“I found forty bucks in cash under a dresser drawer.” Phil walked into the kitchen, stepping around the heaps of dish towels, broken plates, and overturned drawers.
Seth swore. “Considering the thoroughness of this search, we can safely say that money wasn’t the reason for the break-in.”
“He definitely would have seen it,” Phil agreed. “Also, patrol called. They drove the whole route from here to Fletcher’s. No sign of a cargo van on the roadside or at the bar.”
Seth spotted a calendar, open to December. He picked it up by the corner. A funeral home’s name and address was printed on the bottom corner. It looked like a freebie she’d gotten in the mail. On Tuesday, December 22, she’d written, “Fletcher’s 8 p.m.” Underneath the calendar was a pink address book. Seth set the items with the financial statements.
So far Seth had found nothing to indicate anything was amiss in Amber Lynn’s life. On the kitchen counter, a plastic basket held a few keys. Seth picked up a black key fob. “Let’s check out her car. Any idea how long forensics is going to be?”
“It’s two days before Christmas. They’re short staffed. Most of the techs are at the body site.” Phil followed him outside.
Two deputies working on a door-to-door met them on the walkway.
“Any luck?” Seth called.
The first deputy shook his head. “I took the top floor. Most apartments are empty. I expect folks are working today, since it’s a weekday. The three neighbors I talked to were asleep before midnight and didn’t see or hear anything. However, the old lady in 24B said Amber Lynn and her ex had an argument yesterday, but she couldn’t hear the details.”
“The lady that lives below heard footsteps overhead around two a.m.” Deputy number two read from his notes. “It went on for a while so she assumed the baby was cranky, and Amber Lynn was walking the floor with her.”
“Did anyone see Amber Lynn after eight o’clock?” Seth asked.
Both deputies shook their heads.
“So we still don’t know if she and Bruce made it back here,” Seth said, but he doubted it. No one had heard a gunshot. Incapacitating two adults manually would generate some noise, especially since one of them had been a strong young man who would fight to protect his woman. It was far more likely that whoever had killed Amber Lynn had had her purse and key and let himself into her apartment. But what had he been looking for?
“You want us to keep going?” the first deputy asked.
“Yes. Try every building. Then try again later. The entire complex couldn’t have been asleep.” Seth led the way to the parking lot. The cold bit at his skin, and wisps of fresh, powdery snow blew across the pavement. Walking between the rows of cars, he pressed the UNLOCK button on the fob. He heard a chirp and stopped. Pressing the button again, he scanned the rows of vehicles.
“Over there.” Phil pointed. Light blinked on a worn Ford Escort.
Seth opened the door with one finger on the latch. A car seat was secured in the back. Small toys, Cheerios, and two sippy cups littered the seat and floor. Seth opened the console. Mints, ChapStick, hand sanitizer, baby wipes. Nothing unusual. The seat appeared to be adjusted all the way forward for tiny Amber Lynn. “Anything interesting in the glove box?”
“Not really,” Phil said. “Registration. Car repair receipts. A tire pressure gauge.”
Seth popped the trunk but found only a spare tire and some tools inside.
“What now?” Phil asked.
Seth paced behind the Escort. “County and state cops are looking for Bruce’s van. Forensics is processing the park scene and Amber Lynn’s apartment. Now we retrace their activity last night. We need to talk to the owner of Fletcher’s. I called the two other band members and left messages for them to call me.” Bruce’s band sometimes practiced at the Taylor farm. Seth had met the drummer and bass player numerous times.
“Seth!” Carly called from the sidewalk. She tossed the hood of her parka over her long dark hair. A woman stood next to her in a jacket totally inadequate for the bitter cold. Seth assumed she was the woman Carly had just told him about on the phone.
He crossed the lot. Carly’s face was pinched with worry, and Seth’s heart clenched. He’d give anything to find her brother. He was well aware that his wife was an intelligent and capable woman, but he still wanted to protect her.
“This is Misty.” Carly introduced them. “I have to get back to the baby.” Carly walked back toward Mrs. Kaminsky’s apartment.
“Can we go inside, please?” Misty’s teeth chattered.
“Of course.” Seth followed her to a first-floor apartment in the same building as Amber Lynn’s place.
In between sobs and sniffles, Misty told Seth about Amber Lynn’s argument with her ex-boyfriend.
“Did he threaten her?” Seth asked.
“Not exactly,” Misty said. “He started off with a whole bunch of self-pity. But when she turned him down, he said she was a selfish bitch. He was starting to get nasty when Bruce showed up.”