LITMIR.BIZ

       7

      Janine Hooks had arrived at the scene by the time Ren and Gary got back from the abbey.

      ‘Hey, girl,’ said Janine. She gestured to the body. ‘Well, this is terrible.’

      ‘Ugh.’

      ‘Anything from the abbey?’ said Janine.

      ‘Not yet,’ said Ren. ‘We’re waiting on the director to get back to us on a few things. There’s certainly a nice view of the area close to the vehicle fire. I’m wondering did anyone see anything … I’d like to be armed with something concrete before I talk to the owners.’

      Janine nodded. ‘Oh, yes.’ She took out her notebook. ‘OK … as I was driving here, Logan Teale – who I now sit opposite, nice guy – got more lowdown on our victim: Laura Flynn from Waterford, Ireland, been living in New York for the past five years – just got her citizenship this year. She flew from Denver to Chicago last Thursday on a return ticket, due back last night, but obviously didn’t take the flight. She rented the Hyundai at nine thirty p.m. Thursday at O’Hare. She filled out the form saying the drop-off would be there too. So she was either lying on the form or she made a last-minute decision to come here.’

      ‘So,’ said Gary, ‘she drives from Chicago to here, that’s what – a fourteen-hour drive?’

      ‘I guess so,’ said Janine.

      ‘When was the flight due in?’ said Ren.

      ‘Last night,’ said Janine.

      ‘So, when did she set out?’ said Ren. ‘Did she stop anywhere along the way? Did she stay somewhere overnight? She couldn’t have slept in the car with that bump …’

      ‘No,’ said Janine.

      ‘So – any idea which case she had information for you on?’ said Ren.

      ‘No,’ said Janine. ‘I have a few with New York links, but I just can’t see how a young Irish woman in New York five years could know a thing about them. Or about a 1963 homicide in a Colorado girl scout camp. Like I said, hundreds of people were interviewed – who knows how far and wide they scattered? A lot of the people were young and could still be alive. Too many for now to narrow it down. But obviously, anyone can show up from anywhere at any time about any case … even still, though, why would she come all the way to Colorado?’

      ‘Oh, we got more info on that,’ said Ren. She filled her in on the Princes.

      ‘Ah,’ said Janine. ‘So she wasn’t staying too far away.’

      ‘Maybe she had some old relative ’fess up on his deathbed,’ said Ren. ‘An old Irish drunken uncle comes clean.’

      ‘Not to be racist …’ said Janine.

      ‘Noo,’ said Ren. ‘So, was our victim a pregnant runaway heading for shelter in the abbey, or was she doing some poking around at The Darned Heart Ranch, or none of the above?’

      ‘Did she get here yesterday, do some poking around, come to a conclusion, then call me?’ said Janine. ‘If she was coming to me because of information she had on a case, and the wrong person knew about it …’ She shrugged. ‘But what I don’t understand is how long she’s had this information … like, why would she decide only now to bring it to my attention … when she’s six months pregnant?’

      ‘I know,’ said Ren, ‘it doesn’t make sense.’

      ‘It had to have been something that was, if not more important, certainly as important as her baby. It’s not like my cases are time-sensitive …’

      ‘Unless she suspects someone who hasn’t got long to live …’

      ‘Or she thinks someone is about to destroy evidence …’

      ‘It’s all so strange,’ said Ren.

      ‘There could have been another reason why she was here.’

      ‘Sex, love, money, drugs …’

      ‘Well, we can safely say that sex has taken place,’ said Janine.

      ‘Unsafely …’ said Ren. ‘So, is this a screwed-up love story? Was she running toward a man she loved? Was it the same man as the father of her baby?’

      Kohler came up to them. ‘The Sheriff’s been in touch,’ he said. ‘The news is already filtering out. We need to notify the victim’s employers ASAP.’

      ‘Janine and Ren are going to take care of it, if that works for you,’ said Gary.

      ‘Sure,’ said Kohler. ‘We’re going to take away the burnt-out car from the ranch.’

      Gary nodded.

      ‘So, you’re all done?’ said Kohler.

      ‘Yes,’ said Janine.

      ‘Nothing more to see here,’ said Ren.

      ‘Well, be on your way,’ said Kohler. ‘Do you know where you’re going?’

      ‘I do,’ said Ren.

      ‘See you back at the office,’ said Gary.

      Ren got into Janine’s SUV. ‘I have been chauffeured all day,’ she said. ‘I’m getting to know what it’s like to have a revoked license.’

      ‘It suits you,’ said Janine.

      ‘It doesn’t,’ said Ren. ‘You have no idea how much stress I release while driving.’

      As Janine drove, Ren kept checking her phone for coverage.

      ‘Finally,’ she said, as they hit Highway 285. ‘Let me see what I can get on the Princes.’ She did a Google search. ‘OK – Robert Prince is fifty-five years old and has made rich lists at various times under the “Inherited Wealth” category. He has also publicly dismissed this categorization, because he has also had many business ventures of his own in all kinds of areas … some more successful than others.’

      ‘What kinds of business?’ said Janine.

      ‘You name it, really,’ said Ren. ‘On the personal and political front, Robert Prince is a devout Catholic, attended Harmon’s, a small private Catholic school, is a serious pro-lifer, has made several cash donations to pro-life politicians. In 2005 and 2010, he was up for election as head of the highly influential

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