Shades of Darkness by David Archer & McKay Katz

Author:David Archer & McKay Katz [Archer, David & Katz, McKay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Right House
Published: 2024-07-23T00:00:00+00:00

FOURTEEN

I really don’t want to get back in my car and do any more driving, but I know I have to. Talking to people close to victims over the phone is never a good substitute for actually speaking face to face. The personal element is an important part of putting the loved ones at ease but also acknowledging them on a deeper level that helps create a connection. That connection encourages the loved ones to cooperate and give more information about the victim, greatly aiding in the investigation.

Anton’s murder is shocking and, from the little bit of information I’ve been able to get about him, very out of the blue. His file doesn’t indicate any kind of serious criminal past, just brushes with the law about simple traffic violations like many people have, or anything else that would seem to point to him being at higher risk of any kind of violence. Talking to the people closest to him might be a way to find out about any kind of conflict or enemies he might have been dealing with leading up to his death.

The wooden chip in his pocket tells me this goes beyond the personal. It links him to the other two murders, which means his death wasn’t just about him. But that doesn’t mean his family hadn’t heard him mention someone or something wrong in his life during his last weeks.

I get to the police department before Anton’s family, so I have the opportunity to look over the information already gathered by the responding officers and Detective Beecher. I settle into a conference room with a cup of coffee and the papers spread in front of me so I can get as up to date as possible while I wait for Anton’s mother and sister to arrive.

The crime scene photos show the lack of blood caused by the small but extremely damaging bullet that ripped through his body and concentrated its destruction inside rather than causing a lot of external bleeding. He looks like he was just sitting in his car looking out over the river when his killer reached through an open window and shot him directly in the chest. It’s possible if they moved stealthily and fast enough, he wouldn’t have seen the assailant in time. Since his eyes were closed, it’s also possible Anton had dozed off before he was killed and had no opportunity to notice what was about to happen to him.

“Agent Shade?”

I look up and see the detective standing at the door. Two women are behind her, and I quickly put away the papers. I don’t want them to catch a glimpse of the crime scene images and be even further traumatized. I stand up and take a few steps closer.

“Hello,” I say.

“This is Margaret and Sharon Mullins, Anton’s mother and sister.” She looks at them and gestures at me. “This is Agent Rowan Shade from the FBI. She’s heading up this case.”

“Thank you for coming in,” I say. “Please come sit down.

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