Protector - Laurel Dewey [148]
She factored a million possibilities and twisted scenarios. Weyler had 24/7 access to the Lawrence crime scene and was, in fact, directing the entire investigation. He was the only one Jane knew of who could have been alone in that house and able to lift whatever he wanted for whatever purpose. Jane flashed back on the phone call she received from him when he told her about the suspect that Chris was questioning.
“The perp was arrested for public drunkenness and pissing on the sidewalk,” Jane remembered Weyler telling her. “When PD searched him during booking, they found an item on his person that sent up a red flag . . . A silver cigarette case with the inscription ‘Wedding Blessings. David & Patricia Lawrence.’ ”
Jane recalled her observation when Chris grilled the homeless bum. His tattered clothing could barely hold a pencil, let alone a heavy, silver cigarette case. remembered that Weyler opened a file folder and searched the pages. “The PD report shows that the container was found ‘near his person.’ ” Weyler read from the report.
Jane looked down at the Lawrence crime scene photo and that glimmering silver box in the corner. If that was not a duplicate cigarette case, then she was faced with the enormous possibility that someone planted the silver cigarette case next to the bum. “Near his person,” she said to herself. It was the sort of vague terminology cops put into reports that often signaled suspicious police behavior. “Near his person” was a “wink-wink” term that could translate to: “We planted the evidence, but we couldn’t plant it on the suspect so we tossed it ‘near his person.’ ”
Jane took a nervous drag on her cigarette. She eliminated Chris from her list of suspects right off the bat since he was playing on his boat in Dillon that night. “Weyler?” she said to herself, considering the possibility of his involvement in a cover-up. All he could say is that he was home that night watching his favorite PBS programs. But why would Weyler get involved? What’s his motive? The more Jane tossed the idea back and forth, the more it didn’t add up. Weyler had too much to lose; he’d earned prestige and respect within the Department for his integrity and professionalism. It didn’t seem rational for him to risk it all on something like this.
The more Jane thought about it, it almost seemed that the bum was set up. After all, in some eyes, he was disposable—an incoherent, society dropout who could easily be used by PD Brass to take a huge fall. Who cares if he took the hit for a crime he didn’t commit if it meant protecting those who were really involved? However, thanks to Jane and her aggressive stance, their easy target was allowed to walk, thereby possibly screwing up Weyler’s intended plan. “What’s missing?” Jane said to herself, frustrated. She looked at that odd scratch in the photo near the desk’s back panel. “What’s the missing piece?” she said. If she were able to call the evidence room and talk to Ron Dickson, the evidence technician, she could possibly convince him to look on the original copy of the Property Report Form and see if a cigarette case was listed. Of course, with Ron being the Good Christian, Jane wondered if he would release that information to her over the phone—especially since word had to be out that she was incommunicado. But perhaps she could convince him to check downstairs . . .
Downstairs. That was the Denver PD term for the evidence room, located in the basement of Headquarters. She heard Weyler’s voice again in her head. It resonated from their emotional conversation the night before when he called to tell her about Dale’s death. He said something about “possible internal problems downstairs.” Exactly what in the hell was going on downstairs? And furthermore, was Jane possibly sitting on the answer and not even aware of it? She glanced back to the photos when she heard the scuff-scuff of Emily’s feet along the floor in the living room. Quickly, Jane gathered the photos together and stashed them into her leather satchel. No sooner were they hidden from view than