Chapter 13

"Nobody move!" I used my most authoritative voice.

Nobody moved.

"I want you all to back the hell out of here! Watch where you're stepping. It would be nice if we don't add or subtract any evidence before the CSU guys go over the place. The only people I want in here are them and the Medical Examiner."

"Very macho," said my partner, Lily Beauchamps, from over my shoulder.

"That's how it's done." Just like she had taught me.

The woman's body was sprawled on the floor, face down. There was a considerable pool of blood which appeared to have started at her head.

Lying in the blood was a crowbar.

Her body was aimed at the front door, from which she likely had hoped to escape her attacker.

I could see the back door from where I stood. It was wide open and there were shards of glass scattered on the floor. The arc of the shards was wider the further they fell from the door, which retained fragments of what had been the window along the edges.

Nothing else in the kitchen seemed out of place. Nor was anything in the living room, where she lay, out of place.

"First on the scene," I called out.

A bright-eyed young patrolman appeared at the front door.

"Run it down," I said.

"Nine-one-one call from a neighbor, sir. She came over to borrow some sugar and looked in through the front window when nobody answered her ring.

"The front door was locked and I could see that the back door was open when I looked in so I went around and got in through the back door.

"I stepped around the glass so as not to disturb it and approached the body to check for a pulse. There was none so I called it in."

"Whose dog is that? It's awfully loud."

"It's their dog. We're holding it out back."

"Did you talk to the neighbor?" I asked.

"I did. She confirmed what she said in the nine-one-one call."

Lily walked down the stairs from the second floor.

"The bedroom is disturbed. The jewelry box is empty, open and lying on the floor. It looks like some stuff was tossed out of the drawers looking for valuables."

"Is the neighbor here?" I asked the officer.

"She's outside," he said.

"Could you get her for me?"

He brought a five foot four, thirtyish brunette. She was a little over her wedding dress weight, but quite attractive.

I dropped my just-the-facts-ma'am voice and switched to a concerned but friendly voice.

I shook her hand. "I'm Detective Jonathan Smith. Were you friends?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Is her dog friendly?"

The patrolman had a what-the-hell-is-he-talking-about look.