I assume that if the FBI is involved, she said, that means there have been more murders?
Yes, there have, Harrison said from beside Mackenzie. She frowned briefly, wishing he had not so willingly divulged the information.
But, Mackenzie said, interjecting before Harrison could continue, we of course cant make any solid claims about a connection without a thorough investigation. And thats why weve been called in.
Ill help however I can, Sara Lewis said. But I already answered the polices questions.
Yes, I understand, and I appreciate that, Mackenzie said. I just want to cover a few things they might have missed. For instance, do you by any chance have any idea how your sister and brother-in-law were in terms of financial standing?
It was clear that Sara thought it was a strange question but she did her best to answer nonetheless. Okay, I suppose. Josh had a good job and they really didnt spend too much money. Julie would even scold me sometimes for spending too frivolously. I mean, they certainly werent loadednot from what I know. But they did okay.
Now, their neighbor told us that Julie liked to draw. Was this just a hobby or was she making any money off of it?
More of a hobby, Julie said. She was pretty good, but she knew it wasnt anything spectacular, you know?
How about ex-boyfriends? Or maybe ex-girlfriends Josh might have had?
Julie has a few exes, but none of them took it hard. Besides that, they all live halfway across the country. I know for a fact that two of them are married. As for Josh, I dont think there were any exes in the picture. I meanhell, I dont know. They were just a really good couple. Really good together disgustingly cute in public. That sort of couple.
The visit felt too brief to end but Mackenzie had only one other route to pursue and she wasnt quite sure how to refer to it without repeating herself. She thought back to those odd entries in the Sterlings checkbook, still unable to figure them out.
Probably nothing, she thought. People keep their checkbooks differently, thats all. Still, worth looking into.
Thinking of the abbreviations she had seen in the Sterlings checkbook, Mackenzie continued on. As she opened her mouth to speak, she heard Harrisons phone vibrating in his pocket. He quickly checked it and then ignored the call. Sorry, he said.
Ignoring the disturbance, Mackenzie asked: Would you happen to know if Julie or Josh were involved with any sort of organizations or maybe even clubs or gyms? The sort of place theyd routinely pay fees to?
Julie thought about this for a moment but shook her head. Not that I know of. Like I saidthey didnt really spend a lot of money. The only monthly fee I know of that Julie had outside of bills was her Spotify account, and thats only ten bucks.
And have you been contacted by anyone like an attorney about what happens with their finances? Mackenzie asked. Im very sorry to ask, but it could be pressing.
No, not yet, she said. They were so young, I dont even know if they had drawn up a will. ShitI guess I have all of that to look forward to, dont I?
Mackenzie got to her feet, unable to answer the question. Thanks again for speaking with us, Sara. Please, if you think of anything else in regards to the questions Ive asked you, Id appreciate a call.
With that, she handed Sara a business card. Sara took it and pocketed it as she led them to the door. She wasnt being rude but it was clear that she wanted them to leave as quickly as possible.
With the door closed behind them, Mackenzie found herself standing on Saras porch with Harrison. She considered correcting him on so quickly letting Sara know that there had been more murders that could be related to the murder of her sister. But it had been an honest mistake, one that she had made once or twice when she had started off. So she let it go.
Can I ask you something? Harrison asked.
Sure, Mackenzie said.
Why were you so fixated on their finances? Did it have something to do with what you saw in the Sterlings place?
Yeah. Its just a hunch for now, but some of the transactions were
Harrisons phone started vibrating again. He scooped it out of his pocket with an embarrassed look on his face. He checked the display, nearly ignored it, but then kept it out as they walked back toward the car.
Sorry, I have to take this, he said. Its my sister. She called while we were inside, too. Which is weird.
Mackenzie didnt pay him much attention as they got into the car. She was barely even listening to Harrisons end of the conversation as he started speaking. However, by the time she had pulled back out onto the street, she could tell by his tone that something was very wrong.
When he ended the call, there was a shocked expression on his face. His bottom lip had a sort of curl to it, somewhere between a grimace and a frown.
Harrison?
My mom died this morning, he said.
Oh my God, Mackenzie said.
Heart attackjust like that. Shes
Mackenzie could tell that he was struggling not to break down in tears. He turned his head away from her, looking out of the passenger side window, and started to let it out.
Im so sorry, Harrison, she said. Lets get you back home. Ill set up the flight now. Anything else you need?
He only gave a brief shake of the head, still looking away from her as he wept a bit more openly.
Mackenzie first made a call to Quantico. She was unable to get McGrath on the phone so she left a message with his receptionist, letting her know what had happened and that Harrison would be on a flight back into DC as soon as possible. She then called the airline and grabbed the first available flight, which departed in three and a half hours.
The moment the flight was booked and she ended the call, her phone rang. Giving Harrison a sympathetic look, she answered it. It felt terrible to resort back to a work mentality after Harrisons news but she had a job to do and there were still no solid leads.
This is Agent White, she said.
Agent White, this is Officer Dagney. I thought you might want to know that we have a potential lead.
Potential? she asked.
Well, he certainly fits the profile. This is a guy that was booked on multiple home invasions, two of which included violence and sexual assault.
In the same areas as the Kurtzes and Sterlings?
Thats where it gets promising, Dagney said. One of the instances that involved sexual assault happened in the same group of townhouses the Kurtzes lived in.
Do we have an address for the guy?
Yeah. He works at an auto garage. A small one. And weve got confirmation that hes there right now. Name of Mike Nell.
Send me the address and Ill go have a talk with him. And any word on the financial records Harrison requested? Mackenzie asked.
Not yet. Weve got some guys working on it, though. Shouldnt take too long.
Mackenzie killed the call and did her best to give Harrison his moment of grief. He was no longer weeping, but was clearly having to make an effort to keep it together.
Thanks, Harrison said, wiping a stray tear away from his face.
For what? Mackenzie asked.
He shrugged. Calling McGrath and the airport. Sorry this is such a pain in the midst of the case.
Its not, she said. Harrison, Im very sorry for your loss.