You Belong to Me – 27

 

 

Darin smiled dryly. “A good question. Perhaps he thought you were here and waiting for him?”

 

“Why the hell would he think that?”

 

“You tell me.” Darin turned to look when he heard someone say his name.

 

Officer Turner said, “We know how he was killed, now that they’ve turned the body. Three stab wounds to the chest. According to the ME, from his initial assessment, one thrust probably struck the victim’s heart.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“They’re ready to move the body, once you look at it.”

 

Darin excused himself and went out to the living room. “Any indication if Mr. Reynolds tried to defend himself?” he asked the ME.

 

“It doesn’t look like it. There are no defensive cuts on his hands or arms. My best guess at the moment is that he was taken by surprise, either by someone he knew, or someone he didn’t know was here until it was too late.”

 

“What kind of knife?”

 

“I won’t be able to tell you for certain until I do the autopsy, other than that it had a broad blade. Perhaps a butcher knife.”

 

“Is there anything else you can tell me?”

 

“He appears to be a healthy male in his mid-twenties. If he had been able to defend himself, I give good odds he wouldn’t be dead now.”

 

Darin nodded thoughtfully. “All right. Take him away.”

 

Corey looked up when Darin returned to the kitchen. “What happens now?”

 

“I suggest you pack a few belongings and find a motel or a friend’s place to stay at. The CSI team still has hours of work ahead of them.”

 

“I would have anyway. No way am I staying here until…. Will your people clean up… everything… when they’re finished?”

 

“No. Once we release the scene, it’s up to you to hire a company to do it.”

 

Corey’s mouth tightened. “Great, just great. Guess it’s what I’ll have to do, then. I doubt the building owners will be willing to pop for that.” He stood, telling Darin he was going to do as he'd said, pack up some stuff and move to a motel. When Darin asked, Corey gave him his cell phone number, muttering under his breath to remember to pack his charger. In exchange, Darin handed him his card, which Corey tucked in his pocket.

 

“I’ll be in touch tomorrow,” Darin told him. “By then I’ll have more information, and undoubtedly more questions.”

 

“Lucky me,” Corey replied acidly before leaving the kitchen.

 

Not really, Darin thought, since I have the feeling either you killed Reynolds, or you know the real reason why someone else did.

 

Darin went back into the living room and told Officer Moore to follow Mr. Byrne to make certain he ended up at a motel. Then he called in to have an officer assigned to watch wherever Byrne decided to spend the night.