brisk finality. “Whatever case you may have can wait until forensic evidence is available.”
Tyrell stared at Devereux, well aware that his own jaw was hanging open. “It could take months for forensic tests to be completed.”
“Time that can be spent pursuing more viable cases,” Devereux snapped, turning away from the table and casting Tyrell a final glance. “You’re to close the case. That’s an order.”
Tyrell and Lopez both remained silent as Commissioner Devereux strode out of the briefing room, a smirking Cain following her. As they left and closed the door behind them, Captain Powell retook his seat and regarded the two detectives.
“I’m sorry, Tyrell, but it’s gone cold, just let it go for now.”
“Doesn’t the fact that a key witness has just died in a secure institute, and the key perpetrator has conveniently reappeared with an alibi, strike you as just a tiny bit goddamn suspicious?”
“Yes, it does,” Powell conceded, “but there’s nothing that I can do about it, and the kid you’re talking about was a former drug addict with a history of mental problems. You won’t get anywhere near a prosecution with what you’ve got. Go and check out what happened at the hospital, then go home and get a good night’s sleep. We’ll talk about this in the morning.”
Tyrell stared at him for a long moment, and then turned away and strode from the briefing room in disgust, Lopez hurrying after him.
EVANGELICAL COMMUNITY INSTITUTE
IVY CITY, WASHINGTON DC
Suicide.”
The word fell from Tyrell’s mouth to the floor with a thud.
“Two hours ago,” a nurse said as she stood with him in the corridor. “We attempted resuscitation, but it was too late.”
Tyrell stared at the tape cordon blocking access to Daniel Neville’s room. The door was propped open by a small wastepaper bin. Inside, the bed looked recently used. There was no sign of a struggle except for the broken plastic of the door window. Nearby, a tall man with blond hair sat sullenly in a chair with his back to the wall.
“What happened?” Tyrell asked the nurse, feeling numb.
“Daniel was guarded constantly by the police officer you assigned to him. Daniel ate food that was brought here by his mother from the kitchens, and she left once he was tucked up in bed. The police officer remained at the end of the corridor after she left.”
“Who found him?” Lopez asked.
“The handyman, Casey Jeffs. He was walking down the corridor with drinks for the patients when he saw Daniel lying on his bed in a pool of vomit. He shouted for the keys to the room but the duty nurse wasn’t quick enough, so he punched through the plastic window and unlocked the door. Your police officer went with him to help, but Daniel had already passed away.”
Tyrell looked across at Casey Jeffs and recognized him as the man who had been swabbing the floors when they’d first arrived to speak to Daniel Neville. Casey’s hand was bandaged, a soft pink stain betraying where the plastic had cut into his knuckles.
“Casey is a former patient,” the nurse said softly to Tyrell. “He was kept on here as an assistant to help him get on his feet. Daniel’s death has hit him pretty hard.”
As they spoke, the young Latino beat cop assigned to protect Daniel appeared from down the hallway. Tyrell gestured him to join them.
“Officer Gomez,” the cop introduced himself as he shook Tyrell’s hand. “Listen, I don’t know how this happ—”
“Forget it,” Tyrell said. “I just need to know how you found the kid.”
Gomez pointed into Daniel’s room as he spoke.
“Right there, layin’ on his back. Looked like he’d choked on his own vomit. There were pills around him on the bed and on the floor, and one o’ those small bottles they come in. Thing is, the kid was a mess and couldn’t have smuggled anything in there if he’d tried. The staff are real strict about drugs and the patients get their meds hand-fed to them once or twice a day.”
“Who was the last person to see him alive?” Lopez asked.
Gomez thought for a moment.
“I guess I was, an’ before that you were, along with Mrs. Neville and Michael Shaw, one of the orderlies here. Michael wasn’t in the building at the time of death, as his shift had ended. We’ve checked the security cameras already and nobody entered Daniel’s room between the time he was left here and when he was found by Casey.”