"I hope it works out for you."
"You mind if I look around the house?"
"Yes. I mind."
"Well, it's not really your house, is it?"
"You still need a warrant to search beyond the immediate crime scene unless you have a reasonable suspicion to believe a crime is currently in progress. Do you?"
His eyes narrowed at me, and he didn't answer for a moment. "Well, look who knows the law."
The words just came out of my mouth without having to think about it. Maybe everything was locked away deep down inside my brain, and I just needed the key.
The medical examiner and the forensic team arrived. Camera flashes flooded out of the foyer into the living room as a forensic photographer chronicled the scene.
Local news crews gathered outside, along with a horde of curious neighbors. Officers kept them at bay.
"Will you be able to ID the intruder?" I asked Detective Scarborough.
"I'm sure this wasn't his first offense. He's likely to have a record. If so, it should be pretty easy."
"Check his previous arrests for accomplices," I suggested. Again, the statement just came out of nowhere.
"Yes, we can and will do that. Can you describe his accomplice?"
“6’2”, muscular, dark eyes. He wore a mask. I didn't see his face."
"Did the assailants use any names?"
"No. There wasn't much conversation."
"We’ll talk to the neighbors, review the video doorbell footage, and see what the word on the street is." He paused. "I'll need to get your contact information."
We exchanged numbers, and he gave me a card.
"Does Grayson have any next of kin?"
I hesitated for a moment. "I don't know."
"Don't go anywhere," Scarborough said. He wandered off and made a few phone calls.
I called Tyson. I didn't really know who else to call. It rang a few times before he answered.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Not so great. Kind of nauseous, actually."
"I'm sorry. A little nausea is normal sometimes after a head injury."
"It has nothing to do with my injury. There's been an incident."
"An incident?"
I told him everything.
“I'm in the middle of a case, but I can get there in about an hour and a half."
"You don't have to come all the way up here. I just… need someone to talk to. I don't know what to do."
