Chapter 8 - Blood at the Marina
The marina smelled like rain and diesel.
Cullen stayed behind the police tape while technicians worked around the Range Rover.
Vale came toward him wearing gloves.
"The blood is fresh."
"Tove's?"
"We don't know yet."
"Why leave this here?"
Vale looked toward the water.
"Maybe somebody was in a hurry. Or maybe they wanted us to find it."
A harbor employee approached with an officer.
His name was Luis Serrano.
He kept glancing at Cullen.
"I knew your wife," he said. "She was good to people here."
Cullen waited.
Luis swallowed.
"The night she died, she came to Pier Nine around ten. She was arguing with a woman."
"Tove?"
"I didn't know her name then. I do now."
Cullen's hands curled.
"Why didn't you tell police?"
"I did."
Vale closed his eyes.
The missing witness.
Luis continued. "I saw Ms. Soren take something out of Mrs. Hart's purse. Small. Blue. Then her brother arrived. They fought. Mrs. Hart got in her car and drove off. The Range Rover followed."
Cullen could hear his heartbeat.
"Why are you talking now?"
Luis looked ashamed.
"Someone paid me to leave town for a while. I took the money. I had kids. I was scared."
Vale asked, "Who paid you?"
Luis reached into his coat.
A detective instantly stepped forward.
"Easy."
Luis removed an old business card.
The name printed on it was not Tove's.
It was Deputy Chief Mason Rourke.
Vale's former boss.
Cullen looked at Vale.
"You said someone with police access deleted the statement."
Vale's face hardened.
"Rourke signed off on Marisol's case closure."
Luis pointed toward the water.
"There's one more thing. The night she died, Marisol didn't leave the marina alone."
Cullen froze.
"What do you mean?"
"A little girl was in the back seat."
May you like
Cullen could not speak.
Mireya had been in Marisol's car.
