It was a blurred print in the shape of a human foot, but there was no heel mark and no tread pattern.
It could just have been the way the dirt had taken the print, Aidan thought, or the intruder might have wrapped plastic over his shoes to keep from picking up any trace evidence on them.
Aidan left the other two to check it out and headed back to the house, and then, when it was clear no one was there, out the front door. He was surprised—and suspicious—to see that Hal Vincent had shown up. Kendall was seated on the hood of one of the police cars, and Hal was speaking with her, gently, concerned.
“Hal,” Aidan said, nodding in greeting. “I’m surprised to see you out at night for a simple break-in.”
“I was just heading home when I heard the call on the radio,” Hal explained. “And since I wasn’t that far away…” He stared at Aidan—for once not as if he considered him nothing but a pain in the ass.
“There’s a crime scene unit on the way,” he said, glancing over at Kendall. “But there’s no reason to panic yet. Maybe Sheila’s plane was delayed.”
“She never checked into her hotel,” Kendall said flatly.
“Maybe she decided to switch to a different hotel,” Hal said.
“Sheila is dead,” Kendall said.
Hal looked at Aidan again. Aidan was certain that Hal agreed; he just didn’t want to make Kendall feel any worse.
“Now don’t you fret, we’ll look into this.” Hal looked meaningfully at Aidan again. “We’ll really look into this.”
“We’ve got a footprint out back,” Aidan said. “I think whoever was here had some kind of plastic covering on their feet. Like a doctor or a CSU technician might use. Or just a baggy or some plastic wrap. I’m willing to bet they were also smart enough not to leave any fingerprints. Your CSU guys aren’t going to find anything.”
Hal set a hand gently on Kendall’s shoulder.
Aidan wanted to knock it away, surprising himself with the strength of his reaction.
“We’ll start a trace on Sheila’s credit cards right away,” Hal promised. “Right now, let’s get a look in her car.”
One of the patrolmen went into his own vehicle for a window jimmy. In a minute, Sheila’s car was open.
It was as clean as her house.
They popped the trunk. That was empty, too.
“CSU will look at the car, too,” Hal promised her.
Finally Kendall was allowed to leave.
“Come on, let’s get you out to the plantation,” Aidan said.
“My car is here.”
“I’ll follow you.”
“I have to go home and feed Jezebel,” she said, her voice lifeless.
“Aidan, you take her. Zach can drive me out here tomorrow to pick up your car, Kendall,” Jeremy offered.
Aidan nodded his thanks to his brother but said, “Jeremy, you take Kendall home, and stay with her until I get there.”
Jeremy looked at him curiously but didn’t ask any questions.
“Sure. Come on, Kendall. We’ll take your car and leave mine, okay?”
Aidan watched them go. A minute later, as he got into his own car, he knew that Hal Vincent was studying him as he left.
Jezebel was all over Kendall the minute she stepped into her apartment. Jeremy entered quietly along with her and casually made an inspection of the place, checking the back doors.
“No one’s been here,” she told him. “But thank you.”
He nodded, offering her a wry smile. “Habit, I guess. Way of life, maybe.”
“What can I get you?”
“Don’t worry about me.”
“I’m having a large glass of wine,” she told him.
“I’ll have a beer.”
She fed the cat, got the drinks, then sat with him in the family room, the drapes pulled over the French doors to close out the darkness. Once she had loved her courtyard. She wouldn’t have thought a thing in the world of sitting out there at night. Now, the darkness seemed ominous and she had no desire to leave the safety of her four walls.
The phone rang, and she nearly jumped a mile. Jeremy answered it.
He spoke for a few minutes, then handed the receiver to her.
“It’s Mason. He’s at the Hideaway and Vinnie is playing, but he says they’ve left you a dozen messages, wanting to know if you’re all right.”
She handed the phone right back to him. She didn’t want to talk to Mason or anyone else. “Explain what happened, will you, please?”
When Jeremy finally hung up and took a seat by her side again, he said, “He sounded pretty shaken up. He just kept repeating her name, like he couldn’t believe it.” He was silent for a moment, then said, “Kendall, she could be all right.”
“She could be. But she isn’t.” She hesitated for a long time before speaking again. “I think I saw her being lured to her death,” she said.
He stared at her, his eyes betraying nothing.
“Oh?”
“I think I saw it in a dream.”
Matty opened the door before Aidan could knock on it.
“Aidan, hey.” She sounded surprised. Maybe even disappointed.
“Hey, Matty.”
“Did you…do you…?” She didn’t seem to know what she wanted to ask.