Allison Brennan - See No Evil

“A week or so before Judson was shot.”

“What did you say?”

“I told her I’d listen. It was at the shop, after hours. She locked the door, got down on her knees, and gave me a blow job.”

“In your dreams.”

“I swear it, man.” Billy held up his hand. “Got right down on her knees. Then she tells me she has a job for me to do. A test.”

“What kind of test?”

“That’s what I asked.”

“And?”

“She said I had to trust her. That she knew all about what had happened at the school, how I lost my scholarship. That there were other people like me who couldn’t fight back.”

“What did you say?”

“I told her I wasn’t interested. Water under the bridge or some such shit. It creeped me out that she knew all about Judson when she didn’t even go to that school, you know? I mean, it wasn’t like in the papers or nothing.”

“Yeah, sounds suspicious to me.”

Billy seemed relieved that Connor didn’t think he was a dope.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. I didn’t really think about it until after you left, and I didn’t know if it was important. But…you don’t think it has anything to do with Judson’s murder, do you?”

“I don’t know, buddy.”

“I’d feel really bad if something I did or didn’t do got him killed, even if he was an asshole. I didn’t want him dead.”

Detective Will Hooper stared at Garrett Bowen’s body hanging from the elaborate chandelier in Bowen’s pricey mansion in the gated community of Rancho Santa Fe.

He almost couldn’t believe it. It seemed too easy, too convenient.

For the past three days he’d been poring over Wishlist e-mails and came up with the theory that Bowen had used mentally unbalanced kids in his care to play vigilante. Will Hooper didn’t think any teenager could plan and implement Victor Montgomery’s murder. And while Judson’s murder had the feeling of immaturity, the irony and vanishing act of the perpetrators gave Will the distinct impression someone was pulling the strings.

And until now, he believed the puppeteer was Garrett Bowen.

Jim Gage called from upstairs. “There’s a note.”

“What does it say?”

Gage held up the clear plastic evidence bag and read the note inside. “‘I didn’t mean for it to go this far.’”

“That’s it ?”

“That’s it.”

Will didn’t like it. Something was off, but just what he couldn’t say. Had his call to Bowen the day before to set up a “friendly” meeting-letting it intentionally slip that he was interviewing Emily-set Bowen off? Will thought he had been playing the situation perfectly, but now?

What a mess.

He hesitated before calling Dillon Kincaid. He hated that Dillon was on the side of the defense on this case. A half dozen times Will had picked up the phone to ask his opinion about something, but then had to stop himself.

But he also knew Dillon had a heated conversation with Bowen the day before yesterday, and that he and the counselor had been at Bowen’s fund-raiser the night before. That made them witnesses, and dammit, he was going to depose them and find out exactly what they’d been up to since Judge Montgomery’s murder.

Will punched speed dial to reach Dillon’s cell. “Dr. Kincaid.”

“Dillon, it’s Will Hooper.”

“What can I help you with?”

“Bowen’s dead.”

Silence.

“You there?”

“Yes,” Dillon said. “Garrett Bowen is dead ?”

“Hung from his chandelier. Sometime last night after the party. We need to talk.”

“I’ll be at the hospital at noon, as we settled yesterday.”

“I need to know what you know.”

“How did Bowen die?”

“I told you. He hung himself.”

“No, you said he was hanging from his chandelier. Suicide…or murder?”

“He left a note.”

“Is Gage there?”

“Yep.”

“I find it hard to believe a man like Bowen would kill himself.”

Will said, “I was looking at him, Dil, and he knew it.”

“Looking at him for what? Killing Judge Montgomery?”

“No, instigating it. And that teacher, Paul Judson. I know you have the e-mails, so don’t play stupid.”

“I’m not, Will.”

“You’ve been running your own investigation with Connor and the counselor, and it may have led to Bowen whacking himself. I need to know what you know.”

“After you talk to Emily, we’ll talk.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

“It means I’ll tell you everything I can without jeopardizing Emily’s defense. You do think Emily was involved in Montgomery’s death, correct?”

Will stared at Bowen’s body. “I don’t see any other way it could have happened, but at this point, I don’t know what the hell to believe.”

“See you at noon.” Dillon hung up.

Gage called from upstairs. “Will, I got something.”

Will headed upstairs. “Better be good. I need a break right now.”

“I don’t know about good, but it’s damn interesting.” Gage pointed to the railing. “See those scrapes?”

“Barely.”

“They’re faint, probably caused by the buttons on Bowen’s shirt as he leaned over the railing.”

“Okay. So he puts a noose around his head and climbs over the railing.” Will looked up at the chandelier. “How the hell did he get the rope secured?”

“That’s easy. The chandelier is on a chain. It can be lowered mechanically through a panel by the front door, for cleaning.”

“So he lowers the chandelier, attaches the rope, hauls it back up. Why not just put the noose around his neck and let the chain pull him off the ground?”

“The motor might not be designed to pull the additional weight. But that’s not the interesting thing.”

“Then what is?”

“There are no fingerprints on this railing.”

“None?”

“Wiped clean. And I mean clean. Smell that?”

Will took a whiff. “Bleach?”

“Someone wiped down this entire banister.”

“Maybe the cleaners came in after the party last night.”

Gage pointed to the ceiling. “It cracked under the weight of Bowen’s body. When we analyze the breakage, I think we’ll see he came off the ledge here, like these marks indicate.”

“Why didn’t he fight back? I didn’t see any marks on his hands.”

“Maybe he was incapacitated. We’ll be able to tell in the autopsy.”

“This case just gets weirder and weirder.”

“And another thing.”

“What?”

“The paper the note was written on? I can’t find any more of it in the house.”

Connor was on his way to the hospital when Dillon called him. “Bowen’s dead. Possible suicide.”

“Possible?”

“He left a note, but I’m not buying it. Will is meeting us at the hospital at noon. Will’s theory is that Bowen led some sort of vigilante killing team. I think we need to tell Will about the Jason Ridge connection.”

Connor frowned, made an illegal U-turn, and headed toward Julia’s house. “I think I’ll go pick up the counselor.”

“You don’t think she’s in danger?”

“I don’t know, but she’s been asking a lot of questions about Jason Ridge and pulled a bunch of files at the courthouse. She was all over the party last night. If Bowen was involved like Will thinks, that means the killers he created are free to do whatever the hell they want. If Bowen wasn’t involved, someone is trying to make it seem like he is, and they wouldn’t want Julia digging any further.”

“You’re right. Pick her up and we’ll all meet at the hospital.”

Connor sped through the streets toward Julia’s, trying to reach her by phone.