to the screen at an inverted angle to match the wound, then he took some measurements. “I think this could be our murder weapon, fellas,” he announced.
They all looked relieved at finding what made the unusually-shaped gash that ripped through Lucas Wakefield’s skull—for a few moments, that is. Then all eyes turned to Emily as if they simultaneously realized the same thing. Why did she have the murder weapon?
“Emily? Care to explain? Why do you have the murder weapon and why is it in a baggie?” Colin questioned.
She shook her head. “This couldn’t be the murder weapon.” There was no way. She’d had it with her the entire time. “Doc, you said the time of death was approximately six thirty to seven o’clock. Well, I was with Maggie at her place, from five-thirty up until we walked into Lucas’s office, after he’d been killed.”
“Where did you get this thing, Emily?” Ernie asked with an inquiring tilt of his head.
“Off Maggie’s bookshelf at her house,” she explained. “I slipped it into a new plastic bag and put it in my purse when Maggie wasn’t looking. I had hoped to get Lucas’s fingerprints from it.”
“You stole it?” Ernie’s eyebrows rose in surprise.
“No, just borrowed it. Look, I had every intention of returning it. I just didn’t want her to know we were investigating Lucas.”
“We?” Ernie questioned.
“My friend, Isabel, and I. She works for the FBI and she was going to have their lab try to get his prints off of it.”
“That’s too bad. I guess we didn’t find the murder weapon after all,” the medical examiner said, disappointment lining his voice.
“It must be something similar though.”
“Agreed,” the doctor concurred.
“Now that Dr. Walters has the body here,” Emily flashed a coy smile at Ernie, “can you take his fingerprints and run them through the system? Find out if he was hiding something?”
“Why do you want me investigating the victim?” Ernie scratched at the stubble sprouting on his chin. “Seems to me we already know Maggie’s boy killed him. He had opportunity and motive, and from the video tape, their brawl fits the timeline.”
“Ernie, with all due respect, I think there’s a lot more to this than what we’re seeing on the surface,” Emily asserted. “Won’t you please just run his prints?”
“What could it hurt, Ernie?” Colin put a hand on the detective’s shoulder. “Do the lady a favor.”
“All right, I’ll run ’em,” Ernie agreed. “I always was a soft touch for a pretty girl.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Doc interjected with a chuckle.
“Then I can slip this paperweight back on Maggie’s bookshelf before she notices it’s gone,” Emily said.
“Not so fast, Emily,” Ernie said.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I’m going to need to take that into evidence—at least have Crime Scene spray it with Luminol to check for blood. If it’s clean, I can give it back to you.”
Emily now wished she hadn’t brought it out. She should have known better. There was no way it could be the weapon and now she couldn’t sneak it back onto Maggie’s shelf. She handed it over to Ernie. “Try to be quick, Ernie, please. I don’t want Maggie asking about it.”
Colin put his hand on her arm. “We better get out of here while we’re ahead, Emily.” He placed a guiding hand at her waist, prompting her toward the door.
“Oh, and can I please get a copy of those prints, too?” Emily requested, throwing a glance at Ernie over her shoulder. “I’d still like to have the FBI do their thing.”
~*~
Emily tried Sully’s cell phone again as Colin drove back to her house. Still no answer, just voicemail.
“Sully, this is Emily Parker again. Please call me back as soon as you get this message. It’s critical that we talk. Josh is in trouble and he needs your help. Call me.”
“No luck?” Colin glanced at her as she clicked her phone off and tossed it in her purse.
“Not yet.” She crossed her arms. “I have to find out how Sully is involved in this and why he pulled a gun on Lucas.”
“There must be more to it. You said it was unlike Sully to do such a thing and Josh said they had been arguing about money—that Sully sounded really angry. That does make his uncle look bad.” Colin reached across the seat and took her hand. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. That’s why I’m here, Emily, to help you.”
She squeezed his hand and nodded. “I appreciate it.” Then she turned and stared out the window.