Still Waters by Debra Webb Read Free Book Online

even knowing it.”
    He was right. She’d been so focused on finding something that would prove she was telling the truth that she hadn’t considered herself a victim.
    “Kyle Adler may have been obsessed with you,” Jess explained. “He may have come into your home on numerous occasions. He has no criminal record, but we’re operating under the assumption that he simply hadn’t been caught. His need to have something of yours may have caused him to cross the line, ultimately perhaps drawing him into association with the person who murdered him.”
    Amber looked from Jess to Sean and back. “So it’s possible his killer may have saved my life. Is that what you’re suggesting?”
    “In some perverted way perhaps,” Jess agreed. “Envy may have driven him or her. The unknown subject—unsub—may have been Adler’s lover who learned of his obsession with you and killed him in a fit of rage. When your name and face hit the news as a person of interest in the case, this person may have put the knife in your house to further implicate you as the murderer. Or if he or she was working with Adler all along, the knife may have been in your home since the day it was used as a murder weapon.”
    “How could he or she have known I would look in that particular box?”
    “The choice was too specific to believe it’s a mere coincidence,” Jess agreed. “At this point my opinion would be that the unsub took his time and selected a place that wouldn’t be too obvious to the police but wouldn’t go unnoticed by you. Does anyone else know about the box of fan mail you keep in your closet?”
    Amber started to say no, but the memory of the special she and Gina had done stopped her. “Gina and I did a special.” She looked at Sean. “I told you about it earlier.” To Jess she said, “We both shared a little about how our professional and personal lives intersect. I talked about the letters and...” Amber sighed. “And how I kept them in a lovely box on a shelf in my closet.”
    Jess nodded. “He was watching. He’s using all he knows about you to frame you for murder.”
    “He’s certainly done a top-notch job so far.” Every piece of evidence in the case pointed to her as the murderer. How could her entire life be turned upside down in less than twenty-four hours?
    “With your permission,” Jess said, “the detective in charge of the case wants to have a couple of evidence techs go through your house a second time to see if they can pick up any overlooked prints left by the victim or any other potential unsub.” Jess removed her reading glasses and placed them on her desk. “It’s a long shot, but we shouldn’t ignore the possibility that one or both may have been in your home many times.”
    Amber held up her hands. “I have no problem with them turning my house upside down if it helps find the real killer.”
    “There’s always the possibility,” Corlew warned, “they’ll find more planted evidence that could hurt your case. You might want to run this by Teller before you commit.”
    Amber pressed her hand to her lips. She hadn’t thought of that scenario. She shook her head. “I have nothing to hide. If something else has been hidden in my home, I want to know.”
    Jess nodded. “All right. I’ll let Sergeant Wells know. She’ll call Sean in the morning with a time.”
    “Meanwhile,” Sean spoke up again, “I have a locksmith at your house changing the locks as we speak. As soon as we get back there, you should change your access code and your password for your security system.”
    Amber’s head was spinning again. “I’ve never given anyone—not even my own parents—the access code or password to my security system. At least not that I can remember.”
    “There are other ways,” Corlew assured her. “Perps can order electronic equipment on the internet that overrides or breaks access codes.”
    “Which is another reason,” Jess cut in, “we believe the person who murdered Adler