to her grandparents, they would have started to wonder if she’d changed her mind about marriage. And she didn’t want that.
“I got the officers’ report, Toni,” Drew said, breaking into her thoughts. “There were no video cameras in the neighborhood where Maria Tindal lived. And the interviews from the neighbors reveal nothing. Nobody heard anything, even those living on both sides of her. The only thing we do know is that whoever showed up at her place was someone she knew.”
Toni nodded. “And we still can’t find the murder weapon?”
“Nope. I’m hoping the ME calls to tell us what kind of knife was used—if it even was a knife.”
“Has Bobby been the Medical Examiner long?” she asked.
“About twenty years now. He has a certain way of doing things, and we don’t have a problem letting him. Especially now.”
She raised a brow and glanced over at him. “Why especially now?”
“Bobby lost his wife to cancer a few months ago. They’d been childhood sweethearts and had been married over thirty years. He took her death hard and needed some time off to figure things out. He only returned to work a few weeks ago, and we’re all glad to have him back. His replacement was difficult for any of us to work with.”
Toni knew how important a ME was to a detective during a criminal investigation. Their findings were key and were often the determining factor as to how far to explore for evidence, and in the case of homicides, to provide an accurate analysis of the cause of death.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“We all were. Everybody likes Bobby and we liked his wife, too. They threw the best Christmas parties.”
It didn’t take Toni long to think back to the last time she’d celebrated Christmas. She’d been sixteen. She had woken up that Christmas morning, hoping she’d gotten the cell phone she had asked for, among other things.
She had gone into her mother’s bedroom to wake her up. But she hadn’t been able to shake her awake. It had been a Christmas she never got to spend with her mother because Nicole Bellamy had taken her own life.
“We’re here.”
Toni snapped out of her reverie and glanced out the window. The houses were huge. Even the condos on the Potomac were stately looking, with pristine yards and driveways. They were stopped at the security gate. This was the first time she’d ever been to a city where you had to go through security to get to a certain section of town. It was as if they wanted to be closed off from everyone, and could afford to have it that way.
“There are fourteen different subdivisions in this area. No matter what subdivision you live in, it represents money. We have very few calls from this area. They’re law-abiding citizens on an extreme level. This is where your doctors, lawyers, celebrities, and politicians live.”
“Apparently. I wonder what type of work Jamia Roundtree does.”
“She’s an interior decorator, but she’s not the one with the money. Her father is. Ever heard of Tatum Roundtree?”
“The retired football player? The Heisman Trophy nominee from Michigan State whom everyone thought should have gotten the trophy that year?”
“Yes. He’s her father.”
“Well, that explains things,” Toni said when Drew pulled into the circular driveway of a house so big, it could only be called a mansion.
“The good thing is that there are a lot of security cameras around here, as well as the guard at the entrance. We have options if we need to confirm that Underwood stayed all night with Miss Roundtree, the way he claims,” Drew said.
Toni got out of the car and then waited on the walkway for Drew. He was wearing a shirt, slacks, and jacket since the weather was slightly cool. He always looked neat in his clothes—that was one of the first things she’d noted at that seminar. He had stood out.
“Is she expecting us?” Toni asked Drew when he came to join her on the walkway. He smelled so good this morning, but then, he always smelled good.
“No. This isn’t a social call. But I’m sure Johnnie Underwood gave her a heads-up we might drop by.”
Moments later they were knocking on the door, which was immediately opened by a maid in a starched white uniform. “Yes? May I help you?”
“We’re here to see Jamia Roundtree.”
The woman, who looked to be in her late sixties, lifted a brow and asked, “Is she expecting you?”
“Not sure if she is or not,” Drew said. “But I would