As Kate got out of the car, she watched as DeMarco appeared on the small front porch.Through her smile of greeting, her expression carried the focused intensity Kate had come to recognize when her former partner was processing a complex scene.
"Thanks for coming out," DeMarco said, shaking Kate's hand."I know Duran said this might be straightforward, but there are some elements that don't quite add up.Which is why I suppose he thought it was a good idea to call you."
"What do we know about the victim?"Kate asked.
"Carol Bennett, fifty-four years old.Found dead in her bedroom last night around eight-thirty by her son, Jake."DeMarco gestured toward the front door."Jake had been out job hunting all day and came home to find her unresponsive on her bed."
Kate nodded, following DeMarco up the three concrete steps to the porch.The front door was painted a faded red that might have been cheerful when fresh but now looked tired and weathered.
"The coroner initially ruled it as natural causes," DeMarco continued."A heart attack seemed consistent with her age and medical history.But then something prompted him to run additional tests."
"What kind of something?"
"Position of the body, apparently.She was lying on top of the covers, fully dressed, in a way that suggested she'd sat down and then fallen backward.Not typical for someone experiencing cardiac distress."
They entered the house, and Kate immediately noticed the lived-in quality of the space.The entryway opened directly into a living room furnished with pieces that had clearly been purchased over many years rather than as a coordinated set.A blue sectional sofa dominated one wall, while a mismatched recliner sat angled toward a moderately-sized television.Family photos covered most available surfaces, showing what appeared to be Carol Bennett at various stages of life with a man Kate assumed was her deceased husband and a boy who grew up to become Jake.
"The coroner found evidence she'd been dosed with something?"Kate asked, walking slowly through the living room and taking note of the overall organization.Despite the eclectic furniture, everything was clean and positioned with care.
"Preliminary results suggest a significant amount of a sedative in her system.Something that would have caused the cardiac episode."DeMarco paused by the staircase leading to the second floor."But here's where it gets interesting.Her husband died two years ago, and Jake had been living independently in Baltimore until recently."
Kate examined a bookshelf filled with romance novels and gardening guides, noting the way the books were arranged by height rather than subject."What changed with the son?"
"He lost his marketing job and moved back home just over a week ago.Jake's an only child, stands to inherit everything."DeMarco started up the stairs, and Kate followed."And according to the preliminary estate evaluation, everything includes the house plus investments worth just over a million dollars total."
“Duran mentioned potential political connections.Is that where the million dollars comes in?”
“Sort of,” DeMarco said.“From what I understand, the father was linked to a few local politicians and made big donations before he passed away.But I don’t know that he’s going to factor into this at all.”
The upstairs hallway was narrow, with three doorways visible.Family photos lined the walls here as well, chronicling what appeared to be a close relationship between mother and son.Kate paused at one showing Jake in a graduation cap and gown, Carol and her late husband beaming beside him with pride.
"So we have motive and opportunity," Kate said."What makes this a federal case rather than a straightforward local homicide?"
"Jurisdiction," DeMarco replied, stopping outside what Kate assumed was the master bedroom."Jake's official residence was in Baltimore.His job, his apartment, his voter registration, all in Maryland.If he killed his mother, technically, we're looking at a crime that crosses state lines.Lucky for us, right?"
"Yeah, lucky."Kate peered into the bedroom where Carol Bennett had died.The space was modest but comfortable, with a queen-sized bed positioned against one wall and a dresser opposite.The comforter was slightly rumpled but not in a way that suggested struggle or distress.
"This is where she was found?"
“Yep.”DeMarco entered the room and gestured toward the foot of the bed."Lying across the bed like this, feet still on the floor, upper body back against the mattress.Fully clothed, purse on the dresser, no signs of forced entry anywhere in the house."
Kate walked around the bed, noting the prescription bottles on the nightstand."Her regular medications?"
"Blood pressure, mild antidepressant, and an anxiety medication prescribed after her divorce.All accounted for, proper dosage amounts."DeMarco picked up one of the bottles.
"Any idea what specific drug we're looking at if therewasfoul play?"
"We’re not sure yet.I’m still waiting on the full toxicology report, but the preliminary screen suggests something in the benzodiazepine family.Enough to cause respiratory depression and cardiac arrest in someone her age."
Kate moved to the window and looked out at the backyard, which showed the same combination of mature trees and patchy grass as the front.A small patio held a round table with two chairs, and she could see the remains of a garden that had probably been more ambitious in previous years.
"What's Jake's story about that evening?"she asked, turning back to examine the dresser.The surface held the usual collection of personal items: a jewelry box, reading glasses, a small stack of mail, and what appeared to be a shopping list in careful handwriting.
"He claims he was out between eleven in the morning and five in the afternoon on interviews.He met a friend for dinner after that and arrived home at around 8:30.He says when he called out to his mother, he didn't get a response.There was a pot roast going in the slow cooker, but she was nowhere to be found.He eventually came up here and found her dead.He immediately called 911."DeMarco leaned against the doorframe."Has receipts from a coffee shop and a restaurant where he had lunch, but nothing solid for the entire afternoon."
Kate opened the jewelry box and found it organized with the same care evident elsewhere in the house.Earrings paired and arranged by type, a few modest necklaces, and a wedding ring that Carol had apparently continued wearing despite her divorce.
"Any history of conflict between mother and son?"
