Bella led him past the veterinary clinic and skidded to a halt at the outdoor puppy-training yard.
Shane stopped and kept Bella at his side. He swept his flashlight over the scene before him. Dread crimped his chest. He sucked in a quick breath.
Veronica Earnshaw lay twisted on the ground with her dark hair and striking face coated in dirt. Her open eyes stared at the stars above. And what appeared to be two gunshot wounds marred her chest. Bile rose in his throat.
His priority as the first officer on the scene was to determine if the victim was alive or dead.
Bella tugged at the leash. He gave her the hand movement to sit and stay. She obeyed, but her gaze was riveted to the bushes along the fence.
Was the perpetrator hiding in there?
Wishing he had his sidearm, which hed left locked up in the condo, he shone the flashlight on the thick shrubbery. He let out Bellas lead. She made a beeline for the greenery and sat staring at the dense foliage.
Caution tripped down his spine. There was no coverage for him to use. If the person whod shot Veronica was in the bushes with the gun, he might well be the next victim.
Im a police officer. If someone is in there, you better come out, he said with authority.
Shane?
He knew that voice. Gina? It was the junior trainer from the Canyon County training facility. A sob came from the bushes, then Gina crawled out. He reached out to help her and she flinched. Her long auburn braid was coming undone. The hazel of her eyes was nearly gone because of her enlarged pupils.
He held up his hands, palms out.
Was Ginas shock real or fake? Had she committed murder? Or was she a witness?
Cautious, in case there was a gun he couldnt see, he crouched beside her, noting blood on her hands and smeared on her khaki pants and pink sweater. Gina. Are you hurt?
No. She took a shuddering breath. Shes dead. Veronicas dead. He killed her.
A witness, then. He refocused his attention on Veronica. There was no discernible movement of the upper part of her abdomen, indicating her breathing had stopped or was too shallow to be observed.
He checked for a pulse and found none. He shone the flashlight into her eyesno response.
There was no question in his mind.
Gina was correct.
Veronica Earnshaw was dead.
His chest tightened; his lungs seized. An itch scratched at his throat. He put his hand on the inhaler in his pocket, but he refused to let the asthma take hold. There were procedures to follow. A crime to investigate. He had no time for an asthma attack right now. And as the first responder, he had a responsibility to make sure no element of the scene was disturbed any worse than it had already been.
Instead of his inhaler, he took out his cell phone and called the police department. When the dispatcher answered the call, he said, This is Officer Shane Weston. I need assistance at the side yard of the Canyon County Training Center. One gunshot-wound victim. One potential witness.
He hadnt ruled out perpetrator. Not yet.
Ill let the chief and Officer Hayes know, she responded before the line disconnected.
Slipping his phone back into his pocket, he made mental notes of the scene since he didnt have a notepad and pen. When he left the condo, he hadnt expected to end up working a crime scene.
He hadnt heard the report of a gun, much less two shots, so he knew this tragedy hadnt happened recently. Unless...a noise suppressor had been used.
The thought stuck in his mind like a thorn.
Because if that were the case, then Veronicas murder was premeditated.
He did a quick visual search with the flashlight for the weapon but came up empty. A dark trail of what he assumed to be blood led from Veronica to the training center doors. Had Veronica been dragged out of the building or had she managed to crawl to the gate seeking help?
As he waited for the Desert Valley police, he turned his attention to the woman sitting on the ground by the bushes. Shed drawn her knees to her chest and had begun rocking. Compassion tangled with suspicion. As much as he didnt want to think ill of Gina, she certainly had a reason to dislike the lead trainer.
Gina, can you tell me what happened?
She didnt acknowledge him but kept rocking, her gaze locked on something only she could see. He gently touched her shoulder.
She started and scrambled away from him. No, please, no, she cried and curled into a tight ball.
He backed away, giving her space. Gina, Im not here to hurt you.
She raised her teary gaze to meet his. She blinked as the glazed fog lifted. Oh, Shane. Were not safe. Hes here. He found me.
A knot in his chest tightened. He? Who are you afraid of?
A visible tremor ran over her. My twin brother, Tim.
Wait, you have a twin? Hed had no idea.
