Page 37 of Beyond Her Reach (Bree Taggert #10)

Matt paced the space in front of the whiteboard in the conference room. “Can we arrest Troy Ryder for the murder of Kelly Gibson?”

“I’d like another piece of evidence,” Bree said. “The box cutter is tainted by the weird car chase and the fact that we never saw the driver’s face. But I will put a deputy on his house. I want to know where he is at all times until we catch this killer.”

“What about the sock?” Todd asked.

Bree flattened her palm on the table. “If the DNA is Troy’s, he can explain it away. His house. His blood. No link to Kelly’s murder. If it’s someone else’s blood, then how did it get into his bedroom? Does that strengthen his claim that someone broke in?”

“Maybe it belongs to the cleaning ladies,” Todd suggested.

“Or.” Matt’s mind went darker. “Is there another victim we haven’t found yet?”

Bree’s answering look was grim. Had that possibility already occurred to her?

“Run the phone number Troy gave for the cleaner,” Bree said. “Let’s get as much information about her as we can before we attempt to make contact. Then I’ll have Zucco make the call, and she’ll go with me for the meet.”

Matt nodded. “Zucco is good with languages, and two women are less threatening.”

“We’ll also focus on Janet Hargrave’s crime scene today,” Bree said. “Review Troy’s phone records again with the Hargrave murder in mind. Janet’s phone also needs a deep dive. Her financials, once we get those, will need reviewing as well.”

“On it.” Todd typed on his laptop. “Subpoenas have been sent to the dating app service for both Janet’s and Troy’s dating history. Rory is working on accessing Janet’s app on her phone as well.”

Bree said, “Let’s not assume the two murders are related or that they aren’t. Today, we follow the evidence.”

Her phone buzzed. “It’s Dr. Jones.”

“Already?” Matt asked.

“She said she was going to do the autopsy first thing this morning.” Bree answered the call on speakerphone.

The medical examiner dived right in. “The time of death stands as noon to four p.m. yesterday. The cause of death is as expected, exsanguination due to throat cutting.”

“Any indication as to what the murder weapon could have been?” Matt asked.

“The wound’s deeper and more extensive than Kelly Gibson’s,” Dr. Jones said. “Possibly from a very sharp and more substantial blade.”

Matt pictured Janet’s knife block and its empty slot. “A five-inch chef’s knife is a possibility?”

“Yes,” the ME said. “We’d have to compare the actual knife to the wounds to confirm, but it’s a definite possibility.”

Which meant they had to find it.

The ME continued. “I’ll send a preliminary report in a few days, but I know you wanted the pertinent details quickly.”

Bree thanked her and ended the call.

The door opened, and Marge stepped into the room. “Madeline Jager—”

She didn’t even finish her announcement before the woman in question barged in. Today, Jager wore a suit in an ice blue that matched her heart. Bree and Jager had reached a weird truce, but Matt wasn’t on board. Politicians couldn’t be trusted.

“What the fuck is going on?” Rather than a heated exclamation, Jager’s question was delivered in a cold, angry voice.

“I’m sorry,” Marge said to Bree, then shot eyeball daggers at Jager. Clearly, Marge wasn’t on board the Jager train either.

“Not your fault. I’ll handle it from here,” Bree said.

As she withdrew from the room, Marge gave Jager a look that would have intimidated most people. But Jager didn’t even notice. She was focused on the murder board. Her eyes reflected her horror at the photos, but as her gaze moved across the board, her expression tightened, shifting into anger.

As soon as the door closed, she dropped into a chair and waved at the board. “Tell me what’s happening.”

Matt knew Bree did not like to share information outside the department, but Jager did work for the county, and she was good at PR, something Matt wished they didn’t have to worry about.

They should be able to solve crimes without worrying about the press.

But that wish was pure fantasy. In the real world, politicians controlled the department budget.

“We had another murder last night,” Bree said.

Jager rolled a hand in the air. “Yes. That’s why I’m here.” Her tone was an implied duh that made Matt bristle.

Bree reviewed the basics. “So, the two crimes are very similar, including aspects of the cases that we didn’t release to the press. For example, the fact that both women had their throats slit. We suspect both were killed with weapons found at the scene.”

“And Troy Ryder dated both women?” Jager clearly had her own sources of information.

Bree nodded. “Yes, but he claims to have an alibi for Janet’s murder.”

“Then you’d better get to it proving he doesn’t,” Jager said. “We need to make an arrest for these murders before the public goes ballistic.”

