“I’m fine. Won’t be the first time I’ve carried my dad inside,” said Tyler, looking embarrassed.
After Tyler drove off in the Mercedes with his father lying down in the back seat, Decker turned to White. “We need to run ballistics on the gun.”
“You don’t think…?”
“I’m not sure. That’s why I want to run the test. And there’s something else.”
“What?”
“Tyler said his father parked his car off the road and slipped into the neighborhood through the golf course side to avoid the gate.”
“Meaning he could have done the same the night of the murder. But his car didn’t leave the garage that night,andhe has an alibi.”
“He could have borrowed or rented a car. And maybe Tyler isn’t as sure of the times that night as he said he was.”
“You think he’s covering for his dad?”
“His dad is the only thing he has left.”
“But at least we know one thing for certain.”
“What’s that?” said Decker.
“The man was clearly lying when he said he was over his ex-wife.”
Chapter63
WHITE COULDN’T SLEEP, SO SHEleft her room, trudged down to the hotel lobby, and went out the rear entrance. She sat by the pool and slipped out a single cigarette from her jacket pocket. She had smoked some in high school, and college, but then swore off the habit when she became pregnant the first time. But when her panic attacks had begun, she had allowed herself an occasional flutter. It was no coincidence, she knew, that her panic attacks had commenced right after Donte’s death.
When it had happened she had caught the first flight back and driven straight to the morgue to see her baby lying lifeless on a slab. They had not conducted the autopsy yet. They had held off so White could see her child before the required procedure took place. For that she was grateful. That had been the only thing she had been grateful about.
It had taken her seemingly an eternity to open her eyes and look down at his small body with the sheet pulled up to his chest. A part of her was thinking that if she didn’t open her eyes and see him, he couldn’t possibly be dead.
Yet she had to accept the reality of her son being gone. And when she had looked down at him…?
She suddenly felt panicked as her heart commenced to beat rapidly. The dread ate into her belly and her lungs heaved, making her breaths erratic.
With a shaky hand she used a Zippo to light her cigarette. In the momentary flicker of flame she saw Donte—not the boy on the slab, but the child she had birthed and raised until senseless violence had taken him away from his mother.
She controlled and slowed her breathing, letting the cigarette smoke drift from her. It lazily moved over the pool and then disappeared into the night.
Like Donte had.
“Didn’t figure you for a closet smoker.”
She whirled to see Decker standing off to the right, in the fringe of flickering shadows.
White said, “I allow myself one every once in a while.”
Decker nodded and drew closer. He stared at the still waters of the pool. “Couldn’t sleep?”
“Apparently just like you couldn’t.”
“I never sleep well.Apparently, it’s just not my thing,” he added.
“I sent you a file on the incident with Langley and the prostitute.”
“I read it and saw the pictures. She’s lucky to be alive. And then she dropped her complaint and left town. Leaving Langley free and clear.”