you to walk through the house and tell us if anything is missing. Please don’t touch anything. I don’t want you to disturb any fingerprints.”
Shannon shoved her hair back with shaking hands. “Yes, of course.”
Her steps were hesitant as she led the way into the house. Matt and Bree flanked her. Shannon toured the living and dining rooms, then moved toward the kitchen at the back of the house. She stopped in the middle of the room, turning and scanning her surroundings. “So far, everything looks normal.”
“Did anything else unusual happen tonight?” Bree asked.
Shannon brushed a curl off her forehead. “I got a phone call from a reporter wanting to interview me about Holly’s death. I told him no.”
“Unless you recognize a caller, you should let your voice mail pick up for a while,” Matt suggested. “Reporters can be relentless.”
“OK.” Shannon stared at the kitchen island. Her hands went to her face, and her mouth opened in a short, shocked gasp.
Bree’s hand shot to the weapon on her hip. “What is it?”
Shannon pointed toward the sink, her hand trembling.
The sink was full of water. In it, a six-inch doll floated facedown.
Matt’s gut twisted. He walked closer and inspected the small blonde doll. Its straight hair looked like it had been roughly snipped to shoulder length.
Both the position and hair matched how they’d found Holly Thorpe’s body in the river.
Sick.
Shannon stared at the sink, her face drawn. Her legs looked wobbly, and she reached for the corner of the island to steady herself. She drew in a sharp breath.
Bree took her elbow and steered her toward the couch. “Breathe.”
Shannon gasped. “Why would anyone do that?”
To terrorize you.
Bree crouched in front of her. “Do you know why anyone would want to scare you?”
Shannon shook her head hard. Her face was pale. “What am I going to do? I can’t go to my mom’s house until I get rid of this stupid cold, and I wouldn’t want to draw any danger to her anyway. Without Holly’s help with Mom’s bills, I can’t afford a hotel.”
Bree said, “I’m going to have a deputy park out front for the rest of the night. Tomorrow, you should call your alarm company and have your security system beefed up.”
“I will,” Shannon said.
The deputy came into the house with his fingerprint kit. “No clear prints on the windowsill or glass.” He went to the french doors, knelt, and set down his kit.
“Do the kitchen faucet too.” Bree moved toward the front door.
Matt thought that anyone smart enough to circumvent Shannon’s alarm system was also smart enough to wear gloves, but procedure needed to be followed.
“I’ll be right back.” Bree disappeared down the hallway and returned a minute later carrying the small point-and-shoot camera she kept in her glove compartment. She began taking pictures of the doll in the sink.
“I’ll board up your garage window. I saw some plywood out there.” Matt returned to the garage and secured the window.
He went back inside the house. The deputy was finishing dusting for prints. Matt toured the house, checking every window and door to make sure it was locked. When he walked into the family room, Shannon was still on the sofa. She hadn’t even changed position.
Bree sat on an ottoman, a small notepad balanced on her knee. “Do you have any idea why someone would break into your house?”
“No.” Shannon chewed on her thumbnail.
“Could Holly have left something here?” Bree asked.
Shannon lowered her hand and picked at her cuticle. “I don’t think so. I cleaned the guest room after she stayed with me last. I didn’t find anything.”
“Do you mind if I look?” Bree stood.
Shannon shook her head. “Go ahead.”
Bree strode down the hall. As Matt checked the french doors, he heard her footsteps overhead. She returned in just a couple of minutes. Their eyes met. She shook her head. “There’s nothing up there. Dresser and closet are empty.”
“I don’t even use that room for storage,” Shannon said. “Holly was the only one who used it.”
“I have one more question for you.” Bree stopped in front of Shannon. “How did Holly pay for your mother’s medical bills?”
“She paid the nursing service about a thousand a month directly. She reimbursed me the remaining fifteen hundred in cash.” Shannon folded her hands in her lap.
Matt double-checked a window lock and turned toward her. “She gave you cash? She didn’t write a check or use an app?”
Shannon’s face went blank. “No.”
“You didn’t think that was odd that your sister gave you fifteen hundred