Gone Too Far (Devlin & Falco #2) - Debra Webb Page 0,1

the surrounding communities, including Homewood, Mountain Brook, Vestavia, and Hoover. Their job was to handle the investigations that impacted more than a single jurisdiction—the high-profile cases to which the powers that be wanted undivided attention provided by handpicked assets from across the greater Birmingham area.

Cases like this one.

Kerri crouched and took a closer look at the vic’s face. With his chin to chest and body in a seated position, hands secured behind his back, ankles bound to the chair legs, it wasn’t easy to estimate time of death. Judging by the lividity in the downturned face and along what she could see of the throat, he’d been dead possibly ten hours or more. And he’d died exactly where he was, seated in this ladder-back chair in the stockroom of an establishment with deep roots in local history.

Kerri hadn’t met Walsh personally. She’d seen the news about him joining the DA’s office. The son of wealthy Bostonians. Harvard educated. After a stint clerking for the Massachusetts supreme judicial court, rather than go into practice in his father’s prestigious firm, he had accepted a position in Birmingham, Alabama. According to the national and local media, it was a major coup for Birmingham and an up yours to his domineering father.

Now, a mere six months later, he was dead.

“What the hell did you get yourself into, Mr. Walsh?” she murmured before pushing to her feet. She turned to Falco. “One of us should let the LT know.”

Lieutenant Dontrelle Brooks was not going to be happy to hear the news. As with Walsh’s arrival in Birmingham, his abrupt departure would make national headlines. The theories about his death would get messy. Something else that usually went along with the sorts of cases assigned to their division.

“I’ll call him,” Falco offered.

“I’ll interview the employee who found the bodies.” Kerri was more than happy for her partner to brief the LT.

“The ME is on his way,” Franklin said to Kerri as Falco headed for the door that led into the front retail shop.

Kerri nodded. “What about cell phones?”

“We found the shop owner’s cell phone behind the bar,” Franklin explained, “but if Walsh was carrying one, we haven’t found it yet.”

He was a DDA; he would have a cell phone. It was only a matter of finding it. Unless, of course, the shooter had taken it. In that case they’d have to wait for his phone records, which would be requested as a matter of standard protocol.

“Thanks, Franklin. Keep looking for that phone. We have boots on the ground going from door to door?” She’d asked the responding officer to call for additional backup in hopes of getting on top of the situation sooner rather than later.

“Yes, ma’am,” he assured her. “No hits so far. Most of the shops along this block close earlier than this one and weren’t open until just a few minutes ago, so no customers in the parking lots or employees hanging around outside. At least none we’ve found.”

She gave him a nod and turned back to the victims. The shop had closed at ten last night. If her estimation on time of death was anywhere near accurate, the murders hadn’t occurred until well after the shop closed. With the rest of the shops in the area already shuttered for the night, there might not be any witnesses at all. They could hope for security cam footage, but there were never any guarantees with these older shops and neighborhoods.

“I’m ready to talk to McGill.”

Franklin jerked his head toward the door that separated the stockroom from the public space beyond. “She’s at the bar.”

“Make sure the outside perimeter remains secure now that the other shops are open for business, and let Detective Falco know when the ME arrives.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Before turning away, she asked, “Do we have an ETA on the Crime Scene Unit?” Generally, they arrived about the same time or shortly after Kerri and Falco did. A call en route got a unit moving ASAP. Apparently there had been a glitch this go-around.

“I checked with dispatch to find out what the holdup was and learned there’s a major pileup on 280. Our guys got caught up in that, but they’ll be here in the next few minutes.”

Kerri nodded. “Good.”

She followed the route Falco had taken. She spotted him through the storefront windows, standing outside, his cell tucked against his ear. Brooks was likely warning her partner about how sensitive these sorts of cases were. How they had to be exceedingly careful. No leaks.