Taken to the Grave: A completely unputdownable mystery thriller (A Detective Jo Fournier Novel Book 2) by M.M. Chouinard

Author:M.M. Chouinard [Chouinard, M.M. & Chouinard, M.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781786818256
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2019-09-18T23:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Six

Fueled by pressure from the university, Rockney pushed through the two warrants within the hour. As soon as they were finalized, Jo and Arnett drove to Shawnessy’s house, forensics team and backup officers in tow.

“You didn’t have to get a warrant,” Shawnessy said. “Check whatever you want to check. I’m happy to help any way I can.”

“Tell us about your relationship with Britney Ratliffe,” Arnett asked.

His confused expression deepened. “Britney Ratliffe? I don’t have a relationship with her. I haven’t spoken with her since I left the university.”

“Not even after you found out she’d stolen research from you?”

His face flushed. “No. What would that have accomplished?”

“So you did nothing?”

His eyes flicked back and forth between them. “What could I do? File a complaint against her? I can’t say I have much faith in any of that anymore.”

“What I think you did is murder her, yesterday morning.”

Shawnessy blanched, and took a step back. “Oh God.”

Jo weighed his reaction. While his distress seemed genuine, he was scared. But scared because he was guilty, or because he realized he was a prime suspect?

“Detectives, should we get started in here?” Ron Flores, another senior medicolegal from the lab, had come to conduct the search, since Marzillo was still processing Britney Ratliffe’s crime scene. He and his team had finished an initial search of Shawnessy’s car, and were ready to move inside.

Jo nodded. Arnett turned back to Terry. “Stand here with Officer Murphy and don’t touch anything.”

Jo and Arnett suited up. While Ron’s team worked their way through the kitchen and bathroom, they started with a writing desk in the corner of the living room, and worked their way systematically around the space. When they found nothing suspicious, they moved to the bedroom.

While Arnett went through the laminate Ikea bureau, Jo flipped back the covers on the bed and checked the pillow, then between the mattresses. She opened the nightstand, and froze. “Bob. Take a look at this.”

He glanced up from the drawer he was searching. She lifted out a well-used book, slightly larger than a paperback, with a picture of a tarot card on the cover. She flipped through it; after an introductory section, the book showed each tarot card on the left, with an explanation of the card’s meaning on the right.

“Well, well, well. Turns out Terry has a hobby,” Arnett said.

Terry appeared in the doorway behind them, red-faced, with Officer Murphy at his side, ready to restrain him. “I bought that yesterday when I heard about the tarot cards at the crime scenes.”

Jo stared up at him. “I don’t suppose you kept the receipt?”

He shook his head. “I paid cash.”

“Of course you did,” Arnett mumbled under his breath.

“Where’d you buy it?” she asked.

“Books on Birch,” he answered, without hesitation. Jo knew the shop, one of several used bookstores that catered to both university students and the greater Oakhurst population.

“So they’ll be able to confirm you bought this yesterday.”

The flush on his face deepened further. “I hope so. You know how busy they are.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.