untrue, he told himself. ‘Maybe it was karma. Miss Holden provided assistance to the gunshot victim this morning and I was able to provide assistance this afternoon.’
‘Had you met each other before the incident in the garage?’ Morton asked.
‘No. I saw her on TV, so I knew who she was as soon as I saw her in person.’
Morton appeared unconvinced. ‘You’d have us believe that you were attacked at random, Miss Holden? That it had nothing to do with your Good Samaritan actions this morning or your relationship to Elena Muñoz?’
‘I never said they were unconnected, Detective,’ Paige said, her patience strained. ‘My face is all over the goddamn Internet. People know exactly where I live, thanks to reporters and people making videos. Crazies are bound to come out of the woodwork.’
Morton smiled. ‘You said he was a trained fighter. Not a crazy.’
‘I did, because he knew how to fight. Doesn’t mean he was sane. Or rational. People find out you’re a black belt and they want to prove themselves against you.’
‘That’s happened before?’ Bashears asked, not unkindly.
Paige clenched her jaw. ‘Yes. You know it has. I know you’ve looked me up. And if you haven’t, you’re not doing your damn job.’
Seems like everyone knows her story except me . Grayson opened his mouth to speak when his cell phone began to buzz in his pocket. ‘I’ll be right back,’ he murmured, then stepped aside to take the call just as Bashears did the same.
Maynard took Paige’s arm and led her to a bench, positioning himself between her and Morton, silently daring the detective to say another word.
‘This is Smith,’ Grayson said, not looking away from Paige to check the caller ID. Only family and a few friends and co-workers had this number.
‘It’s Stevie.’ And she sounded worried. ‘JD and I were the only ones not on the sniper so we got sent out on a fresh one. Vic’s name is Denny Sandoval. He owns a bar in a Latino neighborhood. He was found hanging in his bedroom.’
Grayson felt a shiver slide down his spine. He’d seen that name this morning while combing through the Muñoz file. Sandoval owned the bar that Ramon had given as his alibi, but had sworn under oath that Ramon had not been there.
The bar owner lied , Paige had said.
Grayson cleared his throat. ‘Why are you telling me about a suicide?’
‘Because he left a confession note,’ Stevie said. ‘He says he killed Elena Muñoz because she’d cheated on him and he’d attacked her in a rage. He says he shot her when she slowed down for a traffic light. He says he got scared and finished her off with his rifle. He couldn’t live with what he’d done so he hanged himself.’
Elena had alleged new evidence and one of the most damning witnesses for the prosecution had confessed to her murder.
And now that witness was dead. ‘Did you find the weapons?’ he asked.
‘Not all. We found a .22 under the seat of his car, same caliber as the torso shots on Elena. The pistol’s on its way to Ballistics. No sign of the rifle. You asked me about Elena this morning. You never ask unless it’s important. I thought you needed to know.’
You have no idea . ‘Are you working this case?’
‘We’re handing it off to Bashears and Morton. It closes their case. The brass are so damn relieved it’s a murder-suicide and not a serial sniper that they’re all rushing to do a news conference.’
Grayson looked over at Bashears, who was intent in his own phone conversation. Presumably being told the same news. ‘When did the victim die?’
Stevie hesitated. ‘Why, Grayson?’
‘I need to know.’
‘ME estimates time of death at between eleven-thirty and one. The guy’s still warm.’
Not a lot of time to attack Paige and get back to his bar, but just possible on the tail end of the time frame. ‘How tall was he?’
‘Five-ten. Grayson?’
Definitely not Paige’s attacker. ‘Is CSU there?’
‘Should they be?’ she
‘Had you met each other before the incident in the garage?’ Morton asked.
‘No. I saw her on TV, so I knew who she was as soon as I saw her in person.’
Morton appeared unconvinced. ‘You’d have us believe that you were attacked at random, Miss Holden? That it had nothing to do with your Good Samaritan actions this morning or your relationship to Elena Muñoz?’
‘I never said they were unconnected, Detective,’ Paige said, her patience strained. ‘My face is all over the goddamn Internet. People know exactly where I live, thanks to reporters and people making videos. Crazies are bound to come out of the woodwork.’
Morton smiled. ‘You said he was a trained fighter. Not a crazy.’
‘I did, because he knew how to fight. Doesn’t mean he was sane. Or rational. People find out you’re a black belt and they want to prove themselves against you.’
‘That’s happened before?’ Bashears asked, not unkindly.
Paige clenched her jaw. ‘Yes. You know it has. I know you’ve looked me up. And if you haven’t, you’re not doing your damn job.’
Seems like everyone knows her story except me . Grayson opened his mouth to speak when his cell phone began to buzz in his pocket. ‘I’ll be right back,’ he murmured, then stepped aside to take the call just as Bashears did the same.
Maynard took Paige’s arm and led her to a bench, positioning himself between her and Morton, silently daring the detective to say another word.
‘This is Smith,’ Grayson said, not looking away from Paige to check the caller ID. Only family and a few friends and co-workers had this number.
‘It’s Stevie.’ And she sounded worried. ‘JD and I were the only ones not on the sniper so we got sent out on a fresh one. Vic’s name is Denny Sandoval. He owns a bar in a Latino neighborhood. He was found hanging in his bedroom.’
Grayson felt a shiver slide down his spine. He’d seen that name this morning while combing through the Muñoz file. Sandoval owned the bar that Ramon had given as his alibi, but had sworn under oath that Ramon had not been there.
The bar owner lied , Paige had said.
Grayson cleared his throat. ‘Why are you telling me about a suicide?’
‘Because he left a confession note,’ Stevie said. ‘He says he killed Elena Muñoz because she’d cheated on him and he’d attacked her in a rage. He says he shot her when she slowed down for a traffic light. He says he got scared and finished her off with his rifle. He couldn’t live with what he’d done so he hanged himself.’
Elena had alleged new evidence and one of the most damning witnesses for the prosecution had confessed to her murder.
And now that witness was dead. ‘Did you find the weapons?’ he asked.
‘Not all. We found a .22 under the seat of his car, same caliber as the torso shots on Elena. The pistol’s on its way to Ballistics. No sign of the rifle. You asked me about Elena this morning. You never ask unless it’s important. I thought you needed to know.’
You have no idea . ‘Are you working this case?’
‘We’re handing it off to Bashears and Morton. It closes their case. The brass are so damn relieved it’s a murder-suicide and not a serial sniper that they’re all rushing to do a news conference.’
Grayson looked over at Bashears, who was intent in his own phone conversation. Presumably being told the same news. ‘When did the victim die?’
Stevie hesitated. ‘Why, Grayson?’
‘I need to know.’
‘ME estimates time of death at between eleven-thirty and one. The guy’s still warm.’
Not a lot of time to attack Paige and get back to his bar, but just possible on the tail end of the time frame. ‘How tall was he?’
‘Five-ten. Grayson?’
Definitely not Paige’s attacker. ‘Is CSU there?’
‘Should they be?’ she
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