. As she took the prints, she asked Nellia about the correspondence log. “Chase mentioned you keep track of all the mail?”
“Yes, I do,” Nellia confirmed. “Because so much of what comes in here is related to current or pending court cases, it’s necessary to record everything. It makes life a lot simpler. I’ll get that log for you as soon as we’re finished here.”
“That will be tremendously helpful.” Stacy started taking Nellia’s prints. “The card I need the information on was mailed from Lexington, Kentucky.” When she finished, Nellia
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