had said was true. He obstinately denied having past knowledge of where the key was, but he couldn’t maintain eye contact when he did so.
“Why did you lie?” Jack asked.
Eric looked embarrassed. “I was afraid you’d think just what you’re thinking right now—that we were having an affair. But I assure you I have never been involved with her.”
Jack had a fleeting memory of Bill Clinton saying almost those exact words.
“What else haven’t you told me?”
Liddell came out onto the porch. “You can still smell some kind of cleaner with pine scent inside. Walker says no fingerprints jump out at him. Plus, here’s a weird angle. If she had luggage, it’s gone. Not much in the dresser drawers, several empty hangers in the closet. I couldn’t find any makeup or medicine bottles. And no car in the garage.”
“Well, we know where she ended up. Let’s find out where she was before that,” Jack said.
“Roger that, pod’na. I’ll get her vehicle information and put out a BOLO. We going to call in for help for the neighborhood check?”
“Let’s check the nearby neighbors ourselves,” Jack suggested. “Mostly retirees, so they should have been home last night.”
“You played me, Jack,” Eric said suddenly. “No one saw me with the key, did they?”
When Jack regarded him blankly, Eric’s face went red. “You don’t know anything for sure. Maybe she didn’t own luggage. Maybe nothing is missing. Maybe her car is in the shop for repairs.”
“Ever know a woman who didn’t have luggage? Or makeup?” Jack asked. “Was she seeing someone, Eric?”
“How would I know?” Eric shot back. “If you’re accusing me of something, Jack, just say it.”
“I’m not accusing you, Eric,” Jack lied. “I’m just asking questions. You know how this works.”
Eric looked angry enough that if he truly had killed Nina, he was either a great actor, or could lie with impunity. Whoever killed Nina had gone to a lot of effort to eliminate their presence from the house. It would have taken a great amount of time to wipe the house of latent fingerprints, pack her things, and get out—taking Nina’s car—without being seen.
And what was the purpose of all this subterfuge? The killer had gone to great lengths to make Nina disappear. Was it supposed to look like Nina had gone on an unexpected trip? Or was her killer simply trying to slow the investigation down?
Eric said the neighbor Cindy McCoy had called heard an argument at Nina’s last night. If that was true, Jack assumed the murder took place inside Nina’s home.
Jack needed to find the car and locate the neighbor. He had a good idea where to find the neighbor at least.
“Eric, I want access to Nina’s office,” Jack said.
“Today?”
Jack thought Eric looked uncomfortable. “What have you done, Eric?”
“Look, Jack,” Eric began. “As we were leaving the morgue, Chief Pope said something about Nina’s job being the reason for her murder. I thought I was helping.”
Jack couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He knew that if Eric had gone in both Nina’s house and her office, he was hunting for something.
“Look, Jack, I didn’t find anything, and I didn’t move anything. I was just looking for an address book or a calendar—anything to help with the investigation.”
Jack had quit listening to the liar. He wished he could take Eric downtown and charge him with interfering or obstruction, but if Eric was involved in Nina’s murder, he would gain nothing by talking to Jack. And he was an attorney, so he would know enough to clam up and ask for one.
“We’ll talk again,” Jack said irritably. “You can leave for now.”
Without a word or a backward glance, Eric stormed off for his car.
Liddell watched the retreating figure. “You didn’t ask him if he found anything in Nina’s office?”
“He’d just tell another lie.” Jack held his hand out and dropped the key in Liddell’s hand. “A present from—guess who?—Eric.”
Liddell took the key and it turned in the front door lock. “We should give it to Walker and have him bag it as evidence.”
Liddell went to find Walker and to put the BOLO out on Nina’s car.
While Liddell was inside with Walker, Lilly called Jack.
“Dr. John’s here,” Little Casket said when Jack answered, “and he’s brought friends.”
Before Jack could ask whom she meant, the line went dead.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
When Jack and Liddell arrived at the morgue, they saw Dr. John’s old ambulance, or hearse, or whatever he wanted to call it, parked in front. A black Crown Vic was backed into the garage