“I’ve seen a case like this before in Richmond, after a riot. A man went into cardiac arrest and died after police incapacitated him with a Taser gun. A Taser would leave twin marks like I saw on Kyle where the electrified darts impacted the body.”
Bailey said, “So somebody shoots him with the Taser and then injects him with an overdose. That’s why there was no sign of a struggle.”
“I can’t be absolutely certain about the Taser, but there’s more. I also found small petechiae and hemorrhages in his eyes and mouth.”
“That’s a sign of asphyxia, of being smothered,” said Michelle.
“Exactly. The hemorrhages occur as one struggles for air. Now, there was no evidence of strangulation at autopsy, so I’m thinking he might have been suffocated with an object that would leave no such traces, like a pillow. And heroin is a respiratory depressant; his breathing would already have been very shallow, and that would have aided the person trying to kill him by suffocation.”
“So if he was murdered and the person tried to make it look like a suicide, who has the motive to kill him?” asked Bailey.
“Well, the woman he was selling drugs to at the Aphrodisiac for one,” said Williams. Bailey looked at him questioningly, and the police chief filled in his colleague.
Bailey said, “So she gets the money back, why kill him?”
“What if Kyle learned who she was and was trying to blackmail her?” suggested Sylvia. “That would be a prime motive for murder: fear of exposure.”
“So we need to find this woman, and fast,” said Williams.
Michelle and King exchanged glances.
“We know who she is,” he said.
They all looked at him in surprise.
“Well, who the hell is she?” asked Williams.
“Dorothea Battle. And she’s got no alibi for the time Kyle was killed.”
“Dorothea Battle?” The police chief rose from his chair. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me this right away, Sean?”
“We just found out ourselves. She admitted it to us.”
Williams pulled out his cell phone. “Well, we’ll pick her up pronto, then.”
“She’s at her house.”
“You mean you hope she is. If she’s flown the coop, I’m holding you responsible.”
“I don’t think she killed Kyle, Todd.”
Williams ignored this and spoke into his phone, ordering the arrest of Dorothea Battle. When that was done, he looked at the private investigator. “And what do you base that conclusion on?”
“Gut instinct.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”
“If Dorothea did kill this guy, we might have three killers out there. The serial killer, the person who killed Bobby Battle and now whoever killed Montgomery,” said Bailey.
“Or Dorothea could have killed Bobby,” said Williams. He looked at King. “Did she say anything about why she went to see Battle?”
“Dorothea was hoping Bobby had changed his will to give her more money. She said she went to the hospital to make sure he’d done so. As it turned out, he hadn’t. Remmy got the money. So his death didn’t benefit Dorothea at all.”
Michelle spoke up. “She said he was incoherent. But what if when she visited him, he told her that he hadn’t changed his will and in anger she poisoned him?”
King said, “I don’t think Battle was capable of answering any questions. He was on the ventilator which makes speech pretty much impossible.”
Bailey glanced at King. “How’s your theory looking regarding the victims being connected somehow?”
King shrugged. “Still working the angle.”
After the others had left, King picked up the phone and made a call. But he put the phone down a few moments later.
“Who were you trying to get in touch with?” asked Michelle.
“Harry Carrick. There was no answer. I’ll try again later. Once Dorothea is picked up, the shit will really hit the fan. Harry’s friends with Remmy, so I’d like to give him some advance warning. He may want to go by and see her. And Dorothea’s going to need a lawyer.”
“I wonder if I should find Eddie and tell him.”
“Better he hears from someone else. Bailey will probably want to do the honors.”
“How come you didn’t tell Bailey about Canney’s connection to Battle?”
“I don’t know if there is a real connection yet. I’d like to be sure.”
“But you have your suspicions?”
“Yes, I do. Strong ones.”
“Care to share them?”
“My hunch is that Steve Canney was Bobby Battle’s child by Mrs. Canney. And that Roger Canney made the old man pay after his wife died. That would explain his sudden wealth and the fact that he has no pictures of his adulterous spouse and the son who wasn’t his.”
“I’m surprised he waited until she died in the car accident before he started blackmailing Battle,” she said.
King stared at his partner. “Car accident?” he said slowly.
“Yes, she was drinking and crashed her car. Don’t you remember?”
“I remember very well, thank you.”
She noted the faraway look in her partner’s eyes. “You’re on to something. Care to share?”
He glanced at her. “What if Canney’s wife didn’t die in a car accident?”
“But she did. They found her in her car at the bottom of a ravine. I told you I checked with Todd on that.”
“Right. She died in a car crash. But that doesn’t necessarily make it an accident, does it?”
Chapter 65
King eventually got in touch with Harry and told him what had happened.
“I’ll head straight to the Battles’,” he said. “Why don’t you and Michelle meet me there?”
It was dinnertime when they all collected at the mansion.
Remmy met the three at the door. “Mason is out right now,” she explained.
“You’ve heard?” asked King.
“Yes. I hardly think she’ll pull herself out of this one.”
King looked at the older woman with surprise. “Remmy, I know the two of you aren’t the best of friends, but she’s still married to your son.”
“Which is the only reason I have any concern at all.”
“Where’s Eddie?”
“In town talking with the lawyers. Dorothea hasn’t been formally charged yet?”
“They don’t even have a firm cause of death yet,” Michelle put in. “Until that happens, they can’t charge her.”
“You don’t think she killed the man, do you?” Harry asked Remmy.
She placed her gaze squarely on him. “No, but I didn’t think she was buying stolen drugs either.”
“There’s quite a bit of difference between that and murdering someone,” rejoined Harry.
She motioned them in. “Why don’t we continue this fascinating discussion over dinner?”
Savannah joined them in the dining room. She was dressed in a long skirt, white blouse, dark blue sweater, stockings and low-heeled pumps. Her hair was nicely styled, and she had a modest amount of makeup on.
It took King a moment to realize what he was seeing. Then it struck him: daughter was dressed just like mother. He looked over at Michelle. From her startled expression it was clear she was thinking the very same thing.
Harry sat next to Savannah and struck up a conversation with her while King and Michelle focused on Remmy.
“Dorothea got virtually nothing by Bobby’s death,” said King. “So there was no motive there.”
“Motives needn’t be simply financial,” replied Remmy as she buttered her roll.
Like your motive for killing your husband? thought King.
“You have something in mind?” asked Michelle.
“No, I’m just stating what I thought was an obvious fact.”