Page 24 of The Bridesmaid

‘I’m notafraidof it,’ grumbles Fitzwilliam. ‘I just believe in honest sleuthing.’

I put my sample in the chute. I press buttons. The spectrometer bleeps and whirs as it analyzes.

‘Blood,’ I confirm.

‘That thing can detect blood?’ Fitzwilliam scowls at it.

‘Not directly,’ I say. ‘It analyzes the absorption of light by molecules present in blood and—’

‘So this could be the murder weapon?’ Ortiz sounds hopeful.

‘Forensic report said she was beaten to death with a heavy blunt instrument,’ I say. ‘Something heavy. Smooth and consistent in shape. I’d say this would be a dead ringer.’

We all stare at the thick upright.

I shiver, wrapping my arms around me. ‘Maybe the killer knew about the forensic process,’ I say. ‘They knew to turn the temperature down in here to throw out the time of death.’

I pick up my UV light and start walking the room methodically, starting with the entrance, examining the doorway.

‘From what you told me about the case,’ I say. ‘The three dresses. The hair cut off. Whoever killed Simone is likely the same person who kidnapped Adrianna three years ago. At her twenty-first birthday party. Right?’

‘Yes,’ admits Fitzwilliam. ‘We are strongly investigating that connection.’

‘The kidnapper was never caught. No leads?’

‘As I told you before, it wasn’t our case,’ says Fitzwilliam. ‘The kidnap happened out on the family’s private island – Elysium.We’ve had to get files from the Colombian police. And the paperwork is patchy to say the least.’

I consider this, thinking back to the news reports. ‘Adrianna believed her kidnapper intended to kill her, right?’

‘That’s what finally drove her to dislocate her wrist, and escape the handcuffs,’ agrees Fitzwilliam. ‘She was convinced her captor would kill her after cutting her hair.’

‘Because?’

‘There were two dolls in the room,’ says Fitzwilliam. ‘Each day, the kidnapper cut the hair from a doll, then strung it up by the neck. The third day they cut Adrianna’s hair. She figured it was her turn next. Question is, why would a kidnapper take Adrianna, then come back three years later and kill her bridesmaid?’

‘It’s symbolic,’ I say, immediately. ‘A wedding is symbolic.’

Fitzwilliam rolls his eyes. ‘Save the criminal profiling for court.’

‘What’s your theory?’

‘Money. Or revenge. The Kensingtons are billionaires. This wedding is worth a lot of money to a lot of people.’

I come to a halt, where the carpet meets the wall.

‘Come look at this,’ I say. ‘I think this is where she died.’

Ortiz moves in close. ‘I think I see something,’ she decides. ‘Looks like an old stain on the wall that’s been cleaned off.’

I’m opening my bag excitedly. I have a hunch about this.

‘What are you doing?’ asks Fitzwilliam carefully, as I pull a little spray bottle from my bag and shake it. ‘This is a crime scene. Hey!’ He makes a grab for my hand as I spritz the wall.

‘Don’t you have any decorum at all?’ he demands. ‘This isn’t your crime scene.’

I ignore him, watching the effect of the spray. It emits a faint bluish glow. ‘Thought so,’ I say grimly. I turn to Ortiz. ‘Luminoloxidizes in the presence of hemoglobin. This is blood. Would you mind turning out the lights?’

‘Best find out where she’s going with this,’ shrugs Ortiz. Fitzwilliam crosses the room and snaps the lights out.