stairs, knowing the kid was right about Lairmore and feeling even more tense. He needed to get Melanie talking about her family, particularly Dr. Harper Stokes. He needed to start tying this stuff together in a nice, clean case analysis.
Behind him Chenney lugged the heavy vacuum cleaner and fingerprint kit. “Well, if they're paying us the big bucks, why can't he afford a personality?”
Things smoothed out upstairs. David had to give the junior agent some credit. At the first sight of the altar with the now-extinguished candles and child's toy, Chenney settled right down, donning a pair of latex gloves and looking all business. By the time Melanie walked into the room clad in a nubby wool sweater and ripped-up jeans, he'd already started documenting the scene.
David made the introductions. He was aware of how young and fresh Melanie looked with her un-made-up face and clipped-back long blond hair. They caught Chenney up on the situation. He took a lot of notes, then they took a little field trip across the hall to Brian's room.
It seemed very dark, decorated in shades of forest green and deep burgundy. Brian hadn't lived in the house for ten years, but the big captain's bed carried the clear imprint of someone having sat on it.
“So the subject sneaked up here after the party, made himself comfortable, and waited for lights-out,” Chenney deduced, then ruined the professional image by looking to David for approval.
“You're the cop,” David reminded him with a bit of an edge. The rookie stood straighter, then looked at Melanie Stokes.
“Well, at least he wasn't trying to hurt you, ma'am,” Chenney said.
Melanie was startled. “What do you mean?”
“If the guy was here all night, he could've come into your room anytime. But he waited until you left to make his move. Just look at the candles. Votives are good for about eight hours. They were nearly burned down to the base by two P.M. So we can assume he entered your room after four A.M. — when you had vacated the premises.”
“Thank God for small favors,” Melanie muttered.
Chenney shrugged. “The perp definitely didn't want to have a confrontation with you, ma'am. At this stage, he just wants to do his little displays. So you figure he sets it up while you're gone. Forty-four candles, the horse, the fabric. I'd say it took him at least an hour. So maybe he departed the house around six—”
“He couldn't depart,” Melanie interrupted with a shake of her head. “That would set off the alarm system. Any opening of an external door, whether from the inside or outside, activates the system.”
They all looked back at the bed. “So he set it up, lit it, and went back into hiding,” Chenney said.
“Waited until someone got up and deactivated the alarm.” David filled in the picture in his head and liked none of it. “Then he just sauntered out the front door.”
Melanie was looking shaken again.
“There's another consideration,” David mused out loud. “The subject was already in the house. He/she/it could've chosen any room for the display, but he went to Melanie's room, not her parents'. I'd say that makes you the target, not them.”
Chenney seemed a bit taken aback by this blunt disclosure, but Melanie simply nodded. David hadn't thought she'd mind. From what he could tell, Melanie worried a lot more about her family than she did about herself.
“It's getting late,” she said at last. “I'm surprised my mother hasn't come home as it is, so…”
Chenney took that as his cue. “I'm gonna need an hour or so. You start thinking of a plausible excuse for my presence, I'll start working through the scene.”
“Thank you, Detective.”
“No problem, ma'am!” Chenney left.
Melanie and David were suddenly alone. She crossed over to the large bank of windows, looking out over the Public Garden, where the cherry trees were in bloom and young lovers were walking hand in hand. With the fading sunlight catching her profile in shadows,
Behind him Chenney lugged the heavy vacuum cleaner and fingerprint kit. “Well, if they're paying us the big bucks, why can't he afford a personality?”
Things smoothed out upstairs. David had to give the junior agent some credit. At the first sight of the altar with the now-extinguished candles and child's toy, Chenney settled right down, donning a pair of latex gloves and looking all business. By the time Melanie walked into the room clad in a nubby wool sweater and ripped-up jeans, he'd already started documenting the scene.
David made the introductions. He was aware of how young and fresh Melanie looked with her un-made-up face and clipped-back long blond hair. They caught Chenney up on the situation. He took a lot of notes, then they took a little field trip across the hall to Brian's room.
It seemed very dark, decorated in shades of forest green and deep burgundy. Brian hadn't lived in the house for ten years, but the big captain's bed carried the clear imprint of someone having sat on it.
“So the subject sneaked up here after the party, made himself comfortable, and waited for lights-out,” Chenney deduced, then ruined the professional image by looking to David for approval.
“You're the cop,” David reminded him with a bit of an edge. The rookie stood straighter, then looked at Melanie Stokes.
“Well, at least he wasn't trying to hurt you, ma'am,” Chenney said.
Melanie was startled. “What do you mean?”
“If the guy was here all night, he could've come into your room anytime. But he waited until you left to make his move. Just look at the candles. Votives are good for about eight hours. They were nearly burned down to the base by two P.M. So we can assume he entered your room after four A.M. — when you had vacated the premises.”
“Thank God for small favors,” Melanie muttered.
Chenney shrugged. “The perp definitely didn't want to have a confrontation with you, ma'am. At this stage, he just wants to do his little displays. So you figure he sets it up while you're gone. Forty-four candles, the horse, the fabric. I'd say it took him at least an hour. So maybe he departed the house around six—”
“He couldn't depart,” Melanie interrupted with a shake of her head. “That would set off the alarm system. Any opening of an external door, whether from the inside or outside, activates the system.”
They all looked back at the bed. “So he set it up, lit it, and went back into hiding,” Chenney said.
“Waited until someone got up and deactivated the alarm.” David filled in the picture in his head and liked none of it. “Then he just sauntered out the front door.”
Melanie was looking shaken again.
“There's another consideration,” David mused out loud. “The subject was already in the house. He/she/it could've chosen any room for the display, but he went to Melanie's room, not her parents'. I'd say that makes you the target, not them.”
Chenney seemed a bit taken aback by this blunt disclosure, but Melanie simply nodded. David hadn't thought she'd mind. From what he could tell, Melanie worried a lot more about her family than she did about herself.
“It's getting late,” she said at last. “I'm surprised my mother hasn't come home as it is, so…”
Chenney took that as his cue. “I'm gonna need an hour or so. You start thinking of a plausible excuse for my presence, I'll start working through the scene.”
“Thank you, Detective.”
“No problem, ma'am!” Chenney left.
Melanie and David were suddenly alone. She crossed over to the large bank of windows, looking out over the Public Garden, where the cherry trees were in bloom and young lovers were walking hand in hand. With the fading sunlight catching her profile in shadows,
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