Anna's words trailed off as her attention turned to the folder in her lap and the reports it contained. It was a remarkably thin file for a murder-suicide investigation. She quickly located the medical examiner's report Kaelin had mentioned.
"I understand why the coroner could not identify Clyde based on his dental records," mused Anna, "but why does the report make no mention of an attempt to identify him by his fingerprints? And what about the rifle? Didn't anyone dust it for fingerprints? Don't tell me no one bothered to match any prints on the gun to Clyde's?"
Kaelin shot an annoyed glance in Anna's direction, his fingers tapping impatiently on the steering wheel. "Opelika's a small town. Law enforcement here does not see any of your big-city crimes. Except for Sara's sudden disappearance, there was nothing mysterious about this case. Clyde found out Rose was cheating on him, and killed her, then himself. End of story."
Although still skeptical, Anna saw no point in arguing with Kaelin. Either some careless person had botched this investigation miserably, or someone had deliberately falsified the records. But for what purpose? Could this have something to do with those stories about local government officials accepting bribes from Clyde? Had one of them killed Rose and Clyde, then arranged the evidence to point to a murder-suicide? Some one had left that message in blood on her door for a reason, and Anna intended to find out why, with Kaelin's help or not....
Lily angled the pin in her fingers to catch the light from the lamp above her, the better to admire the red stone's sparkle. She smiled in satisfaction and she turned the pin over and re-read the inscription. "Omnia vincit amor-love conquers all. What a load of crock!" Lily's eyes shot to the figure of her father, snoring on the couch, a mostly-empty bottle of cheap bourbon on the coffee table beside him. Involuntarily, her left hand reached up and gingerly touched her cheek. It still bore reddened traces her father's handprint. Luckily, the bourbon distracted him, or Lily might have suffered far worse.
Loreena, Opelika's librarian, had translated the Latin phrase for Lily. At first, Lily had believed that the key to the mystery lay in translating that phrase. Now, she was not so sure. More likely, the pin itself was the key, which is why Lily was so determined to possess it.
Lying to Anna had been regrettable, but remarkably easy. After hours of practice before her bedroom mirror, Lily could turn on the waterworks at will. Grown-ups were such chumps for that gimmick.
The crunch of tires on the gravel driveway snapped Lily out of her reverie. Quickly, she stashed the pin under the cushion of the chair beside her, and rose from her spot on the worn, living room rug. Smoothing her skirt, Lily walked quietly to the front door to greet the visitor, before her father wakened, and interfered with her plans yet again.
(to be continued)
Posted by captainhoof
at 11:21 AM CDT