“Yes, ma’am,” he assured her. “No hits so far. Most of the shops along this block close earlier than this one and weren’t open until just a few minutes ago, so no customers in the parking lots or employees hanging around outside. At least none we’ve found.”
She gave him a nod and turned back to the victims. The shop had closed at ten last night. If her estimation on time of death was anywhere near accurate, the murders hadn’t occurred until well after the shop closed. With the rest of the shops in the area already shuttered for the night, there might not be any witnesses at all. They could hope for security cam footage, but there were never any guarantees with these older shops and neighborhoods.
“I’m ready to talk to McGill.”
Franklin jerked his head toward the door that separated the stockroom from the public space beyond. “She’s at the bar.”
“Make sure the outside perimeter remains secure now that the other shops are open for business, and let Detective Falco know when the ME arrives.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Before turning away, she asked, “Do we have an ETA on the Crime Scene Unit?” Generally, they arrived about the same time or shortly after Kerri and Falco did. A call en route got a unit moving ASAP. Apparently there had been a glitch this go-around.
“I checked with dispatch to find out what the holdup was and learned there’s a major pileup on 280. Our guys got caught up in that, but they’ll be here in the next few minutes.”
Kerri nodded. “Good.”
She followed the route Falco had taken. She spotted him through the storefront windows, standing outside, his cell tucked against his ear. Brooks was likely warning her partner about how sensitive these sorts of cases were. How they had to be exceedingly careful. No leaks. Keep the press at bay until an official statement was released.
It wasn’t like they hadn’t done this before. Ten months ago, the first case she and Falco worked together had involved the top echelon of Birmingham society. An ache pierced Kerri’s heart. That case had stolen the life of Amelia, her precious niece . . . it had taken a terrible toll on her family, and she’d been saddled with a new partner she hadn’t liked. She gave her head a small shake. Turned out that new partner was the best thing to happen to her, professionally and personally. He was a great partner and a good friend. She was lucky to have him.
She glanced to the far end of the bar, where Tara McGill waited, her elbows on the counter, her face in her hands. Long blonde hair streamed down her back. The dress was short and tight, the sandals slinky. Kerri imagined all the employees who worked here were attractive and probably female. The older men who frequented the place with its vintage, tony appeal would prefer to be catered to by women.
Kerri settled onto the barstool next to McGill. She looked up, tears blackened by her heavy mascara, and eyeliner stained her cheeks.
“Ms. McGill, I’m Detective Kerri Devlin. I’d like to ask you a few questions about this morning.”
She nodded. “Okay.” More dark tears rolled down her cheeks. “Who would do this?”
“We’re hoping you can help us find that answer.” Kerri reached across the bar and grabbed a couple of napkins for McGill. “How long have you worked for Mr. Kurtz?”
McGill swiped at her cheeks, then dabbed at her nose. “Two years.”
“Do you have some idea about how many people the shop employs?”
McGill considered the question for a moment. “There’s five or six who work part time and two of us who are full time besides Leo.” She drew in a big breath. “I just don’t understand. Everyone loves Leo.”
Obviously, there was at least one person who didn’t. Or maybe it was simply a matter of wrong place, wrong time. Kerri doubted that scenario. This execution had been planned and carried out carefully. “Any trouble with customers or suppliers?”
“Never.” McGill shrugged. “I mean, I’ve only been here for two years, but all the people I’ve encountered say the same thing—Leo is the best. Some have worked with him since he opened the place forty years ago. A lot of the customers have been coming here all that time too. It’s just crazy.”
“No issues with any of the employees, past or present, that you’re aware of?”
“No. Nothing.”
“What about family troubles? Issues with his significant other or current love interest?”
McGill moved her head side to side. “Leo is—was single. His partner died like five years ago, and he never wanted to be with anyone else.” She sighed. “The man was a true romantic. And he didn’t have kids. He always joked that this place was his child.” She made a sound that fell short of being a laugh. “He would say the business just kept growing and never let him down.”
“Best friends?”
McGill summoned a watery smile. “We—those of us who work here—are his friends. And his customers. There’s no one else I know of.”
Which could mean Leo was a loner in his personal life. Or just particularly discreet.
“I realize you’ve probably already done this with Officer Franklin,” Kerri said, “but I need you to take me through your arrival this morning. Tell me everything you remember. Sometimes after such a traumatic event you recall more when you’ve had a chance to regain your composure.”
McGill fiddled with the wad of napkins. “I parked next to Leo’s car at like nine twenty-seven. I know that because when I saw his car, I was surprised that he was here already. So I looked at the time on my dash to make sure I wasn’t late. I didn’t recognize the car parked next to his. The silver Audi, I mean. Leo drives that old four-wheel-drive Bronco. I think it’s about as old as he is . . .” She blinked once, twice, then swallowed hard. “Was.”
“Did you have to unlock the door to come inside?”
McGill shook her head no. “But I didn’t think anything of it since the boss was here. I came inside. Stuck my purse in the locker I use. There’s a whole row of them by the coatrack at the back door.” She paused, reviewing the next moments before speaking again. “The first thing I saw was the two chairs with hands tied behind them.” She made a face. “I thought, What the hell? I walked over to the chairs and around in front of them, and there was Leo. I didn’t know the other man. It took me a minute to understand they were dead. I was like in shock or something. I kept thinking this can’t be real. No way.” Her hands sliced through the air, punctuating the statement.
“Did you touch either one of them—maybe to see if they were still breathing—or move anything near where they were seated?”
“No.” An adamant shake of her head. “I just stood there trying to get past the shock. I kept telling myself I should scream or do something, but I couldn’t move. Then I used my cell to call 911.”
“Did you work yesterday, Tara?”
She nodded. “I closed with Leo last night. I left about ten thirty.”
“Was there anyone besides you and Mr. Kurtz here at that time?”
“Only Lucky. He closed last night too.”
Falco came inside, the ME, Dr. Jeffrey Moore, and one of his assistants right behind him. Two steps behind the threesome were a pair of evidence techs. About time.