The Silent Wife (Will Trent #10) - Karin Slaughter Page 0,170

she was murdered and mutilated within a thirty-minute time frame. There was no progression. He did everything at once.”

“A kitchen sink approach,” Amanda summarized.

“He was panicked,” Nick said. “She was a possible witness.”

Sara couldn’t quite get there. “It bothers me that there were no traces of Rohypnol in her blood or urine. The drug metabolizes quickly, but death shuts down that function. There should’ve been traces found in her stomach contents. She had a blue stain on her lips, but I think that was left deliberately. Looking back at it, what I remember most about that scene is thinking that it felt staged, but staged by the same person who attacked Beckey. Which I realize doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it felt … different?”

Nick said, “Jeffrey figured the killer got sloppy with Truong because he knew we were onto him. The campus was crawling with cops. The whole town was on alert.”

Sara still couldn’t pin down what was bothering her. “I’m not saying that a different man attacked Leslie, but it’s possible that the motivation was different. He kicked the hammer hard enough to break it off. That sounds like anger to me. Nothing we’ve learned about the killer so far points to uncontrolled anger. If anything, he’s completely in control.”

Will said, “It would take a lot of force to break that handle. You’d have to kick it a few times.”

Amanda said, “Leslie Truong’s headband was missing. That’s the only piece that makes me think she wasn’t chosen simply because she could identify the killer.”

“Gerald hedged on that, remember?” Faith asked. “She was a student living with students she probably met at the beginning of the semester. Kids steal each other’s crap all of the time. It drives me crazy.”

“Let’s take the headband out of the equation.” Amanda asked, “Sara?”

“The killer has always been very careful about covering his tracks. As far back as Tommi Humphrey, he brought a washcloth to the scene to wipe away DNA. The subsequent victims were believably staged to look like accidents.” Her brain had finally sparked back to life. “Think about this: with Leslie, he left a glaring piece of evidence on full display.”

Faith said, “The hammer handle had a manufacturing number.”

Amanda asked Will, “Is that common?”

“No,” he said. “It’s usually stamped into the metal.”

Faith had her notebook out. She was back in the game. “So A plus B equals C, right? Whoever attacked Tommi attacked Beckey attacked Leslie.”

Nick said, “The only thing is, Daryl Nesbitt was a damn solid suspect. There was some real evidence against him.”

“All right,” Amanda said. “Let’s look at that. Daryl was a good suspect because?”

“Mostly because of Leslie Truong.” Sara ran through the corroborating details that Jeffrey had outlined in his notes. “The hammer inside of Leslie was a very specific type. Daryl was in possession of Axle Abbott’s tools while he was in prison. Daryl was familiar with the woods. He skateboarded with Felix on campus. Security footage was later found of them both practicing outside the library. Daryl worked near the fire road that accessed the Leslie Truong crime scene. A burner phone was later located in his house that tied back to the phone number in both Caterino and Truong’s contacts.”

Faith said, “Devil’s Advocate here. There’s a reason Daryl Nesbitt’s in prison for possession of child porn and not assault and murder. That’s all circumstantial, or easily explained away.”

In retrospect, Sara could not disagree. Eight years ago, she had been just as certain as Jeffrey.

Amanda asked her, “What about the video from Truong’s case files?”

“I haven’t watched it yet.” Sara had hoped to preview it on her own so she could prepare herself, but that opportunity had passed.

She walked over to the giant tube television. Will often looked at the VCR with disdain, but the machine was finally earning its real estate. Sara slotted the videotape into the carriage. She pressed down the top. She found the remote. She unspooled the skinny cord as she sat back down. She pressed play.

The image on the screen zigzagged, then started to roll.

Will took over. He adjusted the dials, and suddenly, Sara saw herself eight years ago.

She looked so young, was the first thought that came into her mind. Her hair was shinier. Her skin was smoother. Her lips were fuller.

She was dressed in a white T-shirt, gray hoodie and a pair of jeans. Exam gloves covered her hands. Her hair was pulled back. Younger Sara was looking at the camera and giving the date, time