in sharp contrast to the pool of blood.
âYou Catholic?â asked Jack.
Connie nodded.
âThink maybe you should turn the investigation over to someone who isnât?â
âWhy?â
âIf it goes to court the defence will say that because of your belief you werenât objective in the investigation and claim you framed whoever did this out of blind rage.â
âI may feel rage at what took place, but Iâm not blind. Iâm seeing this through to the end.â
Jack shrugged in response.
On their way up the outside steps, Connie gave Jack a sideways glance and said, âI canât believe that you, of all people, would be trying to slam me on objectivity.â
âI wasnât slamming you. Simply saying what the defence will do.â
âWell?â interrupted Laura, looking questioningly at Jack as he and Connie stepped outside.
âClandestine lab,â said Jack.
Laura glanced at the upper portion of the house before briefly closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
Connie realized what Laura was thinking and she turned to Jack to ask a question that she feared she already knew the answer to. âYou said carcinogenic ⦠what about the people who live upstairs?â
âWho knows,â replied Jack. âFor them it will be like living with a ticking time bomb. Never knowing if ⦠or when it will kill you. The bad guys used an exhaust fan ⦠maybe the people upstairs are okay ⦠maybe not. Everyone who has spent any amount of time in the place should get checked out.â
âShe was running a daycare,â said Connie quietly.
âI know,â replied Jack.
âKids ⦠babies,â said Laura, âeveryone will have to keep checking to make sure they donât ââ she stopped, choosing instead to bite her lip to maintain control of her emotions.
Unlike Laura, Connieâs sorrow and fear was replaced with anger. âThese sons of bitches killed a priest,â she said vehemently. âThey had the place booby trapped ⦠meth lab in a daycare ⦠they donât give a fuck about anything or anyone.â She unconsciously clenched her fist as she stared at Jack. âI want these guys. I want them behind bars for the rest of their lives.â
âYou and me both,â said Jack sombrely. âWeâll meet with Gabriel and show her the pictures. Maybe weâll get lucky.â
All three of them stared up at the house and took a moment to regain control of their emotions. Connie was the first to talk. âIâm told Gabriel is distraught and in shock,â she cautioned. âTime is of the essence. I want her to be able to focus right now, so donât tell her about the cancer stuff. When youâre done, Iâll take a statement from her, after which Iâll tell her to go to the doctor. The sooner we can find these guys the better.â
Jack sighed and said, âOkay, the ugly part of introducing her to her future nightmares will be left to you.â
âAlong with contacting all the parents who brought their children here,â added Laura.
Connie nodded in agreement and said, âThe pictures might be our best bet. Got a feeling that Forensics will be a dead end. Iâd like to get these assholes before theyâve destroyed any more evidence. With the amount of blood the actual killer would have on him, even if he showers, we might still find trace amounts under his nails or up his nose and in his ears ⦠providing we get him soon.â
âWeâll let you know in about an hour,â replied Jack.
Jack and Laura spent the next forty-five minutes sitting with Gabriel at her kitchen table while Jack presented a slide show on his laptop of all the bikers he knew in British Columbia, along with their friends and associates.
During this time, Noah sat in the living room while Faith, not understanding what had happened, was content to lie
Tabatha Vargo, Melissa Andrea