Faces of Evil [4] Rage Read Online Free PDF Page A

waiting. Worse, Jess’s attention settled on the victim; she hated for this woman to lie here like this any longer than necessary. She hoped Grayson and his ex hadn’t gotten into a war outside.
    “I’ll check on that,” Harper offered.
    “Do that, Sergeant, and make sure—”
    “If you’ll get out of the way,” a haughty female voice announced, “we’ll try to make up the time we lost due to BPD’s incompetence at securing the scene and preventing the flash mob outside.”
    Jess turned and came face-to-face with the tall brunette in the lavender dress who appeared determined to live up to her reputation of being pushy. Sylvia Baron .
    “Somebody adjust that damned thermostat,” she shouted at no one in particular. “Are we trying to turn this vic into a Popsicle or what?”
    “I’ll take care of that,” Harper said as he made himself scarce.
    Jess thrust out her hand. “I’m Deputy Chief Harris. I’ll be investigating this case.”
    “Dr. Sylvia Baron, associate coroner and medical examiner. This is Dr. Martin Leeds, Jefferson County’s chief coroner. As I said, if you will get out of the way, we’ll attend to our responsibility in this matter.”
    As true as it was that the coroner had jurisdiction over the body, Jess was king of the hill when it came to the scene. “Dr. Baron, I’m certain this is an awkward and perhaps difficult time for you. Be that as it may, considering your ties to the victim’s husband, I have strong reservations about your ability to maintain objectivity under the circumstances. Your being here obviously represents a conflict of interest.”
    Baron didn’t look surprised that Jess had already heard about who she was. In fact, the ME laughed. “Like I care about your reservations. Now step aside or I’ll call Chief Burnett and have you removed from this case.”
    A bad, bad feeling struck Jess. Was this woman another of Burnett’s fancy private-school cronies? Or maybe Sylvia Baron was a former lover or another ex-wife? The man had at least two exes Jess hadn’t met. Either way, she wasn’t running this investigation. Jess was.
    Big breath. Stay calm . She stepped around the body and moved closer to Baron. “I think that’s a very good idea. Calling Chief Burnett, I mean.” Jess kept her smile in place as she reached into her bag and retrieved her phone, then offered it to the other woman. “Why don’t you use my phone? Burnett’s at the top of my contact list.”
    The woman matched Jess’s fake smile with one of her own. “No need.” She whipped out her iPhone and made the call with scarcely more than a swipe and a tap. “He’s at the top of mine as well.”

 
    Birmingham Police Department, 11:30 a.m.
    S andy-haired, golden-eyed, and well-tanned, Johnny Trenton was thirty-two years old and, judging by his rap sheet, a former male prostitute who had discovered a better way to earn a living amid the wealthy and prominent in Birmingham by cleaning their pools and offering private swimming lessons to the kiddies.
    Or maybe he’d just assumed a better cover for work in one of society’s oldest professions. At the moment, seated at the interview table and with murder on her plate, unless his occupation was relevant to the case, Jess didn’t particularly care.
    Problem was, to her knowledge, the Graysons were neither wealthy nor prominent.
    Jess surveyed the file Detective Wells had prepared on Trenton. She reminded herself not to rest her right arm too heavily on the table, since it had one leg shorter than the other three, which was inordinately annoying. “This is your second summer working for the Grayson family?”
    Trenton’s boredom with the proceedings loud and clear, he remained slouched in his chair on the other side of the table, barely bothering to lift his gaze to meet Jess’s. “You got it.”
    “Who hired you? Mr. Grayson or his wife?”
    “Mrs. Grayson.” A smirk twisted his lips. “She said her old man was never home and she needed