Island of Bones(60)
“Diane thinks so.”
Horton’s eyes came back to Louis. “You don’t?”
Louis didn’t answer. He was looking around at the mangroves, at the proximity of the other islands.
“Strange,” Louis said.
“What is?”
“Frank ending up close to where Shelley Umber did.”
“Maybe he planned it that way.” Horton let out a tired sigh of frustration. “Sick fuck.”
The crime techs were finished. The body was lifted into a bag. Landeta was still standing in the water, pulling off his gloves as he talked to the other Fort Myers detectives. Horton was watching them both closely.
“How’d you find out about this, Louis?” Horton asked.
“I have friends.”
“In my department?” When Louis didn’t answer, Horton added, “Friends who don’t think we can handle this without you?”
“Friends who think Landeta’s lost it.”
Horton drew in a slow breath. He looked at the other cops, the crime tech guys, and finally at Heather Fox. He ducked under the tape and started away, nodding at Louis to follow. The sun was high in the heat-hazed sky now, baking the mucky earth and unleashing all the primordial smells. Horton finally paused under the thin shade of a strangler fig tree.
“I didn’t think it was that obvious,” he said.
“You knew?” Louis asked.
“I had a suspicion so I started watching and realized he was missing stuff he shouldn’t,” Horton said. “This is a cop who had great instincts, who could find evidence fibers on a gnat’s ass.” Horton let out a sigh. “I don’t know what happened.”
“There’s rumors he’s an alcoholic.”
“He’s been off the sauce for years.”
“I saw him take a drink at O’Sullivan’s.”
Horton looked back at Louis. “Shit,” he said softly. “I don’t suppose it matters much now. This case is about done.”
“Done?” Louis asked.
Horton nodded. “Woods is our killer. Not being able to prove it doesn’t change anything. I wish we had more than that ring to link Woods to Shelly Umber, but we don’t. And I don’t have the manpower or money to keep looking. We’ll just have to call it closed with what we got.”
Louis looked over toward Landeta and Frank Woods’s body. “I think I’ll stay with this awhile longer,” he said.
Horton squinted at Louis, the sun in his face. “Louis, this case hasn’t been one of your best pieces of work. You’re not looking just to redeem yourself, are you?”
Louis glanced out at the water. “I just want to be sure.”
Horton nodded. “Well, I can’t stop you, but do me a favor. Work with Mel. I don’t want him fumbling around for weeks trying to close this thing down.”
Louis gave him a look of disgust.
Horton leaned close. “Look, Louis, you’re a PI. Most PI’s don’t even get within smelling distance of a homicide, let alone allowed access to the things I’ve given you. I do it because I like and respect you. But don’t think I don’t take shit for it among my own.”
Louis was silent.
“I can’t force you to do anything,” Horton said. “But I’m asking.”
“Then what?” Louis asked.
Horton let out a big breath. “Then I think Mel is going to have to resign.”
Horton heard Landeta coming up behind him and he threw Louis a pleading look. Landeta stopped near them, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped his head. “It looks like Woods but no beard,” he said.
“He shaved it,” Louis said. “And he was wearing that red shirt at the restaurant.”
Landeta stared at Louis, as if he had just noticed he was there. Then he turned his back on Louis to face Horton.
“We’ll need an ID,” Landeta said, taking off his glasses to clean them. “I’ll call his daughter and get her in —-”
“No,” Horton interrupted. “Let Louis do that.”
Landeta’s hands froze and he lifted his gaze to Horton. His eyes looked bugged, glassy, and red. Louis wondered if he had been drinking again.
Horton waited for a reply and Landeta finally replaced his glasses, his neck twitching. “Yes, sir.”
“I want this whole thing wrapped up real quick, Mel,” Horton said. “I’d like something stronger between Woods and Shelly Umber, but if we don’t get it, we wrap it up by the end of the month.”
Landeta inhaled slowly, his eyes focused hard on Horton’s face. “What about the other women?”
“There’s no evidence Frank Woods had anything to do with them except cutting their pictures out of a newspaper,” Horton said. “Just concentrate on Umber.”