Page 2 of Hostile Witness
He opened his car door and started issuing orders. “Hop in. You can ride in the front, but don’t touch the computer or any of the equipment in the vehicle.”
In a hurried rush, Tia slid into the seat and set her purse on the floor. The front passenger area wasn’t as roomy as she’d imagined.
“Buckle up. You must remain in the cruiser at all times unless directed otherwise. Do not follow me into a building. Feel free to ask questions when a call or traffic stop has been completed. We’ll break for lunch in the early afternoon.”
His list of instructions and controlled tone mimicked a recitation of her Miranda rights. He left no doubt as to who was in charge. Tia fastened her seat belt and shrank back into the lumpy seat as a wave of relief washed over her. She’d not only gone into the police station but now sat in a police car. These were huge accomplishments.
Aside from the way-too-hot overbearing cop next to her, the rest of the day should be easy, right?
2
Tia crossed her legs and stifled a whimper.
An hour and a half ago, she’d finally chugged her twenty-ounce iced caramel macchiato like a sailor drinking whiskey on shore leave as they’d driven to their first call for a minor traffic accident.
Add to that the seventeen-ounce bottle of water she’d drunk after her morning workout and the usual cup of hot coffee. Her bladder threatened to detonate any second. It wouldn’t be a problem, but she was in the driveway of a home on Glen Cove Road, in Detective Kelley’s cruiser, with no access to—ahem—the facilities.
Tia groaned and pressed her thighs together. She should’ve used the restroom instead of waiting in the car when they’d stopped at the convenience store. And now, the detective’s stern warning not to follow him into a building reverberated in her head.
Adjusting the angle of her hips to relieve the ungodly pressure, she frantically pondered her options.C’mon. This stop wasn’t an armed robbery all-points bulletin. It was a routine call from a neighbor about a persistent barking dog.
Wincing in agony, she turned around to look for any signs of movement on the property. The calm air carried the sounds of early spring birds. Detective Kelley had been in the house for at least fifteen minutes.
Tires churned on the gravel to her right as a police K9 SUV dashed into the driveway. An officer jumped out, glanced her way, and gave a swift nod. Tia opened her door to let him know she needed a restroom, but his brisk half run had him at the front door in less than five seconds.
Her bladder pulsed in a relentless beat, reminding her every few seconds of imminent disaster. Tia checked her phone. She’d been sitting here almost twenty minutes now. Why hadn’t she hopped out quicker to tell the second cop she needed a restroom?
The property had scattered trees, but they were thin pin oaks with no coverage to hide her bare butt. And who knew if the neighbor that had called 911 for a barking dog was now watching the yard from afar with binoculars?Crap.This was no time for a lengthy inner discussion over the lack of facilities. As much as she didn’t look forward to the lecture she’d get from the detective, staying in the car was no longer an option. According to her throbbing bladder, she needed to act fast. Grabbing tissues from her purse, Tia swung out of the cruiser and gingerly made her way to the back of the house.
She spied a well-hidden spot between two huge bushes near the back door.Perfect.She hurried over and shimmied her pants down, braced one arm on the brick behind her, and lowered into a crouch while uttering a silent plea that she wouldn’t pee all over her clothes. With a sudden crackling of leaves, several mice darted between her legs, scattering through the yard. Choking back a scream, she yanked her pants up.
Dear lord, the pee is gonna come out.But the dog wasn’t barking anymore, which meant Kelley and company must havethe situation under control.Right?She hobbled to the back steps and tried the door. It was unlocked.
Tia gave a quick knock. No answer.
She opened the glass door and slipped inside, but she kicked a small object and froze in fear. Had they heard the noise? With her heart thumping an erratic beat, she tiptoed through the kitchen, peering left and right. She really,reallyshouldn’t be in here. Thishadto be what breaking and entering felt like.
Maybe she could pee and get back to the car without them knowing she’d been inside. But what if she found a bathroom and they cornered her in a compromised position with their service weapons drawn? Well, it wouldn’t be the first time she’d been the punch line of a precinct joke.
Voices drifted from the hallway on her right. Sneaking in that direction, Tia quietly opened doors, hoping for a powder room, but discovered a coat closet and a pantry. She clenched her fists as a bladder spasm forced her to double over.
Once she’d recovered enough to stand up, she limped through a large archway into a great room with a vaulted ceiling. Rich wood panels warmed the decor, which included a black lacquered baby grand piano on her left and a massive stone fireplace at the far end.
The blood spatter on the white love seat was her first clue. The second was the broken glass and the objects strewn at odd intervals. Glancing down... her feet stopped short. She was standing in a puddle of scarlet. A woman’s lifeless body lay on the ornate Oriental rug in front of a glass-top coffee table. Detective Kelley was talking into his radio by the fireplace, and the K9 cop knelt on the floor tending to a bloodied dog.
She took a step backward, mumbled her need for a bathroom, and gaped at the woman’s body again. The poor soul was a mess. Tia’s right hand flew to her mouth. Nausea churned, and her ears rang. Her eyes locked onto Kelley’s as heleaped across an overturned ottoman and ran toward her in slow motion.
She opened her mouth to explain why she’d left the police car, but the words wheezed from her throat. Her hand slipped when she tried to steady herself on a nearby round mother-of-pearl door handle. Jerking her fingers away, she wiped crimson on her pants.
Detective Kelley tossed her over his shoulder. He should’ve been a linebacker. Total anarchy ensued as her stomach joined forces with her bladder. Gagging and dazed, she swiped at her breakfast on the back of Kelley’s uniform, but the attempt at cleanup was futile.
He unceremoniously deposited her into the back seat of the police cruiser, then everything went black.
Sirens wailed,and voices spoke in varying degrees of urgency, demanding assistance and stating facts.Murder. Crime scene. Brutal. The words swirled around her like morning fog, but her attention focused when a male voice commented, “Poor dog barked himself hoarse, tore the fur and flesh off his neck trying to free himself from the grooming apparatus. We should all hope for a dog that devoted.”
Tia squinted against the bright sunlight.
“Hey, how are you doing? You warm enough?” A female police officer stared down at her with a kind face and took her pulse