Casey said, “Judging from the numbers, Birch’s place must be near the end on the left side.”
“Then let’s stick to the right.”
“There it is,” she whispered. “Single-wide three from the end.”
Light came from a small window on the side nearest them. Open blinds covered the larger window overlooking the lane.
“There’s his car.” Lou nodded toward the Dart in the carport next to the side door.
“I don’t see anyone . . . Whoa.” Casey stopped. “Who’s that?”
A woman in a white T-shirt strolled past the large window at the end of the trailer. Casey could see her profile and dark braided hair, and then the woman moved out of view.
“She wasn’t wearing anything under her shirt,” Lou whispered.
“You noticed the double D-cup, huh?”
“Hard not to.”
True. Strolling past the trailer, she glanced at the windows. All were too high to see if Jeremy was up and about. They reached the end of the lane and turned around. A gust of wind rustled Casey’s open jacket. Leaves fluttered in the trees behind them. Buttoning up, she looked at the ravine on the other side of the fence.
“Let’s see if I can spot Birch or his guest.” She focused the binoculars on the smaller side window. “She’s back in view and Birch is with her. Oh, he’s kissing her.”
Cheyenne gave a loud bark and took off down the lane.
“She’s after a raccoon!” Lou started running.
Casey raced after him. “I thought you had her leash.”
“I did, loosely.”
Afraid of attracting attention by yelling the dog’s name, Casey kept quiet. Cheyenne disappeared between two single-wides. They caught up with her whimpering in front of the chain-link fence bordering the ravine. Casey grabbed her leash. Movement on the other side of the fence made Cheyenne bark. Crap. Everyone in the park would know they were here.
Casey knelt beside her. “Hush, Cheyenne.”
“The raccoon must have escaped through that hole.” Lou pointed to a small opening at the base of the fence.
Casey glanced at various trailer windows and froze. “We’re being watched.”
Across the lane, a man stood in front of his window. Fighting the urge to dash for Lou’s pickup, Casey strolled toward the exit. If they were lucky, Cheyenne’s behavior wouldn’t prompt anyone to confront them. She looked down the lane and saw a face peer out of Birch’s window. Oh no, had he spotted them running past his place?
After they clambered into the truck, Casey said, “I wonder if the girl’s just a hot date or his girlfriend.”
“Does it matter?”
“It could. What if Birch had an accomplice shoot Jasmine? Someone who’d do anything for him.”
“You really think that Noel is innocent?”
Casey stroked Cheyenne’s head. “He seems sincere, and the evidence against him is a tad too convenient.”
“Aside from sincere, what else does he seem?”
Casey hesitated. Why was he asking? “Quiet, polite, intelligent. The complete opposite of Marie.” Lou’s downcast expression surprised her. Was he a bit jealous, or did he think she was being naïve?
“Marie once told me he lost the use of his legs in a motorcycle crash,” Lou said. “It seems he had a passion for Harleys and speed.”
More candid conversations with Marie. How many other personal things had she shared with him? “Did she ever mention if Noel can get around with crutches or other support?”
“No.” Lou headed east toward Vancouver.
“Marie will go ballistic when I tell her that two strangers gave Birch a solid alibi.”
“You’ve dealt with her emotions before.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m looking forward to it.”
• • •
“NO FRIGGIN’ WAY!” Marie shouted over the phone. “Birch can’t be innocent!”
While Marie railed, Lou put his arm around Casey. He’d told her he wanted to hear Marie’s response to tonight’s events. Casey had a hunch he also wanted to make sure she didn’t become further involved.
“Are you sure you didn’t recognize the woman with Birch?” Marie asked.
“Yes.”
Marie sighed loudly into the receiver. “I’ll call Child Protection Services and tell them about the woman. Maybe she’s involved in Jasmine’s death. Meanwhile, could you check out the half sister’s alibi?”
“I don’t think—”
“Since Gabrielle O’Reilly was in Coquitlam two days before the murder, and she and Jasmine argued, her activities should be investigated. God knows I can’t count on the police to do it,” Marie said. “Maybe Gabrielle brought the pistol from home and stalked Jasmine until she saw her chance. That would explain how she learned about Noel and his van.”
“I can’t do this anymore, Marie, I’m sorry.”
“But you’ve put my brother in deeper shit than he was before, so can’t you please help him out a little more?”
Casey did feel guilty about that. “What if Gabrielle has an alibi and I make things worse?”
Lou wandered toward the guinea pig cages.
The line was silent a few seconds. “It makes me sick to say this, but then we’d have to look at coworkers’ alibis.”
“No way, Roberto’s a friend.”
Lou turned to her.
“David Eisler isn’t anyone’s friend,” Marie said.
“Do you have a reason for suspecting Eisler?” She watched Lou’s eyes widen.
“After I had lunch with Jan today, yeah.”
Casey had shared a few coffee breaks with Eisler’s administrative assistant. She knew that Jan loathed her boss.
“The day Jasmine died,” Marie said, “Eisler didn’t come to work until noon, and Jan didn’t know where he’d been. Apparently, he’s been disappearing a lot lately.”
“That doesn’t make him a killer.”
“It doesn’t rule him out either. When he showed up at your place, something was obviously bothering his conscience.”
“Then tell your brother’s lawyer about it.”
“We need more than one person working on Noel’s behalf. He might have to sell his house to pay legal fees as it is. We really need your help, Casey.”
“Let me think it over.”
“Fine, but while you do, also think about what’s happening to the life of an innocent man.” She hung up.
Casey retreated to the window seat.
“What does she want you to do?” Lou picked up Ralphie the guinea pig.
“Check out Gabrielle O’Reilly’s and David Eisler’s alibis. It seems that Eisler’s pulled a few disappearing acts from work lately.”
As Lou stroked Ralphie, the critter began cooing. “Are you going to do it?”
“If I do, it won’t be for Marie or Noel, but for Jasmine.” She paused. “Noel told me some things about her past and, well, she deserves whatever justice we can get for her.”
“What kind of things?”
Casey took a deep breath, and then told him about Jasmine’s sexual abuse and the estrangement from her adopted family.
Lou kept stroking the guinea pig. “I had no idea.”
“Maybe Noel’s the only one who knew. Anyway, if I can help find her killer then maybe I should.”
“What if Marie’s only interested in making sure that people look at everyone except her brother? If you prove that Gabrielle and Eisler aren’t killers, who will she tell you to go after next? Wesley and Roberto?”
“What’s so wrong with establishing their innocence?”
Lou rolled his eyes and put his hands on his hips. “Casey, you’ve worked with Roberto and Wesley a long time. If you start checking into their alibis, you’ll create bad blood.”