Page 9

EIGHT

Josie’s skin heated again but this time from anger. This was a new level of douchebaggery, even for him, provoking the family member of a homicide victim. “Turner!” Josie growled in warning.

Tilly sighed.

“No,” Mace said through gritted teeth. “This was a first. We have people to ensure the safety of every site—for our own people and the surrounding communities. We abide by all local rules and regulations and we’re OSHA-compliant. My dad just thinks?—”

Tilly touched Mace’s forearm, silencing him. “That’s enough.”

An awkward silence ensued, filled only with Clint’s sniffles. Finally, Josie said, “Do you know why Gina was outside the site?”

Mace shook his head. “Not really, no. I was with her until lunchtime, taking her around. Then I left her to do her own thing. She mentioned wanting to install lights and cameras all along the perimeter fencing. Maybe she was out there to see where they could go.”

Clint touched his wife’s shoulder again. “Till.”

“Not now,” she told him.

Josie continued questioning Mace. “Did you go to lunch with her?”

“No.”

“Do you know where her car is parked?”

Lines creased Mace’s forehead. “Gina’s car? Right outside. It’s not there?”

“We have units searching for it,” said Josie. “Is there somewhere else she might have parked when she returned from lunch? If the spots outside were full?”

“Oh, well I guess out back but…”

“Do you have cameras inside here?” asked Turner. “Inside the site?”

“No,” said Mace. “Although now maybe we should get some.”

Josie recalled meeting Shirley at the rear entrance. “Do you have any cameras in the back to monitor who comes and goes from that entrance?”

“Not yet,” said Mace. “Those were going to be installed this week.”

“How about a security guard?” asked Turner.

Again, Tilly looked at her son expectantly.

Mace ignored her hard stare, but Josie could tell by the muscle twitching in his jaw that he knew she was boring a hole right into the side of his face. “We had two guys out back, but I had given instructions that as soon as the protestors arrive each day, they’re to go to the front and wait just inside in case a fight breaks out.”

That was why the additional two guards had emerged from the entrance so quickly.

“Your security guards,” Josie said. “Did you contract with a company for their services or are they Phelan Construction employees?”

“They work for us,” Mace answered. “All security is handled in-house.”

“When we interview your guys, we’ll see if anyone saw Gina exit the site,” said Turner. “And if they remember what time.”

Clint clutched Tilly’s shoulder again. “I want to see my girl, Till. I need to see her.”

“You can’t see her right now, Dad,” Mace snapped.

Red suffused Clint’s face. “I’m not talking to you. You’re the reason she’s dead?—”

“Jesus, Dad.”

“If she wasn’t always cleaning up your messes, if you hadn’t run this build so irresponsibly, that kid would be alive, and we wouldn’t have protests?—”

Mace’s voice rose to a shout. “The protestors didn’t kill her, Dad! I’ve run this project just like every other one before it. This isn’t on me!”

“Both of you stop this instant,” said Tilly icily.

Josie took the break in their family spat to ask another question that was bothering her. “Gina didn’t have her purse with her. Do you know where it is?”

Mace turned around and pointed to a row of small lockers at the opposite end of the trailer. “In one of those. That’s where she stored it this morning.”

“Gina was here to do all this stuff,” said Turner. “Did she take notes or photos?”

“She did,” said Mace. He walked over to the table Shirley had been using earlier and shuffled some blueprints around until he came up with a clipboard. “She jotted her notes down here. She used her phone to take pictures.”

Turner took the clipboard from him and flipped a few pages before setting it onto Shirley’s desk. “Was Gina having issues with anyone on the site?” he asked.

“No,” Mace answered. “This was the first time she was here.”

“We’ll need a list of all employees who were on the site today,” Josie added. “Any independent contractor. Anyone who might have delivered or picked up materials.”

“Anyone who set foot on this site today,” Turner added.

Denton PD would interview as many of those people as possible when they were done here but the list would ensure they didn’t miss anyone.

Mace’s eyes widened. “You think one of my guys did this?”

“We have to look at every possibility,” said Josie. “How about Gina’s private life? Does she have a boyfriend? An ex who might have been giving her a difficult time?”

“No,” Mace and Tilly answered in unison.

Clint cleared his throat. “She divorced her husband ten years ago. They haven’t talked since.”

Turner fished his phone out of his pocket but didn’t look at it. Josie’s dirty look went unnoticed. His thumb caressed the power button as if he was itching to bring the screen to life. Was he bored with this case already?

“No one who might have been stalking her?” Josie continued.

All three Phelans shook their heads.

She didn’t think Gina had been targeted for personal reasons, but she had to rule it out. Killing an intimate partner and staging the scene to make it look like they were the victim of a random attack was not uncommon.

“Did Gina have any jewelry on today?”

“She knew not to wear jewelry to a build,” said Clint.

Behind him, Mace rolled his eyes. “Except that necklace. Remember, Dad? She always wore it. Mom gave it to her for her fortieth birthday.”

Tilly met Josie’s eyes. “Was it taken?”

“I believe so.”

“This was some kind of robbery?” Mace asked. “Gina was mugged?”

“Could be,” said Turner. “Was the necklace valuable?”

Tilly answered his question but held eye contact with Josie. “Yes.”

“If you’ve got any photos of it,” Josie said, “that would be helpful.”

“That’s all we have for now. We’ll be in touch.” Turner dropped his phone back into his pocket and came up with a business card. “In the meantime, if you have any questions or you come up with any of the stuff we asked for, give us a call.”

Mace crossed the small space, edging past Tilly to take Turner’s card.

“You can also contact me,” Josie said, holding out one of hers. Mace reached for it, but Tilly was quicker, snatching it from Josie’s hand. Their fingers brushed. Tilly pinned her with that intense stare again. It might have been unnerving to anyone else. Watching the two of them, Turner’s fingers started tapping again. Josie could practically hear his thoughts.

This lady is creepy, sweetheart.

But Tilly Phelan didn’t unsettle Josie. She wasn’t creepy. She was a mother who had just lost her daughter to violence.

“You’ll find the person who did this,” Tilly said. It wasn’t a question.