We?

Matt said, “We need to solve the cases.”

“Arresting the wrong person would definitely not help,” Bree said. “The real murderer would be free to kill again, and it would appear as if we railroaded Troy. We’d lose the public’s confidence.”

Matt tossed one of Jager’s favorite words back at her. “The optics would be terrible.”

Jager raised both hands in a surrender gesture. “Let’s not argue. We’re on the same side.”

Sort of.

“Speaking of public confidence, we need to give a press conference ASAP.” Jager rose and smoothed her skirt. “People need to know we’re on top of this.”

Bree snorted and uttered a rare admission. “But are we?”

Jager frowned. “We fake it until we make it.”

“I hate that expression. A homicide investigation cannot and should not be faked.”

“It’s an expression.” Jager rolled her eyes. “The public trusts you. We want to maintain that trust to avoid panic.”

To avoid losing an election.

Bree opened her mouth, then closed it. Her eyes changed from doubtful to purposeful.

“A press con is a good idea.” What was she planning?

Matt could tell from the way Bree’s eyes shut down that whatever she was going to do, Jager wouldn’t approve of it.

“I’ll have Marge set it up for this afternoon. ”

Jager shook her head. “No need. We need to do it sooner than that. I already made the arrangements.” She checked her watch. “For eleven o’clock.”

“It’s ten thirty now.” Bree wore her give me strength face. Not many people could get under her skin, but Jager had a special knack, like a human fillet knife.

“Yes, that way we only have to deal with a few reporters instead of a hundred. If you give them too much notice, this place will be a circus, and the second murder will look like much bigger news. A quick question-and-answer session with a handful of reporters makes today seem like business as usual.”

“Except for two women whose throats were slashed,” Matt said, his own anger rising. He hated to see Jager use her position to further her own agenda.

Jager shot him a glare. “You don’t get a microphone, which is a damned shame because you are working that ruggedly handsome thing.”

“I’m happy to be left out of it,” he said. Bree was much better at public speaking and thinking on her feet. Matt would tell them all to go scratch.

“You stand behind the sheriff and look formidable,” Jager said. “I’m going to freshen up my makeup.” She squinted at Bree. “You should do the same. You always look so washed out on video.”

A muscle in Bree’s jaw twitched as Jager left the room.

Bree went to her office, reached into her drawer, and pulled out a little mirror. She smoothed her hair.

Matt followed, leaning in the doorway. “You don’t need makeup.”

“She’s right. The camera makes me look like a corpse.” She shoved the mirror back into her drawer. “I just don’t care. And Jager is also right about the smaller press con optics, though I hate that word and everything it represents so much.”

“Same.”

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before raising her lids again. “I’m going to use the bathroom and get a drink of water before it starts.”

A few minutes later, the three of them met in the lobby.

“Damn,” Jager muttered under her breath. “That’s more reporters than I had anticipated.”

At least forty people crammed into the lobby. Half of those were reporters, plus some cameramen.

Bree took point. Jager stood at her side. Matt stayed in the background. He had no intention of answering any questions.

Bree began with a prepared statement. “Last night, the body of Janet Hargrave was found in her home on County Line Road. The medical examiner has determined that Janet was killed on Thursday.”

The press didn’t let her finish before they began yelling out questions. “Was she killed the same way Kelly Gibson was killed?”

Bree leaned into the mic. “Yes.”

Another reporter followed up. “Is there a serial killer in Randolph County?”

Jager’s head shook slowly, anticipating Bree to answer in the negative. But Bree said, “We don’t know, but it is possible.”

Jager’s eyes widened, and her head swiveled to stare at Bree. With her red hair and wide-open eyes, she reminded Matt of that horror-movie doll, Chucky.

Bree ignored the glare. “We’re working day and night to solve these cases. Until we do, please be careful. Lock your doors. I’d like to tell you all there’s nothing to worry about, but I can’t do that. We just don’t know what we’re dealing with yet.”

“Do you have suspects?” another reporter called.

“We are questioning several persons of interest,” Bree said.

Jager elbowed her way to the mic. “That’s where you can help. The sheriff’s department has set up a tip line. If you know anything about these crimes, or you saw anyone suspicious on Oak Street on Monday late afternoon or on County Line Road Thursday afternoon, please call the number.”

Again?

Jager had announced nonexistent tip lines in the past, and each time Bree was angry. Now she would need to pull a deputy from patrol or the investigation to man a phone. Then additional man-hours would be required to follow up on any tips.