Free Two Graves (A Kesle City Homicide Novel) by D.A. Graystone Page B

was in High School. Overweight, sloppy, he was the geek always trying so hard to please. He likely had all the crap jobs, always the one setting up the AV equipment rather than doing the presentation, the prop guy instead of the star, picked to put away the sports equipment while the others celebrated the big game. Even now, he was running the errands. He wouldn’t be on the stage at the big celebration. He’d be over by the punch bowl with the rest of the losers.
    Haynes could understand. Stuttering all his life, he was always in the background. That’s where his love of computers came from. And he had no regrets, not with Anne at his side. He smiled over at his wife. Sensing him, she looked over and smiled back.
    “Th...th...this is an especially good one,” Haynes said, pointing to the picture in his customer’s hand.
    The man looked up, obviously startled. He looked at the picture Haynes was pointing at of the petite little face, long red hair, gorgeous lips and sparkling eyes. Haynes saw the man’s face turn red and guessed, incorrectly, that he was embarrassed. Out of sight behind the counter, Haynes couldn’t see the man’s right hand clench so hard it turned his knuckles white. Sweat broke out on the man’s forehead and Haynes took pity and changed the subject.
    “I’m s...s...sorry but I have to hurry off. Anne will make up the bill. I hope everything works out all right.”
    “It will,” the Preston replied. “You have helped me a great deal.”

Chapter 15

    Mann took a look at the two murder boards that Tetrault and Kydd had set up behind their cubicles.
    In the center top of one board was a head and shoulder shot of Luis Gabel on the coroner’s table. Clustered off to the left were the names and aliases of the Intimidators. Mann shook his head again when he read the aliases. Beside each Intimidator was the notation “AC” for Alibi Cleared. A copy of Gabel’s rap sheet was stuck to the board with a magnet. It was pretty short and filled with minor crimes – minor for any serious banger, anyway. Just enough to get Gabel a curfew. There was also a picture of a Blackie Collins Thin Red Line switchblade. There was a magic marker circle around a chip on the blade with a note stating members of the Intimidators identified it.
    A short time line, mostly blank, attempted to narrow down the time of death. Kydd and Tetrault had narrowed down the time of death to be between 11:30 PM, when Gabel had left his fellow gang members, and 3:30 AM. A large question mark was at midnight with the notation, “Curfew never missed”. The right side listed next of kin with a similar ‘AC’ notation. Under the heading of Enemies, the space was blank.
    On the next board, there was a head and shoulder shot of Christine Yeck when she was very much alive. Apparently, her next of kin were more forthcoming with a photograph of the lovely young woman.
    This murder board had similar notations to Gabel’s with some additional information. No rape was prominent as was a description of the indignities that the killer had visited on her body. Strangulation, severed tongue, mutilated throat and the sign carved in her back, all with autopsy photos. Attached dead center of the board was a blowup of the sign. Beside the picture, Kydd had printed “Occult” and “Gang” with large question marks. Scanning the list of next of kin, Mann saw that all had been cleared.
    He was still staring at the boards, sipping a Pepsi, when Tetrault and Kydd came back into the squad room.
    “Anything new?” Mann asked.
    Both detectives shook their heads. “Not a thing, Lou,” Kydd added.
    “Is there anything that isn't on the board?”
    Tetrault flipped open his notebook. “Fiancée is clear. He wasn’t even in town and that has been double checked.”
    “That’s the truth,” Kydd agreed. She picked up a paper on her desk and unfolded it. After scanning it, she waved the paper toward Mann. “And officially nothing on the DNA for the