Have Yourself a Merry Christmas Murder by Scott Dennis Parker

Author:Scott Dennis Parker [Parker, Scott Dennis]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: H-Town Books

27

LAUREN PROVIDES PROOF

“Get the hell out of the house,” Tyler said.

He stood in the backyard, hands on his waist, as if he was waiting on a child to comply after being caught red-handed, which, Lauren admitted to herself, she actually was. But this was too important.

“I will, but you have to come in first and see this,” Lauren said. She beckoned Tyler to climb through the open window. “Look, I get that you have to dust for prints on the doorknob, that’s why I came through the window. I didn’t touch anything. But if you have to, put on some gloves and give me some. I have to show you what I found at the crime scene.”

Both Alex and Tyler looked at her with surprise. “Crime scene?” Tyler asked.

“Well, I don’t think this is the main crime scene,” Lauren admitted, “but it’s part of it. C’mon, I’ll show you.”

Alex started forward but Tyler put a restraining hand on his arm. “Sorry, Alex, but if I’m going to do this, then there has to be only one civilian contaminating the scene.” Alex nodded once and stepped back. Tyler slipped on a pair of blue latex gloves. Then, with a shake of his head, he entered the Jimenez house through the window.

“I can’t believe you did this,” he scolded. “If there’s a crime committed, you have contaminated the scene.”

“I know and I’m sorry, but I was too worried about Isabell to wait. And when you see what I saw, you’ll think the same.”

“I’ll be the judge of that. Well, show me, and don’t touch anything.”

Lauren gave him a look like she hadn’t already known that and didn’t need to be reminded. As she led Tyler to the bedroom, she pointed out Isabell’s high school graduation photo. “Remember that day?”

“Absolutely. And I remember how we celebrated.”

She gave him a coy smirk. “You mean at my house?”

He arched his eyebrow. “That, too.”

They walked down the hall to the bedroom. When they passed one of the doors to the kids’ rooms, she asked, “Have you met Isabell’s husband or her kids?”

“A few times. When you live in Vargas, it’s big enough that you don’t see everybody all the time, but small enough that you see most people from time to time. I’ve run into them at H.E.B. or at the park. Also met them when I did one of those talks we cops give to elementary school students.”

Despite the situation, Lauren laughed at her imagined image of Tyler McKenna, in uniform, giving a presentation to a roomful of kids. It was a far cry from the Tyler she knew back in the day.

“What? Why’d you laugh?”

“It’s nothing, really. I promise. It’s just that, you know, when we broke up, you were kind of different. More carefree, more likely to skate through life with as little responsibility as possible. Now, you’re a policeman with all sorts of responsibilities.”

“Things change,” Tyler said. “People can change.”

“Obviously.”

“Have you changed?”

Lauren slowed as she got to the master bedroom door and paused.

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