Incorporeal Witness

Chapter 6

Alex, although wearing gloves and having permission from the sheriff, stood back and watched Harper and the deputies work. They had efficiently and quickly secured the area, then set up a perimeter around the cottage to search, personally, she'd have widened it, but that was just her own thing. Any other officer would have done what they had. They took photos of everything, including the rest of the cottage, before bagging the baseball bat lying at the victim's feet. Then before they could move the body, Harper stopped them and looked around the room. She walked back to the door, then slowly walked to the body, mimicked hitting him, then stood over the body and mimicked a shot, then walking away to the bedroom, where she looked around and came back out. She then walked back to the door. She made a note in her pocketbook and then turned to Alex. 

"If it went down like that, straight forward, then two to three minutes is all it took him." 

"Yes, but that way, you don't even go near the vase, that looked like it stood there. And according to uh, our witness, it happened just before we ran into her. What does the bedroom look like?" 

"Someone rummaged through, but not messy like, just looked through. And you're right he wouldn't have knocked over the vase that way." 

"Unless someone was in here with him." 

"So we assume it was a man?" Harper smiled then nodded to the doc to go ahead with turning the body.

"Don't we always, so sexist." Alex grinned back at her, then looked down at the body. "Oh shit." Harper followed her gaze then looked up at Alex. 

"You know him?" 

"Unfortunately yes. That's Donovan Gentry. The mayor of Granite City's son." 

"Well, that complicates things." Harper took her phone out. "What do you want to do?" 

"Me? This is your scene sheriff." Alex said. 

"I have a feeling he's going to move this case to the city," Harper said and dialed a number. "Carson, you and Alexis on the way yet?" She listened then nodded. "Okay, yes, and nothing of this leaks to Nash." Alex waited for her to hang up. Then looked at her with a raised brow. "My deputies, Carson and Alexis, and the local journalist, Nash, bloodhound." 

"You need to notify the mayor before this gets out. Too many people here already, if it leaks out before you tell him yourself, he's going to have your head." Alex said. She knelt next to the body, careful not to touch anything. "You see that doc?" She pointed to a tiny mark on his neck. 

"Yes, looks like a puncture mark, we'll get a better look in the morgue." Alex looked up at Harper. 

"You going to mind if I sit in on the autopsy?" 

"No, join me. We'll make the call and see where we end up on the case." Harper didn't sound angry that she may lose the case, just a sheriff doing her job.

"If, and a big if, he shoots this to the city cops, I will do everything to get lead, and if I do, we'll do this together," Alex promised. 

"Sure," Harper said, Alex laughed. 

"Heard that before?" 

"Once, we had a hiker go missing, found him with a knife in the head, and beat up pretty bad. They sent some big-city cop down, got the same promise from him, ended up never hearing what happened on the case." Harper shrugged. "I can do the job, I used to be a big city cop too. But let's hear what the mayor says before we start planning." 

"Fair enough. Make the call sheriff. We should go talk to Logan and Devina." 

"s**t yes." Harper dialed a number, waited. "I need to talk to the mayor." She listened. "No, not later, now, it's about his son. Donovan." She waited again and grinned at Alex. "Apparently Donovan is a trouble maker." She sobered when the mayor got on the phone, she told him his son was found dead, where, and that the how was still to be determined. Yes, they had it under control, then she hung up. "He's phoning his office, to get his own people on it." Harper slammed her hand on the hood of her car. "Fuck." 

"I'm sorry. Let me make a call." Alex took her phone out and after dialing, waited. "Joe, get us on the mayor's son's case." She listened. "I don't care, and I'll fill you in, but get our team on the case." She rolled her eyes. "Look get us on the case, and get your ass down here." She rubbed her face in agitation. "No, I'm still on vacation, doesn't mean... I did not!" She growled through the phone. "Just do it." She hung up without saying goodbye and met a grinning Harper's eyes. "Partners." She said in explanation. 

"Sure. Come on, let's go tell them what's happening. Doc, load him up." She looked at the car that pulled up. "Carson, Lexi, take fingerprints, photo's and walk the grounds, see if anyone saw anything." 

"What's up?" Carson asked, she eyed Alex suspiciously. 

"Murder." 

"Oh." Carson led the way to the cottage. She looked over her shoulder at Alex. "You going to take the case?" 

"Hopefully we'll end up working together." Alex liked the woman, she had cop eyes and confidence. That alone told Alex the evidence was in good hands. The other lady, Lexi, still looked green, but she'd learn. They all had to learn. Alex walked next to Harper to the main house. They were almost there when her phone rang. "Yes?" She nodded. "Okay, listen just bring Eva with you, we'll let the others stay there and work with the family and friends. We'll shoot them everything we find here so they can set things up that side. But I want to be on the ground here." She listened again, grinned at Harper. "No, we have good cops here, they will be working with us." She pulled at her hair. "Then just send me Eva, I don't have time for whiners." She grinned. "Thought so. I'll see you tomorrow." 

"All good?" Harper asked as they walked into the kitchen.

"Yes, your guys are going to have to suck up taking orders from me as well as you." 

"They're good cops, you can count on them." 

"Good, let's tell Logan her home is going to be invaded by more cops. I'm sure she'll just love that." 

"Harley sure will," Harper said with a laugh, she sobered as they walked into the living room.