Charles Parker replaced the small smile on his face with a look of concern as he snapped his cell phone shut and turned back toward his business acquaintance.
"No answer?" The other man said.
"No. And it's not like Cynthia to not be at home." Charles furrowed his brow.
"She's probably out spending your money, or maybe she went to a movie."
"Yeah. I'm sure that's it." Charles answered him. And smiled.
*****
"Eames." Alex said into the phone. "Damn it. Where?" She grabbed a pen and wrote down what the caller was telling her. Glancing up at Bobby, she spoke into the phone "We'll be right there."
"What?" Bobby asked as Alex replaced the handset.
"Cynthia Parker was just found dead in a door way three blocks from her apartment." She let that sink in for a moment, and then told him the rest. "Her head was smashed up against a wall, just like her sister." She waved a finger at the phone, "Uniform on the scene says they've got a witness who saw it go down at about 1:15, 1:20."
"Just after we left her." Bobby said.
"Yep."
*****
"Where's the witness?" Alex asked the first uniform she saw after they arrived at the scene. He shrugged and kept walking. 'Wonderful', Alex thought, grabbing another officer by the arm, hoping he would know more.
Bobby was already in the doorway, crouched over the Cynthia's body. She was lying on her back, arms and legs askew. Her face was turned to her left, as if she was looking at the wall she had been slammed into. With his gloved hand, Bobby gently cupped her chin, and turned her head, so he could inspect the wound.
Alex finished talking to the witness, and then turned her attention to the ME. It took only a few minutes for her to tell Alex what she knew, and followed up by saying she'd know more after the examination.
Alex thanked the doctor and walked over to the doorway, where Bobby was still crouched over Cynthia's body. She gave him a few moments, knowing that when she did speak, he would hear her, but probably wouldn't appear to be listening. "The witness watched the whole thing from her apartment window across the street." Alex turned and pointed. "Saw a man walk up from behind her, grab her and push her into here. Then, maybe twenty seconds later, he left, running. She didn't think anything had happened, since he wasn't here to long, but then she saw Cynthia on the ground, crawling out of the doorway. By the time she got down the stairs and over here, she was dead."
Bobby stood up and joined Alex on the sidewalk, signaling the coroner's office he was done and they could take Cynthia now. "Has anyone called her husband?"
"Uniform said they sent someone down there, since it's so close. No one answered. Neighbor saw Mr. Parker leaving this morning with a suitcase."
Cynthia's body was lifted onto a stretcher and hoisted into the coroner's van. Bobby took a few steps on the sidewalk, and turned back, so he was again facing Alex. "He grabs her here," he raised his arms, half way, pantomiming. "He forces her into the doorway," taking a few steps, he walked into the doorway. "He slams her head into the wall, and takes off." Bobby turned his body so his back was against the wall, becoming Cynthia in his re-enactment. "She's losing blood, barely conscious, falls to her knees," he pointed to the ground where Cynthia's body had just lain. "Tries to crawl out for help, loses consciousness, and dies."
Alex nodded in agreement as Bobby rejoined her on the sidewalk. "Same as her sister." Alex said.
"Identical twins, both killed in the same way, within a few hours of each other."
"Someone's going after the family?" Alex suggested.
Bobby tilted his head, "Either that, or Constance was a mistake, and Cynthia was the intended target."
"No answer?" The other man said.
"No. And it's not like Cynthia to not be at home." Charles furrowed his brow.
"She's probably out spending your money, or maybe she went to a movie."
"Yeah. I'm sure that's it." Charles answered him. And smiled.
*****
"Eames." Alex said into the phone. "Damn it. Where?" She grabbed a pen and wrote down what the caller was telling her. Glancing up at Bobby, she spoke into the phone "We'll be right there."
"What?" Bobby asked as Alex replaced the handset.
"Cynthia Parker was just found dead in a door way three blocks from her apartment." She let that sink in for a moment, and then told him the rest. "Her head was smashed up against a wall, just like her sister." She waved a finger at the phone, "Uniform on the scene says they've got a witness who saw it go down at about 1:15, 1:20."
"Just after we left her." Bobby said.
"Yep."
*****
"Where's the witness?" Alex asked the first uniform she saw after they arrived at the scene. He shrugged and kept walking. 'Wonderful', Alex thought, grabbing another officer by the arm, hoping he would know more.
Bobby was already in the doorway, crouched over the Cynthia's body. She was lying on her back, arms and legs askew. Her face was turned to her left, as if she was looking at the wall she had been slammed into. With his gloved hand, Bobby gently cupped her chin, and turned her head, so he could inspect the wound.
Alex finished talking to the witness, and then turned her attention to the ME. It took only a few minutes for her to tell Alex what she knew, and followed up by saying she'd know more after the examination.
Alex thanked the doctor and walked over to the doorway, where Bobby was still crouched over Cynthia's body. She gave him a few moments, knowing that when she did speak, he would hear her, but probably wouldn't appear to be listening. "The witness watched the whole thing from her apartment window across the street." Alex turned and pointed. "Saw a man walk up from behind her, grab her and push her into here. Then, maybe twenty seconds later, he left, running. She didn't think anything had happened, since he wasn't here to long, but then she saw Cynthia on the ground, crawling out of the doorway. By the time she got down the stairs and over here, she was dead."
Bobby stood up and joined Alex on the sidewalk, signaling the coroner's office he was done and they could take Cynthia now. "Has anyone called her husband?"
"Uniform said they sent someone down there, since it's so close. No one answered. Neighbor saw Mr. Parker leaving this morning with a suitcase."
Cynthia's body was lifted onto a stretcher and hoisted into the coroner's van. Bobby took a few steps on the sidewalk, and turned back, so he was again facing Alex. "He grabs her here," he raised his arms, half way, pantomiming. "He forces her into the doorway," taking a few steps, he walked into the doorway. "He slams her head into the wall, and takes off." Bobby turned his body so his back was against the wall, becoming Cynthia in his re-enactment. "She's losing blood, barely conscious, falls to her knees," he pointed to the ground where Cynthia's body had just lain. "Tries to crawl out for help, loses consciousness, and dies."
Alex nodded in agreement as Bobby rejoined her on the sidewalk. "Same as her sister." Alex said.
"Identical twins, both killed in the same way, within a few hours of each other."
"Someone's going after the family?" Alex suggested.
Bobby tilted his head, "Either that, or Constance was a mistake, and Cynthia was the intended target."