Silent Witness Read Free

might have been a coincidence, but McConnell didn’t much believe in coincidences.
    A chilling thought entered her mind. There had been another witness in this case, a female college student from the University of Utah. When records came back confirming Ginsberg’s status as a witness in the case, Kate also asked for the name of the second witness and her home address.
    A patrol sergeant, Dennis Martinez, met Kate at Robin Joiner’s home. It was an older apartment complex about a mile south and west of the university campus. Joiner occupied a ground floor unit that had a covered patio and a sliding door at the rear. Kate sent Martinez behind the apartment to cover the patio exit while she approached the front door. She saw it immediately. The door had fresh pry marks dug into the wood around the lock. Somebody had used a screwdriver or pry bar to jimmy the lock. Kate drew her nine millimeter, quietly turned the door knob, and pushed open the front door. She paused momentarily. The apartment was dark and quiet.
    â€œHello, Salt Lake City Police.”
    Silence.
    She slipped into the apartment and turned on the light in the hallway. She moved quickly through the living room, opened the drapes, and unlocked the sliding patio door. A cursory search of the apartment failed to turn up any sign of Robin Joiner. Equally disturbing, it was clear that the apartment had been tossed. Drawers in the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom had been pulled open, and the contents dumped on the floor. Somebody was obviously looking for something.
    â€œWhat do you make of this, Lieutenant?”
    Martinez was standing in the small kitchen looking into a round fruit bowl on the dining room table containing two overly ripe bananas in it. On top of the bananas was a hand-printed note. It read: I’M LOOKING FOR YOU AND I WILL FIND YOU .
    â€œI haven’t a clue, Sergeant, but let’s not touch it. I’d like you to sit tight for a few minutes. I’m going to request a forensics team and see if I can locate an on-site apartment manager. Maybe the manager will be able to tell us something about the whereabouts of Ms. Joiner.”
    â€œOkay.”
    Outside McConnell found an ‘apartment manager’ sign stuck in the front lawn with an arrow pointing south to an adjacent building. She located a woman who was just putting the finishing touches on a lease agreement with a new tenant. When she finished, Kate introduced herself and flashed credentials.
    â€œSorry to bother you, but I’m looking for the tenant in apartment number 106. Robin Joiner is her name.”
    â€œI haven’t seen Robin for the past couple of days but that’s not unusual. Is everything okay?”
    â€œI hope so, but we’re not sure. Does Robin rent the unit by herself or does she have a roommate?”
    â€œThe lease is in Robin’s name only, no roommate as far as I know.”
    â€œHow about friends? Do you have any idea who she hangs out with?”
    â€œThat’s almost impossible to keep track of. Most of our tenants are students attending Westminster College or the University of Utah. We’ve got people coming and going at all hours of the day and night all the time.”
    â€œDo you recall ever seeing her with anyone?”
    She paused. “Come to think of it, I guess I have seen Robin a time or two, mostly with young women I assumed were her friends, probably students. But I don’t have any names for you. Sorry. Can I ask what this is about?”
    â€œRobin is a witness in a case of ours. I just need to ask her a few questions. How about boyfriends? Anybody come to mind?”
    Another pause. “Yeah, one guy a few times. Never met him though. I’m sorry that I’m not being more helpful.”
    â€œThat’s okay. You’re doing the best you can. Do you think you could describe the boyfriend for me?”
    â€œSure. He was a cute guy, tall, maybe six-two, six-three, slim