Revenge Read Free Page A

Scott Baker’s suit jacket hung on a bronze coat rack in the corner near the door. The white shirt and navy trousers showed a day’s wear. A small pattern of blood splatter soiled the left shoulder of his shirt. His striped tie and the first two buttons of his shirt were loosened as if he’d had reason to be exasperated or maybe he’d had a long day. Possibly his visitor may have pumped up his frustration level.
    Baker’s dark hair was matted on the left side of his head where it appeared two violent blows to the temple area had taken him down. Probable fractures and certainly internal hemorrhaging had ensured he didn’t get back up.
    The scenario that he had tripped and fallen went out the window pretty quickly as far as Jess was concerned. The desk – and the table, flanked by two chairs – was clean of blood and tissue that would surely have been left behind had he hit his head there. Nope, Scott Baker had not accidentally gotten that lethal injury. His most likely right-handed visitor had given him a hell of a wallop upside the head, then another for good measure, before walking away.
    The victim had been dead a few hours. Rigor had a good start. Jess eased into a crouch to get a better look at the damage to his temple area. ‘Did you find anything that might have been the murder weapon, Sergeant?’
    ‘If it’s still in this room,’ Harper offered, ‘it’s been wiped.’
    Jess pushed to her feet and mentally inventoried the potential weapons. A crystal paperweight was too roundish to have caused the gouges in the scalp. The stacks of manila folders may have given the man a headache but they hadn’t killed him. Framed photos of a young wife and son weren’t heavy enough. Besides, a blow like that would have broken the glass. With gloved hands, she lifted and gauged the weight of an Administrator of the Year Award.
    ‘This feels solid enough.’ Jess studied the marble base. Like Harper said, no sign of blood or tissue but the sharp corners would have done the trick. She squatted next to the victim again and had another look at his wounds. ‘The corner of this base could be it.’ If the killer hadn’t taken the murder weapon with him.
    ‘I’ll have one of the techs bag it as soon as the ME has a look,’ Harper agreed.
    Jess settled the trophy on the desk and dusted her gloved hands together as if that aspect of her work was done. Notification of next of kin was still a no - go. According to the deputy administrator, Baker’s wife and son were down in Mobile for a final getaway before school started. That would need to be confirmed to clear the spouse.
    Jess moved around behind the desk and opened drawer after drawer. More files. Sharpened pencils and a stash of peppermints. Her attention returned to the framed photos. Young, beautiful family. She’d checked his wallet and driver’s license. The man lived in one of Birmingham’s wealthiest neighborhoods. The car keys in his pocket belonged to a Jaguar that was parked in his slot out front. The school uniform the young son wore in one of the photos told Jess he attended Birmingham’s most prestigious academy.
    However good life was for Scott Baker and his family, someone had wanted him dead and that someone had managed to get the job done. In light of the after-hours timing and the shutting down of the surveillance part of the security system, Baker had not only known his final visitor quite well, but he’d also been anticipating the visit. Could be a village resident? Frances Wallace’s image taunted her. She couldn’t have done this. Sure would have made Jess’s job a lot easier if that video surveillance had been left on.
    ‘Why in the world did you turn off the video surveillance, Mr Baker?’
    ‘If he answers you,’ an irreverent female voice announced, ‘I’ve wasted my time coming here.’
    Jess turned to greet the medical examiner. ‘Looks like we’ll be working together again this week, Dr Baron.’
    ‘I’ve survived worse.’