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“That’s not how itended up playing out,” Jessie said, “but we think that was the original plan.You sound skeptical.”
Marian shook herhead in disbelief.
“It’s just thatpoisoning someone, wearing a gas mask? That stuff’s not really in Mitch’swheelhouse. He’s good at sales. But chemicals? Knowing him for four years now,I can say that the guy isn’t exactly a science person.”
“Well, people canbe surprising,” Jessie noted, though she was inclined to trust Marian’sassessment. “In any case, we’re going to have an officer accompany you back tothe realty office so you can search the files for anything related to ClarissaLangley. Thanks for your time. I’ll see you out.”
She walked thewoman back to reception and assigned Officer Stoller to accompany her to theoffice. After giving Stoller instructions on what to do once they got there,she returned to the conference room, where she saw that Ryan’s brow wasfurrowed.
“What is it?” sheasked.
“I checked withthe vehicle impound team,” he said. “They have to get Vaughn’s car back to thestation for a comprehensive review. But upon their initial search, they didn’tfind any obvious signs of blood. No gas masks or poison canisters showed upeither.”
“Maybe he gotlucky on the blood,” Jessie suggested unenthusiastically, “and he could havetossed those other things in a dumpster on the way into the office.”
Ryan looked at herskeptically.
“Do you believethat?” he asked.
“It would make analready tight window to get back to the office even smaller,” she conceded,“and I’ve been thinking about what Marian said. Mitchell Vaughn doesn’t seem tohave the meticulous personality required to pull off the first three murders,even if this last one, which was more about brute force, seems like somethinghe could handle.”
They both satsilently at the conference room table, pondering all the permutations in frontof them. The quiet was interrupted by a call on Ryan's phone. He glanced downat it.
“Parker,” he saidwithout enthusiasm. “Maybe I let it go to voicemail?”
Jessie shook herhead.
“Answer it,” shesaid. “She’s our station captain and she deserves an update, even if she’s notgoing to like it.”
Ryan sighedheavily and hit “accept.”
"Hi,Captain," he said, hiding his feelings well. "How are you?"
“Impatient,Detective Hernandez,” she told him. “I understand that you made an arrest, butI haven’t heard anything from you. Everything I know of late comes from yourresearch team. Can I impose on you to share the status of your case?”
“Sorry,” hereplied convincingly. “We’ve been ‘go go go’ for the last hour. Here’s what weknow so far. The suspect we have in custody is Mitchell Vaughn Jr., a realestate agent in the area—.”
“Actually,” Parkerinterrupted, “Jamil and Beth already updated me, so things might go faster if Itell you what I already know, and you fill in what’s missing.”
“Okay,” Ryanreplied, trying to maintain his cool.
“My understandingis that you were able to connect him to two victims through home sales,” Parkersaid. “In addition, Avery Sinclair filed a restraining order against him. Healso appears to have had a personal vendetta against Sinclair that was exacerbatedby some realtor award ceremony just last night, is that correct?”
“Yes, Captain,”Ryan confirmed.
“And I’m told thatthe murder weapon was the very trophy that Sinclair won at his expense.”
“Also true,” Ryansaid.
“That seemscompelling,” she noted drily. “Any connection to Clarissa Langley yet?”
“Not yet,” hesaid, “but we’re checking his office files to see if we can find one.”
Jessie didn’tvolunteer the tidbit that had Ryan not come on so strong with Vaughn they mightalready know if there was a connection.
“Well, evenwithout that, it seems that we have more than enough for the D.A. to filecharges,” Parker said. “You can understand why I’m surprised that I haven’theard anything from you to that effect.”
“Captain, if Imay,” Jessie piped in for the first time, “we feel that might be premature atthis point.”
