White looked thoughtful. “So she might have seen us come in, anticipated what we would ask about, and then seized the opportunity?”
“But why come forward and then disappear? Why not just slink off into the shadows and we’d never know of her involvement, since Gamma wasn’t protecting the judge?”
“Did Roe say why Lancer came forward?” asked White.
“She didn’t know for sure, but she said that Lancer and Draymont worked closely together at Gamma. He was the field guy and she was a supervisor. But still, Lancer could have just kept silent. There would be no reason for us to question her.”
“But if she wanted to get away she might pull a stunt like that.”
Decker said, “But why not wait a bit and then just announce you’re moving or taking a new job or retiring to go paint landscapes in Tuscany? Why do it that fast?”
White replied, “Because after what happened to Draymont, she was afraid the same thing would happen to her. She had to act fast and seized on the opportunity of our being there.”
Decker looked at her with respect. “Freddie, I think you might be right about that. Nice work.”
She smiled at him.
“What?”
“First time you called me Freddie. I like how you say it.”
Decker looked around the bedroom. “I’m thinking Draymont bought it in the study, then his killer left right away. Then the second person comes in, sees Cummins kneeling next to the dead Draymont, chases her upstairs, and kills her.”
“So the second killer was there and also seized an opportunity?” said White.
“He might have seen Draymont go down and then he goes after his real target, the judge.”
“Or she. Could Alice Lancer have killed Draymont? Maybe there was something between them we don’t know about. They might have been more than coworkers. Remember that Lancer’s neighbor recognized Draymont as being at her house a lot. She thought they were dating.”
“And then Lancer left Cummins alive to tell on her?”
“Your theory of two killers is not as plausible as Lancer having killed both of them,” noted White. “She uses a gun with Draymont because he was a big, strong guy and she didn’t want to take a chance of him overpowering her. Then she waits for Cummins to come downstairs, maybe to check on the noise the shots might have made. When she does, Lancer attacks Cummins with a knife, chases her all the way upstairs, and kills her right here. If Lancer and Draymont were lovers, maybe they had a falling-out and Lancer went all jealous when she found out about Cummins. It could happen. That would explain the frenzy of the attack on Cummins.”
“And Lancer stuffs old Slovakian money down Draymont’s throat?” said Decker.
“She worked at Gamma, she would know of the connection. It’s a distraction only. Same with the cut-up blindfold and the ‘res ipsa’ bullshit.”
“Well, if we can find Lancer, it might clear a lot of things up.”
“Let’s hope we do.”
He said, “Now, let’s just check the study.”
They trooped downstairs, and into the room where Draymont’s body had been discovered.
They both stopped so abruptly, they bumped into each other.
The electric blue light was slamming Decker from all corners.
They had just found Alice Lancer. However, she would not be telling them a damn thing.
Chapter 42
Decker and White watched as Alice Lancer’s covered remains were wheeled out of Cummins’s house on a gurney.
Andrews spoke with Helen Jacobs, the ME, and then came over to them.
“She was shot,” said Andrews. “Two to the chest. Just like Draymont.”
“How long’s she been dead?” asked Decker. “Seemed to me that rigor had clearly passed.”
“Jacobs figures not too long after she got plucked from the hospital.”
Decker looked off into the distance, obviously processing this.
“But how did they get her body inside the house?” said Andrews. “And why take that chance?”
“Symbolic,” said Decker, glancing at him. “Draymont and Lancer, two peas in a pod. So the next question is obvious.”
Andrews nodded in understanding. “I asked Jacobs. She already checked. There’s rolled-up money in Lancer’s throat.”
“Shit,” exclaimed White. She looked at Decker. “Well, obviously Lancer didn’t kill Draymont and Judge Cummins, like I thought. This ties into your theory of there being two separate killers.”
“But other than the gun versus knife and professional hit versus frenzied attack, do you have anything else to base that on, Decker?” asked Andrews.
“Yeah, nobody stuffed Slovakian money into the judge’s throat,” noted Decker. “And if the killers were different, the person who stabbed Cummins would have no way of knowing about the money in the throat. It’s not like it was visible on the corpse.”
Andrews nodded in agreement. “Right. So we have three stiffs and no suspects. But what connection did Draymont and Lancer have, other than working together at Gamma, and Draymont being seen at her house?”
“There’s at least one thing,” noted Decker. “We just have to find it. And there was bruising on her face.”
“Yeah, I noticed that, too.”
White said, “Which means they beat her up before killing her.”
Decker added, “They needed information. I wonder if they got it.”
Andrews said, “What would Lancer know that they needed? Something about Gamma? Hey, I know I thought it was a stretch, but do you think this really does tie into Kanak Roe’s disappearance?”
“Possibly,” said Decker. “But why let three years pass?”
“Maybe something just came to light,” said White. “And they had to act on it.”
Decker glanced at her sharply, a light sparking behind his eyes, but he remained silent.
Doris Kline and the Perlmans were in Kline’s yard and watching all the police activity.
Trevor Perlman walked over to them. The man was pale and disheveled, very unlike the man they had met the first time. He said, “I know you can’t tell us much, but the dead person isn’t Barry or Tyler, is it?”
“No,” said Andrews. “But any reason why you think it might have been?”
“With Julia dead, I just thought they would be the most likely ones to be in there.”
Decker said, “Did you see anything suspicious today or last night?”
“No. I went to bed early and I’ve been out most of the day. I just got back in time to see all this. Should we be, I mean, do you think we could be in danger? My wife is beyond scared out of her wits. And so is Doris.”
Andrews said, “I’ll have the local cops make rounds until we solve this thing.”
“Thank you.” Perlman walked back to his wife and they went inside their home.
Decker motioned to Kline, who joined them.
“My God,” she said. “Another body. What the hell is going on?”
“Did you see anything?” asked Andrews.
“When?”
“Last night, anytime today.”
“Who was killed?”
“A woman, not from the neighborhood. She was killed elsewhere and placed in the judge’s house,” said White.
“Well, I didn’t see anyone carrying a body in, if that’s what you want to know. I did see you and Decker go in the front door earlier. But that was it.”
“No cars in the driveway, no strangers walking by?” asked Decker.
“No, nothing like that. It’s actually been pretty quiet.”
“Well, keep your eyes and ears open.”
“Trevor mentioned you’re going to have some cops around?”
“Yes,” said Andrews.
“Well, thank God. My life is passing by fast enough as it is. I don’t need anyone else to hurry it along.”