Dead Reckoning by Linda Castillo Read Free Book Online Page A

independently and have to rely on good communication to keep other team members apprised of developments.
    Kate put a line through his name, then looked at her team. “We’ve got a lot to go over this morning, so I’ll catch Mr. Matrone up on things later.”
    “That’s code for he’s toast,” David said under his breath.
    Several people snickered. Kate shot David a pointed frown, then looked down at her notes. “Ellis allegedly committed a double murder and sexual assault while in the commission of an armed robbery.” She removed four neat folders from her briefcase and passed them out as she spoke. “The grand jury has already handed down a true bill of indictment. Arraignment is tomorrow.”
    She looked around the room. “We will be trying this as a capital case, so if any of you receive any inquiries from the media—no matter how casual that inquiry may appear—you are to refer them to our public information office. I’ve prepared a folder for each of you containing an agenda for this morning’s meeting, contact information for all of us, including the number and e-mail address of the lead detective working the case. Also enclosed is the timeline set forth for the case by District Attorney Mike Shelley. I’d like to adhere to this timeline as closely as possible. I’ve also included copies of police reports, crime scene photographs, and a manifest of evidence at DPD.”
    Once again seating herself at the table, she reached into her briefcase and put on her reading glasses. “Regarding evidence, Dallas PD has maintained a chain of custody. No evidence will come to this office. If we need to see something, we will drive over to the evidence cage and sign in, making sure we have a police officer with us at all times. We don’t want some defense attorney trying to get evidence tossed because one of us contaminated it. We’re going to prosecute this case by the book. And we’re going to get our conviction.”
    “Do we know yet who the defense is going to be?”
    Kate nodded. “Aaron Napier.”
    David made a dramatic sound and reacted as if he’d been punched. “He’s good.”
    “So are we,” Kate countered. “We’ve got a solid case and the evidence to back it up.” She looked around the room. “This was a brutal, cold-blooded crime. It’s important to remember that the two victims were people. Two women who were mothers with children and grandchildren. They had lives and people who loved them. They didn’t deserve to get gunned down like animals.”
    Kate picked up the videotape. She’d wanted to view it in the privacy of her office before watching it with her team. But Detective Bates hadn’t gotten it to her until just a few minutes ago. She was anxious to see it.
    “The video we are about to watch is from the Snack and Gas security camera.” She passed the tape to Liz.
    Liz Gordon inserted the tape, dimmed the lights, then hit a button on the VCR. The room went silent as the grainy black-and-white video brought the pull-down screen to life. Like most security-camera video, the quality was poor. One of the victims was off camera. But Evangeline Worth was standing behind the counter when Bruton Ellis walked into the store. Watching her, it was clear the young mother of four had had no idea that these were the last moments of her life.
    Kate had seen plenty of violence in the years she’d worked in the DA’s office. She was no stranger to crime scenes or crime-scene photographs or witness accounts of violence. She no longer outwardly flinched at the inhumanities mankind could inflict upon itself. But deep inside, she recoiled with aversion when Ellis gunned down first Irma Trevino, then Evangeline Worth. That aversion augmented into revulsion when he unzipped his fly, got down on his knees, and took her from behind like an animal.
    Vaguely Kate was aware of her team members shifting uncomfortably in their chairs, and she was suddenly very glad the lights had been dimmed. She could feel