Voice with No Echo by Suzanne Chazin

Author:Suzanne Chazin [Chazin, Suzanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2020-01-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

A witness. A piece of evidence.

Vega had less than twenty-four hours to find one or both of those or Lake Holly was going to close down the investigation and label Talia’s death a suicide. Vega sat in his truck, feeling the weight of Greco’s decision and the promise he always made to victims:

Tell me who you were and how you died—and I will get you justice.

So far, he’d failed Talia Crowley. He knew only one way to rectify that. Go back to the beginning. Start over.

Vega left the aqueduct and drove to Greenbriar Lane, hoping that seeing the house again might help him recall something he hadn’t Friday night. The house was still surrounded by yellow crime-scene tape, now sagging from the rain and the endless crisscrossing of cops. A piece of tape had come undone across the driveway, the loose end now swimming in a murky puddle.

Vega got out of his truck and knotted the tape in place again.

“He’s not here,” a voice called across the driveway to him.

Vega turned to see an older white woman by the curb. She was carrying an umbrella and walking a miniature hairball of a dog. The dog was wearing a little raincoat that looked nicer than Vega’s.

“He’s staying with his ex in Wickford,” she added. “In their carriage house. Funny arrangement, if you ask me.” The woman wrinkled her nose. She had sharp eyes that seemed to take everything in and pass judgment on most of it.

Vega stepped over the tape and extended a hand. “Detective James Vega. Do you live on the block?”

“Edith Walker. I’m the one who called nine-one-one. I live next door.”

She pointed a bony finger at a contemporary house about a hundred feet away. “I was walking Walter and saw the water gushing out their basement window. At first, I thought they were watering their lawn. But who waters their lawn at eight at night?”

“Did you know them well?” asked Vega.

“Who knows their neighbors anymore? People are so busy these days. All this social media.” She offered a disapproving look. “They only moved in a few months ago. He was never here. I guess that’s to be expected for a district attorney. And she was always dashing off—probably to some exercise class or whatever. I saw their maid more than I saw them.”

“Lissette?” asked Vega. “Did you talk to her at all?”

“I saw her. I didn’t say I spoke to her.”

“What was she doing when you saw her?”

“Oh, just . . . you know . . . sweeping the driveway. She came out when FreshDirect delivered their groceries. And of course, I saw taxis and cars pick her up and drop her off.”

“How about on Friday?” asked Vega. “Did you see her come or leave?”

“No.”

“How about Thursday night?”

“I didn’t see anyone there at all,” said Walker. “That house was dark all night. Not a single light on. I already told the police all of this,” she said, a note of irritation in her voice.

Vega’s cell phone rang in his pocket.

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