Page 20 of Whispers Left Behind
Friday — 4:06 pm
The autopsy of RachelHanson revealed enough evidence to support that someone other than Calvin Gantz was responsible for her death. No locks of hair had been removed from the victim. Alex had immediately notified Kinsley. While they weren’t any closer to apprehending the guilty party, such confirmation by the medical examiner meant they could now focus on someone other than Gantz.
Alex fixed his gaze on the stainless steel slab. Its cold and unforgiving surface usually reflected the harsh fluorescent lights above, but Rachel Hanson currently lay claim to the table. A sterile white sheet covered her body from the neck down. The peaceful stillness of her pale features contradicted the brutality of her death, and it was as if she would lift her lashes at any moment.
“Kinsley's gonna crush me in Fantasy Football this weekend,” Wally muttered from his place in front of the sink. Water splashed over his large, calloused hands. His thick frame, once accustomed to the grind of college football practices, now leaned heavily against the basin. “And I can't figure out how. She doesn't have any decent running backs and her tight end's stats are laughable. I should have joined Public Relations’ Fantasy Football League. Did you know they pick players based on their color jersey?”
Alex dragged his gaze away from their victim.
“I'm up against Izzy,” Alex replied as he pulled out his phone. Kinsley had texted to say that she was pulling into the station’s parking lot around back. “You’ll get no sympathy from me. Izzy is leading in total points, and it’s not even close. I think she’ll take the pot at the end of the season.”
“All it takes is one injury,” Wally claimed optimistically as he reached for the roll of paper towels hanging from a silver bar. Once he had dried his hands and tossed the used paper towels into the trash, he strolled over to the laptop secured to a rolling tray. He entered a few notes before exiting the software. “The season is far from over. Anyway, I’ll send over my final report later today.”
“And there is no doubt about your findings?”
“I resent that question.” Wally closed the distance to the slab and gently lifted the white sheet until the material coveredRachel Hanson’s face. “Forgoing the lock of hair…unless Gantz was using stilts, he isn’t your killer.”
Wally had been privy to the details of Gantz’s case and had even been cross-examined by Kinsley’s father. Though there hadn’t been any DNA evidence on the bodies themselves, the murder weapon and locks of hair discovered in Gantz’s house had all but made the case open and shut.
At least, that was what they had all believed at the time.
“The angle of the cut suggests that your perp is at least four to five inches taller than Gantz’s five-nine frame.” Wally rubbed his chin in thought. “Do you believe Gantz skipped town?”
Kinsley wasn’t the only one experiencing déjà vu today. That specific question had been on Alex’s mind a lot lately. So often, in fact, that he had posed it to her this morning.
“Think about it,” Wally suggested as the ding of the elevator bank could be heard from down the hall. “Gantz had a ticket to the big leagues with those interviews lined up after the trial. All the national news agencies wanted to sit down with him one-on-one. From what I heard, they were offering quite the figure, too. Why run off?”
“I think Gantz is probably six feet under by now. If it were my daughter…sister…mother…whose killer had walked free, I’d be tempted to take matters into my own hands, too.” Alex shrugged in indifference. “After Gantz’s employer called into the station requesting a welfare check, patrol entered the residence. His clothes were missing from both the dresser and closet. No wallet. No passport. No vehicle. All evidence pointed to him leaving town.”
“And now that a year has gone by without any word from him?”
“No one has officially reported Gantz missing, and it’s not a crime to walk away from a job,” Alex reminded Wally as the sound of heavy footsteps drew closer to the doorway. “Looks likeyou have another case. I’m heading back to the station to meet up with Kinsley. I won’t say a word about her lack of running backs.”
“Hello, gentlemen," Haugen called out in a booming voice as he walked through the open door. He slapped Alex on the back with a hearty thump that reverberated around the room. “Got anything for me on the stiff from yesterday, Wally?”
The momentary distraction allowed Alex to slip out, deliberately seeking out Sam’s partner. Sure enough, Laura Mitchell was standing in the hallway on her phone.
“Half past five.” Laura’s voice was soft, but it still carried down the long corridor. She lifted her head instantly, as if sensing she wasn’t alone. “Make sure you’re ready, kiddo.”
There was no mistaking who was on the other end of the line. Alex remained silent, respecting Laura’s decision to keep her daughter in the dark about dating a fellow detective. No one was aware of their relationship. Not even Kinsley.
In theory, it needed to stay that way.
Only Alex was getting tired of all the sneaking around and not being able to live like normal adults. Something needed to change, and he had given a lot of thought to transferring out of the department. He hadn’t reached a conclusion yet, but it was definitely getting to that point.
“Like I said, we’ll grab something to eat on the way.” Laura paused to listen to her daughter. “Yes. That’s fine. See you then.”
Laura took her time lowering the phone.
She took just as long to disconnect the call.
“Does Thompson know about us?” Alex asked cautiously, positioning himself in front of her while giving them views of both ends of the hallway. “If Cap is going to make a—”
“Hess is retiring.” Laura didn’t soften the blow. It wasn’t in her nature to hold someone’s hand, and that was only one of themany things that had attracted him to her. “I passed my exam, Alex. There’s a good chance I’ll get his spot.”
There was no denying such a promotion was well deserved. Laura had been eyeing a sergeant’s position, and Alex had been behind her all the way. He had expected Ritchie from Robbery to turn in his badge first. Hess just happened to be in homicide.
“Congratulations.” Alex was genuine in his praise, but he didn’t need to be a detective to figure out the direction of this conversation. He wasn’t one who usually made snap decisions, but his hand was forced. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I could put a transfer into Vice. I didn’t want to say anything until—”