Yes. Two years ago he escaped police custody in Mesa and disappeared. She rubbed at her temples. I moved to Desert Valley to hide from him. I had hoped he wouldnt find me here. But he has. And now...
Concern arced through Shane. They had an escaped criminal on the loose. Ginas twin brother. Had he killed Veronica thinking hed shot his sister? Or was this a contrived story to cover Ginas crime? Was there really a brother, much less a twin? He didnt know her well enough to know if she had a sibling. What happened to Veronica?
Im not sure. I found her like this. I checked for a pulse. She looked away. There isnt one.
He winced. Shed already contaminated the sceneif she wasnt the perpetrator. Dont touch anything else or move again until the chief arrives, okay?
She nodded on a shuddering breath.
Why do you think your brother killed Veronica? Shane asked her.
Isnt it obvious? She stared up at him. He came here looking for me and instead found Veronica. He killed her out of rage because I wasnt here.
You didnt see it happen? Though her explanation was plausible, there were holes. How would he know where you work?
I dont know. Hes smart.
But you dont work here anymore, right?
What? Her voice held a note of confusion.
Didnt Veronica put you on indefinite probation? It had been a spectacle. Veronica had turned her mean streak onto Gina yesterday right in front of the newest class of graduated rookies. Veronica had loudly and very publicly claimed Gina had used the wrong training technique and declared Gina was on probation indefinitely.
Shane had attempted to talk to Gina after the incident because hed felt bad for the pretty trainer, but shed hurried home and he hadnt seen her until now.
Ginas shoulder rose and fell. She did. But in typical Veronica fashion, she called me this morning to apologize.
Thats surprising, he said. She didnt strike me as someone who would own her mistakes easily.
One side of Ginas mouth curled. Oh, it wasnt a humble gesture. She does this almost every session. She gets mad for some perceived infraction and makes a scene. Gina blew out a breath. Veronica needed me to return to the center to process the intake of three new German shepherd puppies donated by Marian Foxcroft.
So you were here today.
Yes. This morning. She wiped her forearm across her forehead. I would have been at the training center this evening if I hadnt already committed to serving at the community churchs Saturday-night potluck dinner.
So you were here today.
Yes. This morning. She wiped her forearm across her forehead. I would have been at the training center this evening if I hadnt already committed to serving at the community churchs Saturday-night potluck dinner.
He hadnt known she attended church. He hadnt seen her there these past few Sundays. Do you mean the churchs singles potluck?
She nodded.
For some reason the idea of her mingling with other singles rubbed him wrong. Which was so out of left field and inappropriate at the moment. Irritated at himself, he pushed the thought aside to focus on Gina.
Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. He hated seeing her cry. Yet there was a jaded part of him that wondered if the tears were real. Were they a ploy to gain his sympathy?
Veronica wasnt pleased that I couldnt be here tonight, she said. But she agreed to microchip the new puppies and expected me to take over their care and training first thing on Monday morning.
However, that didnt explain how Gina came to be here now. Something about her story felt off.
The sounds of Desert Valley Police Departments finest arriving drew Shanes attention. Since the station was so close, several officers came on foot while the chief of police and the lone K-9 officer of the department drove to the training center.
Is that...? Louise Donaldson, the first officer to reach the scene, clamped a hand over her mouth and turned away.
Officer Dennis Marlton put a hand on her back and bowed his head as if the sight were too much to bear.
Officer Ken Bucks staggered back several steps. Though it was too dark to see his expression, Shane imagined that seeing an acquaintance murdered like this must be a shock, to say the least.
The last murder victim in the community of Desert Valley had been the wife of K-9 officer Ryder Hayes five years ago. A murder that had never been solved.
Shane glanced at Ryder, his face hidden in shadows created by the many flashlight beams directed toward the victim. Sitting at Ryders side was his canine partner, a handsome yellow Lab named Titus. Shane had seen the pair around but hadnt really had a reason to interact with the Desert Valley Police Departments only official K-9 officer.
Chief Earl Jones, a tall, imposing seventy-year-old man with thick graying hair, knelt beside Veronica and checked for a pulse, apparently to confirm Shanes pronouncement that the master trainer was dead.
