No One Left to Tell by Karen Rose Read Free Book Online Page A

herself.’
    On his screen the woman had jumped out of the minivan’s path and was now rushing to aid the victim. ‘I know. I’m watching the video.’
    ‘You and everyone else on the planet,’ Stevie grumbled. ‘It looks like he shot her from a business park, one driveway up. But we’re still not sure.’
    ‘All those video cameras and nobody got the shooter?’
    ‘All the cameras were pointed at the victim in the minivan.’
    ‘Where were the first shots fired? Before she crashed?’
    ‘We don’t know yet. Right now, just about everyone’s searching for the sniper. I don’t have to tell you that tensions are high around here. Ten-year anniversary and all.’
    ‘Here, too.’ He hesitated. ‘Has the victim been ID’d yet?’
    ‘Elena Muñoz. Grayson, what’s going on? What’s with all the questions?’
    Eyes on his screen, Grayson flinched once more when the shot was fired, waiting until the dark-eyed woman staggered out of the blurred zone. ‘I prosecuted Elena’s husband. Who’s primary?’
    ‘Perkins was the first on the scene, but as soon as Hyatt heard “sniper”, he pulled him. Perkins’s partner hadn’t even made it to the scene yet. Hyatt made Bashears and Morton primary. It was simply a question of experience. Perkins has never dealt with a high-profile case and Bashears and Morton have.’
    Grayson searched his mental archive. ‘Morton was on the husband’s case.’
    ‘Really? When was that?’ Stevie asked. ‘I don’t remember the Muñoz case.’
    ‘Six years ago.’
    Stevie’s breath came out in a little rush. ‘Oh. Well, that explains it.’
    Stevie’s husband and son had been killed six years ago, leaving Stevie seven months’ pregnant and grieving. She’d taken a leave of absence until after Cordelia had been born. There was a period of several months Stevie didn’t remember and nobody blamed her for it, Grayson least of all. Stevie’s husband had been his friend.
    ‘Why aren’t you and Fitzpatrick lead on this?’
    ‘Probably because we weren’t in the office yet when all this went down. We’ll get pulled in before it’s all over, but right now we’re on a case of our own. Gang shooting a few hours ago. We’re off to inform the parents of a seventeen-year-old boy. Which’, she added flatly, ‘is my very favorite thing to do in all the world.’
    ‘Sorry. Be safe.’
    ‘We will.’ She hesitated. ‘Call me if you need me, Gray. I mean that.’
    ‘Thanks.’ Grayson hung up and watched the video once again. Ramon Muñoz had been denied bail, so he’d been locked up ever since his arrest six years ago. Why did Elena come to see me last week? Why now?
    He wondered who she’d gone to see after she’d left his office, fighting back tears of despair. He wondered who else she’d sought out for help. He wondered whose apple cart she’d upset badly enough to end up riddled with bullets.
    He picked up his phone. ‘Daphne, can you get a number for Detectives Bashears or Morton? They’re primary on the Muñoz murder.’
    ‘You want me to call them, tell them she was here last week?’
    ‘No, just have them call me. I’ll tell them. Thanks.’
    ‘Anything else? Another muffin?’
    ‘No, but thanks. Do we have word on the Samson jury?’ They’d been deliberating another one of his murder cases for four days. He wished they’d hurry the hell up.
    ‘Just entering the jury room to resume deliberations. Sounds like they may be close though. Hopefully this morning. Hey, Anderson called again. He knows you’re in the building. Said if you didn’t call him, he’d plead down Willis himself.’
    ‘Man has goddamn spies,’ Grayson muttered. He hung up, closed the video of Elena and the dark-eyed woman, and dialed his boss, ready for a good fight.
    Detective Stevie Mazzetti slid her phone into her pocket with a frown.
    JD Fitzpatrick glanced away from the road to study her face. ‘So? Spill.’
    ‘It’s nothing,’ she said. ‘Just Grayson being