Fatal Secrets - Desiree Holt Page 0,27
twenty-four hours?
Alex made sure everyone had water or coffee before he took his seat at the table.
“Okay, Zoe.“ He dipped his head at her. “Hank says the fingerprints he wants me to run have to do with a book you’re working on. Another true crime, right?”
“Well–” she began.
Hank interrupted her. “Yes. A lot to do with her.”
“Okay.” Alex held up a hand. “How about telling me what’s going on here. And from the beginning. Zoe, you’ve written some great stories about cases that had some impact on us. Hopefully, we can return the favor.”
“Thank you.”
She was glad she’d gone over the details of Justine’s murder so many times because she was able to give Alex the details in a clear, concise manner. Retelling it always hurt and made her sad, but at the same time it angered her that whoever had committed the crime had gotten away with it. Someone had dropped the ball, and she was determined to find out who and why.
When she’d finished, she sat back in her chair and took a long drink from her bottle of water.
“That’s some story,” Alex agreed. “With a lot of questions left hanging.”
“And I’m going to get answers,” she told him. “Justine was one of the best friends I ever had. Even when our work didn’t let us hang out as much as we liked, we kept in constant touch. She was a special person. I want her killer caught and punished, and I’m hoping researching this book will give me some answers.”
Alex leaned forward on his arms. “Are you willing to share all your notes with me? You have my word I’ll keep them locked up and not pass them around to anyone. No one will know what we’re doing unless it is imperative to get answers.”
She hesitated a moment before nodding her head.
“I trust you, Alex. And I want you to have whatever you need to look into this.” She swallowed a sigh. “I’m not saying the police department and sheriff’s office that serve Helena didn’t do a good job, but hell. I’ve seen them solve cases with a lot less. Just give me a second here.”
She booted up her laptop and opened her email, finding the address she had for the sheriff.
“I could be way off base,” Hank said, while she clicked away, “but this smacks of either politics or wealth or both. That’s what it takes to bury something like this.”
Sean shifted in the chair beside her. “I’m the amateur here, but I agree with you, Hank. It takes power and position to kill an investigation and bury any clues or evidence.”
“I wouldn’t call a former SEAL an amateur,” Hank protested.
“But not law enforcement,” he pointed out.
“Sometimes those are the best kind,” Alex told him.
“If we’re talking conspiracy here, that would take a lot of people,” Zoe pointed out. “You know that. How could you make sure that many people kept their mouths shut?”
“Easy,” Alex told her. “You involve as few people as possible. Cherry pick the ones you do, hide evidence, and create a story that they sell. Look very busy for a few weeks then come up with nothing.”
“Okay, Alex, the doc is on its way to you. Guard it with your life.” Zoe sat back in her chair, all the air suddenly leaving her body.
“Will do. But that means we have to start at ground zero,” Hank pointed out,“ and look at every single person in her life at that time. And every case she worked on for the prosecutor. And who her friends were.”
“That’s correct,” Sean agreed.
“Alex, I can’t ask you to do all that.”
“There are things that I can do,” he told her, “and I want to. There’s stuff I can look into, people I can talk to who wouldn’t be available to you. Also, I can check the NCIC. The National Crime Information Center database. Almost every law enforcement officer has access to it.”
“But won’t they know if you access it?”
Alex shrugged. “Maybe, but I’d say not likely. Not unless they have it flagged to let them know if someone does. But just to camouflage a little, I’ll access a bunch of other cases, too. Similar ones, as if I’m looking for a pattern.”
Fear washed through Zoe at his words.
“Do you think that might be what this is, Alex? That she’s part of a string of killings?”
He shook his head. “No, and for a lot of reasons. For one thing, her car is missing. Hasn’t been found in all this