No Accident by Steven F. Havill

Author:Steven F. Havill
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2022-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

“I’ll keep you posted,” Eddie Mitchell said, and shortly after that, Estelle settled in the front passenger seat of Officer Scott’s squad car. She knew that there was nothing else for her to do at this scene except to execute a thorough staying out of the way. She counted Lieutenant Sid Beaumont, Sergeant Jake Kesserman, and eight other officers from the two departments—five uniformed and three plainclothes—taking the dumpster evidence apart, one molecule at a time.

No matter how skillfully athletic, it would be difficult to hoist a dead body—even one as slight as Wilke’s—clean over the rim of the dumpster without leaving something incriminating behind. Corpses were uncooperative and awkward to handle. One-hundred-thirty pounds of dead weight, up and over the tall rim of the dumpster would have been a challenge, no matter what. And not something to be done silently. One person might be able to manage, given sufficient strength. Two people were more likely.

The investigators might recover a strand of clothing fiber, perhaps. A tiny smear of tissue and blood where the sharp edges of the dumpster scraped a wrist or the back of a hand. For the detectives, it would be a long night.

Officer Scott waited patiently for her to say something, and it was several minutes before she realized, as lost in her thoughts as she was, that he was watching her.

“I’m sorry. I’m wasting your time.” She offered an apologetic smile as she slipped the holster off her belt and ripped the Velcro fasteners loose from the ballistic vest. After a contortionist’s struggle, she pulled it off, folded it neatly, and laid it on the center console, placing the consultant’s ID on top. “I’ve never done this before.”

“I don’t follow. Never done what? And you may still need that ID, ma’am.”

She patted the laminated plastic, content with its place in the return pile. “Leaving a crime scene like this, Officer. Were this back on my home turf, were my son not in a California hospital, I’d work this case all night.” She nodded at the squad of police around the trash container. “Just like these officers.”

“I’m on until two,” Scott said helpfully. “Then we can find you another driver. You can work all night if you want to.”

“I don’t want to. I mean I do, but I’ve already been away from the hospital too long. That’s where I need to go.”

“You got it. Did you sign out?”

“Yes.”

“Good deal.” He pulled the car into gear and backed away from the police tape.

“I understand you worked with Captain Mitchell in years gone by.”

“Yes, indeed. He was with our department.”

“Oh, wow.” He glanced sideways at Estelle. “He’s cool.”

Estelle laughed. “Yes. Eddie Mitchell is certainly that.”

By the time they reached Temerly, it was as dark as it was ever going to be with the myriad lights—street, parking lot, entryway, and vehicle headlights—diluting the night. Out of habit, as she got out of the car she looked up into the night sky and saw illuminated haze from horizon to horizon.

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