When he lifted his head, tears shone in his gray eyes. He stood, his hands fisted at his side. He was clearly struggling to contain his grief and anger. Who did this?
Gina believes her brother, Tim Perry, did, Shane said, noting that Gina hadnt moved, just as hed instructed her. She didnt see it happen, though. I havent asked her how she came to be here tonight.
Hmm, her brother, huh? Earl scrubbed a hand over his jaw.
Apparently hes a wanted criminal in Mesa, Shane added. Did the chief know Gina had a brother who was in trouble with the law? Or had she kept that information hidden? The thought made him wonder what else she could be hiding. Was Gina capable of murder? Was the story about her brother a convenient way to deflect blame?
TWO
All right, everyone. The chiefs voice held a sharp edge that swept over the group outside the Canyon County Training Centers side yard. We have a crime scene and a potential suspect. Lets work this for Veronica and bring her killer to justice. His voice broke on the last word.
Shane felt for the man. It was no secret that the chief and Veronica had had a special relationship. Though they werent related, Chief Jones regarded Veronica as the daughter hed never had.
And despite complaints from other trainers and rookies that she was too harsh, critical and demanding, Chief Joness philosophy was if you couldnt handle working with Veronica, how could you handle all the stress of being a cop or training police dogs and their handlers?
Chief Jones barked out orders for Marlton to fetch standing lamps and Bucks to call the coroner and start documenting the scene. Donaldson, gather forensic evidence.
Officer Marlton left and returned a few minutes later with two huge freestanding lamps. Within moments, pools of sharp glaring light replaced the darkness.
Shane and Bella stepped out of the way as Ryder and his dog moved past. Shane could only imagine Ryder was remembering his wifes murder. But in this case they had a clear suspect. They would solve Veronicas murder.
Chief Jones pinned Shane with a questioning look. Have you cleared the building?
No, sir, I was waiting with Gina.
Earl turned to Ryder. You good?
Taking a deep breath, Ryder nodded. Yes, sir.
Clear the building, the chief instructed. And, Ryder, be careful.
Yes, sir. Ryder and Titus headed toward the training facility door, keeping a wide berth around the dark, bloody trail.
The chief ran a hand over his graying hair. Ill need to let her brother, Lee, know. Hes the only family she had left. He shook his head with sadness.
Is he here in town? Shane asked. He hadnt known Veronica had a brother.
No, hes in the state prison. He was convicted of larceny a few years back.
Shane bit back his surprise as he turned his attention to Gina. Seemed she wasnt the only one with brother issues.
Officer Donaldson squatted down in front of Gina. Honey, I need to swab your hands for gunpowder residue.
A stricken look crossed Ginas lovely face, making her already pale complexion even more so. I didnt shoot her. I dont even know how to handle a gun.
Its procedure, Officer Donaldson explained as she worked. Our department isnt large enough to employ a crime scene technician, so all of us officers have been trained to do basic forensic collection. She bagged the pad that shed swiped over Ginas hands and face.
I touched Veronica to see if she Gina turned away.
Ill send everything gathered to the lab in Flagstaff. As long as the particle count is twenty or less, then youre fine. Cross contamination happens.
But even if you dont find any sign of gunpowder on Gina, the lack of forensic evidence could be explained away, Shane said. Someone wearing gloves when they pulled the trigger wouldnt have any residue on their hands. There could be some blowback on the perpetrators clothing.
Gina whipped her attention to him.
True, Officer Donaldson said. The lab wont be able to process Ginas clothes until shes able to surrender them.
The flash of a camera burned Shanes eyes. Officer Ken Bucks snapped shots of Veronicas body.
Marlton, the chief called to the older officer standing off to the side, observing.
Yeah, Chief, Dennis Marlton answered, but didnt step closer. He had his arms folded over his potbelly as if protecting his paunch. He was shorter than his coworkers and had gray, thin hair and watery blue eyes that squinted at the chief.
You and... Earl frowned as he glanced around. Wheres Harmon?
Dennis shrugged. Late as usual.
The chief harrumphed. Bucks, go with Marlton to canvass the area. See if anyone saw anything that might be helpful.