Right Behind Her (Bree Taggert #4)(13)

“Are you sure you want to go there?”

“Positive.”

Marge gave her an all right then nod and wrote herself a note.

“I want their homicide case file as well.” If Bree could not outrun her past, she would have to face it.

“I’ll have this today or tomorrow.” Marge snapped her notepad closed. “Physical files this old are in the basement.”

Bree cracked her knuckles. Time to deal with Shawn Castillo. With Shawn’s file tucked under her arm, she left her office. She headed for the break room and filled a mug with coffee. She added a little cream to cool it enough to drink half the mug in three big swallows.

Matt walked in looking as worn out as Bree felt. Above his tightly trimmed beard, his face was flushed from the heat. His short, reddish-brown hair was damp with sweat. At six three, he was built like a Hollywood Viking. In a movie, he’d be played by Chris Hemsworth. His eyes were a piercing blue, and sweat that would be gross on anyone else looked damned fine on him.

Back to work, Bree.

“Coffee or water?” she asked.

“Are we killing time while he stews?”

Bree sipped from her mug. “I’m stalling while I wait for the fingerprint examiner to call.”

“In that case, I’ll have both.” He stopped at the watercooler, filled a stainless-steel bottle, and drank deeply. “And maybe a snack.”

He bought a pack of Peanut M&M’s and a bag of almonds from the vending machine.

“Everything settled at the scene?” She poured coffee into a second mug.

“Yes.” He set his water bottle on the counter and traded the bag of M&M’s for a coffee.

Bree opened her package and ate a candy. “I don’t like leaving the remains overnight. It feels disrespectful. The victims have been waiting for years to be found. They deserve better.”

Matt chugged his coffee, then started on the almonds. “Deputy Juarez will guard the remains overnight. Nothing will happen. What those victims deserve is justice, and proper excavation will ensure the best chance of finding out who they were and who killed them.”

“I know.” But Bree didn’t have to like it.

Matt ate a handful of almonds. Turning, he lowered his voice. “How are you dealing with finding the remains at your family’s house?”

Bree felt the scrutiny of his intense blue eyes. He saw right through her.

“At first it was a shock,” she admitted. “But as I said earlier, I already know my father murdered my mother. If he killed a few more people, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.” Bree took a deep breath. She’d been trying to outrun her horrific past her whole life, but it seemed violence was determined to snap at her heels. Would tragedy always be right behind her?

Shaking it off, she explained about the relationship between Shawn Castillo and Elias Donovan.

“That’s unbelievably bad luck,” Matt said.

“Right? I’ll miss an autopsy tomorrow afternoon.”

Matt caught her gaze. “Do you have another homicide case?”

“I don’t think so. It was an OD, most likely accidental.”

“Then why did you want to attend the autopsy?”

Bree shrugged. “Just in case the ME finds something suspicious.” She pictured the victim’s grieving parents. “His death deserves as much of my attention as any other unnatural death. I like to dot my i’s and all that.”

“You like to make life hard for yourself.”

“Maybe I do,” she admitted. “Randolph County has had a dozen overdose deaths this year, and it’s only July. Something has to be done about the opioid crisis.”

“Bree, you can’t be everything to everyone. You’re only one person.”

Bree nodded. “You’re right. I need to improve my work–personal life balance.”

Marge knocked on the doorframe and poked her head into the room. “Shawn Castillo’s attorney is here. I put him in with his client.”

“Thank you, Marge.” Bree mentally cursed. She had wanted to know if they had a fingerprint match before she spoke with Shawn and his lawyer, but she’d have to wing it.

Her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen. “This is her.” Bree answered, then asked, “Were you able to pull any prints from the backpack?”

“The texture of the backpack exterior fabric was too rough,” the tech began.

Not a surprise.

“What about the objects inside?” Bree remembered plenty of smooth surfaces, including the bag of prescription pills.

“No,” the tech said. “All smudged.”

Damn.

“However,” the tech added, “I found a partial thumbprint on the bag of hydrocodone found in the footlocker. That partial matches Shawn Castillo’s. I haven’t finished with the rest of the evidence. I’m only calling because you wanted a match quickly.”

Bree exhaled. “Thank you for rushing that.”

“No problem, Sheriff. I’ll keep you updated.”

Bree ended the call, hoping more evidence would be forthcoming. Until then, she’d have to bluff.





CHAPTER SIX

Bree repeated the information for Matt.

“Good,” he said. “A solid drug possession charge should allow you to keep him at least overnight.”