The FBI Thrillers Collection Books 1-5 - Catherine Coulter [568]
“What is it, Dillon?” Sherlock was crowding him.
“Jesus,” Savich said, turning slowly and taking her arms. “Stay back.”
We hadn’t found Jilly.
We’d found Rob Morrison.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
I looked on as Maggie watched them put her lover into a body bag. Two men heaved the body bag up into the coroner’s van and slammed the doors. She just stood there, watching the van disappear around a curve about half a mile away from Rob Morrison’s cottage.
She’d looked only once at his body, her hand covering her nose and mouth, then walked away and said nothing to any of us for at least ten minutes. Then we’d waited for nearly an hour before the Salem coroner’s office and forensic guy showed up, Detective Minton Castanga in charge. Until now, he’d said nothing at all to Maggie, done nothing more than greeted us.
It had started raining just as the coroner’s van pulled away. Castanga motioned all of us into the house.
“Talk to me,” he said, and sat down on Rob Morrison’s sofa.
We told him everything, except we told him we broke into the house after finding the body.
Castanga scratched his chin with his pen and said, “Now, let me get this exactly straight. You federal people have been all over this town for nearly a week now, then you four came here expecting to find Mac’s sister, Jilly. Or because Morrison might know where she is?”
“That’s right,” I said. Laura sat beside me, listing slightly to the left, against my shoulder.
“Do you have any idea who killed Rob Morrison?” He lifted a beautifully polished red apple from the full bowl on top of the coffee table, rubbed it on his jacket arm, and took a big bite.
“None of us know who killed Rob Morrison,” I said. “None of us know anything about this. His murder must somehow be connected to the drug operation that’s being investigated, but we have no direct knowledge of that. We were just looking around, saw the shed door hanging open, and checked it out. There was Morrison, dead.” So the door hadn’t been exactly open. I didn’t think Castanga needed to know we were searching Morrison’s property.
“Two gunshots in the middle of the back,” Castanga said. “Someone wanted him gone and took care of it efficiently. It appears he’s been dead for at least four days.” Castanga put down the apple core on the polished coffee table, frowned, then gently set it atop the other apples. “Don’t want to stain the wood,” he said.
“You never cared about staining wood when we were married,” Maggie Sheffield said.
“I was young and foolish then.”
“Yeah, no more than thirty-five.” Maggie stood.
Castanga said gently, “Maggie, I understand that you were seeing Rob Morrison. Hadn’t you wondered where he was?”
She shrugged. The pain in her eyes was there for all to see. “He’s not known for fidelity. When he didn’t call me, I tried to get him a couple of times. Then I just stopped.”
“We’re really sorry, Maggie,” Sherlock said.
“I am too,” I said. “He saved Jilly’s life.”
Maggie’s chin went up. “Thanks. Now, I’m going to start interviewing to see what I can find out.”
Castanga looked as if he’d object, then he just shrugged. “Go easy, Maggie, and be careful. I’m not being overprotective. People are in the habit of dying around here.”
Maggie said, “Shit, I should have stayed in Eugene.”
Castanga turned to Laura, who was still leaning against my shoulder. “Take care of her,” he said to all of us. “She should be in bed.”
Castanga closed his small notebook and shoved it inside his jacket. He rose, wiping his hands on his slacks. “Oh, yeah, not a clue as to who drugged you two. As you probably know, the DEA also slammed the lid down on our investigation. It wasn’t going anywhere, anyway.”
We had lunch at Grace’s Deli on Fifth Avenue. I think Grace was the only person in Edgerton who was actually pleased to see us. She took one look at Laura, started patting her, and led her to a chair.
While she made us sandwiches, she talked nonstop about all the trouble.