One Deadly Sister (Sandy Reid Mystery Series #1) by Rod Hoisington Page A

“Plus, look at the names we’ve got: Barner, Loraine, Tammy and Norma Martin. They may or may not have anything material to do with Towson’s murder, but what if these names get out?”
    “Fortunately, we have a good suspect in jail,” the chief said.
    “That reporter, Linda Call, is asking me for an interview.” Moran frowned. “I can handle her, but we need a response ready in case the details of Reid’s statement become public. Goddard, give me another briefing, I may want to point you in a different direction.”
    Goddard opened his notebook. “You have the M.E. prelim. Towson died from a single shot to the chest from a .38, most likely a revolver, close range, died quickly. CSI found a second slug in the wall behind.”
    The chief said, "So, two shots were fired and one missed."
    "Let me go back over some crime scene details," Goddard continued. "Shooting was in the master bedroom. They found him in his underwear...t-shirt and boxers. A stylish robe was on the bed nearby. He may have been dressing or undressing. His blood was limited to the antique rug under his body except for minuscule traces leading out of the bedroom. Someone has his blood on the bottom of his or her shoes.”
    “Caught in his shorts suggests someone he knew. No defensive or scrimmage wounds. So, no struggle,” the chief added.
    “…the bedspread, blanket and sheets were all pushed down onto the floor. On each nightstand was an empty wine glass. The victim’s prints and one set of unidentified prints were on the glasses. A trace of lipstick was found on one glass.”
    Moran interrupted, “So, a female is involved...presumably.”
    Goddard continued, “Yes, sexual activity is the obvious inference, except there is no trace evidence of recent sex on that bed. There was a hairbrush and a toothbrush with Towson’s prints in the master bath. A second hairbrush and toothbrush with unidentified prints were in a small leather travel kit suitable for a woman keeping a few toiletries at his apartment. We’re going after DNA, of course. Here’s the kicker, the unidentified prints in the bathroom don’t match those on the wine glasses.”
    “Wait a minute,” Moran said. “There are two sets of unidentified prints? Tell me again, Goddard, because that doesn’t fit. You said the bed was messed up and a wine glass was on each nightstand. I get that picture so far. However, the prints on the wine glasses don’t match the prints found on the female items in the bathroom.”
    “Indicating a second woman,” Goddard suggested. “I say woman because of the lipstick trace on the rim of the glass. As expected, there are the usual other unidentified prints around in other places. In the kitchen, CSI found a large shard of a cup under a cabinet recessed toe-kick apparently undetected, out of sight. We figure whoever picked up the other pieces overlooked it. That one piece had an oily film on it, smelled like insecticide. Reid’s prints are on that shard. Remember he admitted he dropped a cup.”
    “The apartment wasn’t disturbed otherwise, no apparent robbery,” the chief said. “On the face of it, Towson was murdered between two, the time on the service receipt, and six when Tony Hackett went to the apartment to pick him up.”
    “M.E. says he has no problem with that timing and thinks closer to six,” Goddard said. “Hackett was to meet Towson to take him to a banquet for a campaign speech. Towson didn’t answer the buzz. Hackett phoned, no response. The maintenance man let him in. Hackett called out, walked around and saw the body in the bedroom.”
    “Did you check out Hackett?” Moran asked.
    “He’s in the clear, I believe. He was in Tallahassee overnight Friday,” Goddard said, “and headed back around noon. We checked his phone. He called Towson three times from the Turnpike. The last attempt was around five. He got no answer the last time, so was concerned and drove straight to Towson’s. The rest agrees with what the