Page 80 of Precise Justice

“How are you doing?” he asked in a quiet, fatherly voice.

Neither Robbie nor Claudia wore streak marks on their cheeks from tears they did not leak. Claudia knew Priscilla too well to be shook about her. Claudia was also aware of Robbie’s relationship with her mother.

“Okay,” they both whispered.

* * *

Upon arriving home, Robbie stayed in her warm car until Claudia arrived. They went in through the front door together. They stood in the foyer yelling for Priscilla for a minute, when there was no response, they began the search. Priscilla was found with blue lips and a chalky, white face peacefully lying in bed. Quite dead. That was almost three hours ago.

There were at least a dozen police officers inside combing through the entire house. Robbie had walked through with a homicide detective, a very familiar one, Lucy Compton. Her partner, Melissa Myles, was also on hand. According to Lucy, they had volunteered when they heard who the victim was.

There were several, somewhat expensive items missing. Mostly jewelry and ceramic pieces.

The total, Robbie figured, was worth maybe twenty thousand if purchased legally. To a receiver of stolen property, a fence, Lucy said, maybe at most, three thousand. More likely closer to two thousand.

Of course, Priscilla had several very nice, expensive, pieces of jewelry. Easily valued at more than a hundred thousand dollars, kept quite safely in a safe deposit box at a very reputable bank.

In the middle of the mayhem was a tall, black, plainclothes man. Lucy had informed Robbie and Claudia that he was their boss. That was evident from the fact that virtually everyone, even the doctor from the medical examiner’s office, deferred to him. His name was Lt. Owen Jefferson.

While Robbie and Claudia sat chatting with patrol Sergeant Olson, Robbie noticed Melissa Myles talking to the lieutenant. When she finished, the two of them approached Robbie and Claudia.

“Robbie,” Melissa almost whispered to her, “They’re going to bring your mother down now. When they do, when they get her downstairs, we would like you to identify her, if you’re up to it.”

While Melissa talked to Robbie, Owen Jefferson stood behind her watching Robbie’s reaction. Not many children of homicide victims eagerly identified the body. Jefferson made a mental note of Robbie’s reaction.

“Yeah, sure,” Robbie replied almost casually. Then she asked, “Are you sure she was killed? Could it have been a heart attack or something like that?”

“The house has been burgled, that’s a certainty. You even identified missing items. Plus, there are definite markings on the side door where someone used a pry bar to punch open the door,” Melissa said.

A uniformed officer was waiting at the bottom of the stairs. When Robbie and Claudia stood up, Melissa signaled to the uniformed officer. He then called out to those upstairs to say that they were ready.

Two men from the M.E.’s office carried Priscilla, covered with a sheet, down on a collapsible gurney. At the bottom, they put the legs down then stood aside.

“You ready?” Melissa asked Robbie while Lucy and Jefferson stood by to watch her reaction.

Robbie shrugged her shoulders a bit and said, “I guess so, let’s do it.”

Melissa lifted the sheet just enough to uncover Priscilla’s face. Robbie looked at her without expression.

“Yes, that’s her. My mother, Priscilla Craig-Powell,” Robbie flatly said.

Melissa covered her face again while Robbie asked, “Did I do okay?”

“Yes, that’s fine,” Melissa replied.

It was then that Claudia let loose a muffled sob while a couple of tears leaked out. Robbie turned and hugged her to comfort her.

All the while, both Owen Jefferson and Lucy silently observed.

While the M.E.’s car was leaving with Priscilla, Robbie asked permission to also leave.

“Yes, that’s enough for now. We’ll be in touch,” Lucy told both Robbie and Claudia.

Walking toward the driveway and their cars, Robbie whispered to Claudia, “You want to go celebrate?”

“It’s a little soon,” she answered trying not to smile.

“What do you think, Owen?” Lucy asked her boss.