Part 71 (2/2)
Not trusting her voice yet, she nodded.
”You find it, call it in. Coincidentally, the lead detective on Landon's wife's homicide gets a call from an anonymous source-on a prepaid cell that pinged from a local tower-claiming, three weeks after the incident, he saw a woman with your hair and body type walking away from the crime scene on the night in question.”
”And Detective Wolfe believes him.”
”Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't, but he'd like to hook a search warrant with it. It screams setup, and a clumsy one at that, so I think Wolfe's not buying it, but like I said, he wouldn't mind giving your place a look.”
”There's nothing here. Nothing ... but that gun.”
”We'll go through the process. I can get a warrant for a search, but it'd be easier all around if you just gave your permission.”
She didn't want it; it made her a little sick inside. But more, she wanted it over. ”All right, search, look, do whatever you have to do.”
”Good. When we finish, I want you to make sure this place is locked-including windows.”
”Yes, I will. And I think I'll spend the nights either at Bluff House or with my next-door neighbors until ... for a while.”
”Better yet.”
”Do you have to tell Eli now?” She dropped her hand when she realized she'd been twisting the smoky quartz pendant she wore-one made in her craft room-around and around on its chain. ”It's just his family's coming. They're probably here now for Easter. Something like this is going to upset everyone.”
”Until I need to talk to him again, I don't have to tell him anything.”
”Good.”
”I've called for somebody to come in, check for prints, but-”
”There won't be any. But it's the process.”
”That's right.”
She got through it. Little house, she thought, didn't take long. She stayed out of the way, stayed outside when she could. This was how Eli had felt, she realized, how he must've felt when the police came, to check, to search, to look for evidence. He must've felt, for that bubble of time, the house wasn't his. His things weren't his things.
Vinnie stepped out. ”They're finis.h.i.+ng up. Nothing,” he told her. ”No prints on the window, on the box, on the contents.” He gave her back a quick rub. ”The search is a formality, Abs. You okaying it without a warrant only adds weight to this being a setup.”
”I know.”
”Want me to hang out with you awhile?”
”No, you should go home to your family.” To dye Easter eggs, she thought, with his little boy. ”You didn't have to stay this long.”
”I want you to call me, anytime, for anything.”
”I will. Count on it. I'm going to put myself together a little and go down to Bluff House. I want to see Hester.”
”You give her my best. I can wait until you're ready to go.”
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