Dead of Winter (Cold Case Psychic #15) - Pandora Pine Page 0,43
eating like that,” Jude said.
Tennyson shook his head no. He knew what that meant. “She’s bulimic. Cassie got Jennifer settled with a latte before we got back to speak with her, but she refused anything to eat.”
“Okay, so she stopped at the Golden Arches and came home to eat. Was the food touched?” Kevin asked.
Cisco nodded. “There were a few bites out of the burger and most of the fries were gone. The attack happened in the dining room.”
“At least she had a halfway decent last meal.” Jude rocked back on his heels.
“You think shit from McDonald’s qualifies as a good food?” Fitzgibbon rolled his eyes.
“She was a slim lady. I assumed her dinner would be three watercress leaves and a large gin and tonic.” Jude blushed down to the roots of his hair.
“Let’s get in there. It’s no use standing out here conjuring facts out of thin air.” Ronan had his game face on.
“Follow me,” Cisco waved them forward.
Tennyson noticed the others had their badges clipped to the front pocket of their jeans. Ten pulled his out of the inside pocket of his parka and did the same.
“No forced entry,” Ronan said as he examined the front door. “No scratches or signs of tool marks.”
“According to the alarm company, Jennifer shut the alarm off when she entered the house but failed to reset it.”
“Christ, she was in such a hurry to eat, she forgot all about her personal safety. What about the front gate?” Fitzgibbon asked. “I saw a keypad when I drove up.”
“It was supposed to shut behind Jennifer’s car after it drove through, but it’s on the fritz, according to the husband.”
Ten watched Ronan as his husband’s eyes roamed over the front hall, taking everything in.
“Glove up, everyone. You too, Ten.” Ronan pulled gloves out of a box in an open evidence kit and put them on.
Everyone else followed suit.
Tennyson was hit by the smell of blood when he walked into the house. He paused in the hall, setting a hand against a wall to steady himself.
“You okay?” Jude asked.
Ten nodded. He was afraid if he opened his mouth to speak, his morning oatmeal would make a return voyage.
“Breathe through your mouth if you can.” Jude handed Ten a pair of rubber gloves before grabbing a pair of his own.
“I haven’t been to a crime scene since the one at West Side Magick, remember?” Ten shivered as the crime scene flashed before his eyes.
Jude nodded. “I do. If you need help, signal me and I’ll walk outside with you. Ronan looks like he’s all in with this murder, like he hasn’t missed a day at the BPD.”
Ten had been thinking the same thing. He stepped forward into the house. The entryway soared up to the third level of the house. A giant crystal chandelier hung above his head. He was willing to bet the pricey light fixture cost more than a year’s salary.
Shaking his head, Ten moved through the hall into the immaculate kitchen. There was no way Jennifer kept it this clean. He’d noticed her perfectly manicured fingernails yesterday. Nothing about them said dishpan hands.
Obviously, there was some kind of housekeeping staff on duty, but Ten also wondered if there was a resident chef as well. He made a mental note to talk to Cisco about his concerns.
From where Ten was standing in the kitchen, he could see through to the dining room. He didn’t want to walk in there and witness Jennifer Baldwin Blake lying dead on the floor. When Ronan retired from the BPD, Ten thought these days were behind them. Then there was a murder inside West Side Magick, and Ten had been right back where he started with Ronan, using his gift to solve a crime, only with Ronan as the main suspect.
He figured that when Ronan retired from the BPD, there would be no calls from colleagues or friends asking him to help solve a murder, but along came Cisco and the Washington case. Since it was cold, Tennyson thought he’d be able to handle it.
Ten had been barely holding on, working this cold case criminal investigation, and now there was another body. A fresh one. One that was possibly dead because she’d spoken to him not even twenty-four hours ago.
“You ready to do this?” Jude asked gently from behind him.
He wasn’t ready. Not by a long shot, but he’d walk into that room and let his gift assess the situation. “Ready.” Ten’s voice shook. Jude would see right through him.