The Echo Killing: A gripping debut crime thriller you won’t be able to put down!. Christi Daugherty

lack of information.’ He gestured at her disheveled appearance. ‘What the hell happened back there? You look like you walked through a snake’s nest.’

      ‘I fell,’ she said, ‘coming back over the fence. That’s all.’

      He stepped closer to her.

      ‘You got in the crime scene?’ His voice was barely above a whisper.

      ‘I got a look,’ she said. ‘I didn’t go in.’

      He looked at her with reluctant curiosity.

      ‘What’d you see in there?’

      In her mind Harper saw the pale body. The spreading pool of deep red. Her mother’s kitchen.

      But she made herself think like a reporter.

      ‘The victim’s in the kitchen,’ she said evenly. ‘Looks like it’s the mother, as we thought. Seems to be only one victim – the coroner and Blazer were both in the room with her. The forensics unit is examining the body now.’

      Miles knew her well enough to know she wasn’t telling him everything.

      But when he spoke, all he said was, ‘She shot?’

      ‘Stabbed. Repeatedly.’

      A flare of interest in his eyes.

      ‘Stabbing’s a personal crime,’ he mused, rubbing his jaw. ‘Crime of passion. They’ll be looking at the husband.’

      ‘I don’t think there is one.’

      ‘An ex-husband then. Or a boyfriend.’ He met her eyes. ‘You said this scene reminded you of another crime. Is it the same?’

      Harper had promised him an explanation but now wasn’t the time to get into everything.

      ‘Looks a lot like it,’ she said. ‘Before I can be sure, though, I need to do some research.’ She paused. ‘The other crime … It’s an old one, Miles.’

      ‘How old?’

      ‘Fifteen years.’

      His eyes left hers, sweeping down to the house in the distance.

      ‘Now why,’ he wondered aloud, ‘would someone kill and then not kill again for fifteen years?’

      Harper didn’t reply. But it was a good question.

      Why would her mother’s killer be back now? Where had he been for all these years?

      Police had investigated her murder for months. Harper’s family had protected her as much as they could from what was happening but she’d known.

      The investigation had torn her family to shreds. Leaving her with nothing.

      And in the end, after all that, the killer got away.

      ‘Tell me about this old murder,’ Miles said. ‘Who was it? You would have been a child fifteen years ago.’

      ‘Not now.’ Harper’s reply was sharper than she intended.

      When he shot her an exasperated look, she gestured at the crowds around them.

      ‘There’s too much going on, Miles. I promise I’ll explain. But let me do it later, OK?’

      ‘Fine with me.’ His tone was curt, but he seemed more perplexed than angry.

      Suddenly, he straightened, hands reaching for his camera.

      ‘Looks like we’re about to find out something.’ He gestured with his chin.

      A cluster of police had left the house and was heading for the crime tape.

      Detective Blazer strode ahead of the others, his sharply structured face somber. Two less senior detectives walked behind him, along with a few uniformed cops.

      Miles was already shooting pictures as the group ducked under the crime tape. The TV crews hustled to shift camera tripods into place. Josh and Natalie held out fur-covered microphones, like gigantic caterpillars, to catch his words.

      Pulling a notebook from her pocket, Harper limped past the neighbors crowding around to eavesdrop, until she stood next to Natalie.

      When everyone was still, Blazer spoke in a cool flat tone.

      ‘This afternoon at 3:30 p.m., the body of a deceased person was discovered at 3691 Constance Street. The body has been identified as that of one Marie Whitney, thirty-four years old, resident of said address. Cause of death is still being investigated by forensic units, but the weapon used appears to be a bladed instrument. The case is being treated as a homicide.’

      The crowd of neighbors gave a collective gasp and drew closer together – shutting the reporters out. Harper heard someone say, ‘Oh, sweet Jesus.’

      Glancing up, Blazer frowned.

      ‘The time of death is estimated between eleven hundred and fourteen hundred hours. We would like anyone in the area who saw or heard anything suspicious at that time to contact the Savannah Police.’

      He put his notebook away. It was a remarkably short statement, under the circumstances.

      ‘That’s it?’ Josh looked around the team of detectives.

      Blazer’s brow lowered. ‘Print it the way I said it.’

      ‘I don’t print anything,’ Josh reminded him tartly. ‘I put it on television.’

      Blazer glowered at him.

      ‘May I remind you a woman was murdered today?’ he said. ‘Can’t you behave with decorum for five minutes?’

      ‘Detective Blazer, please forgive my colleague from Channel 5.’ Natalie deployed her most winsome look. ‘Could you, perhaps, tell us about the girl we saw earlier? Is she related to the victim?’

      Nobody could resist Natalie when she was on her game, not even Blazer. His expression softened infinitesimally.

      ‘All I can tell you is that she is the daughter of the victim,’ he said. ‘And she’s safe and unharmed.’

      ‘Could you tell us her name?’ Natalie asked hopefully.

      Blazer had clearly anticipated this. ‘Her name is Camille Whitney.’

      Josh leaned forward, jutting his microphone out. ‘Did she discover the body?’

      Blazer fixed him with an icy stare.

      ‘I can’t tell you any more than that at this time.’ His gaze swung back to Natalie. ‘I’m sure you’ll appreciate this is a delicate situation and we want to keep everyone – particularly children – as safe as possible.’

      ‘Detective.’ Harper angled herself forward. ‘Have you got any suspects?’

      He glanced at her without interest. ‘We’re not yet ready to divulge that information.’

      ‘Could you tell us more about the crime?’ Harper tried again. ‘Were there signs of a struggle? Do you suspect a relative?’

      Blazer’s jaw tightened. ‘It’s too early for this. Give us some time to do our jobs here, would you?’

      ‘We’re trying to do our jobs, too, Detective,’ Josh reminded him.

      By then, though, Blazer had had enough.

      ‘Thank you for your cooperation,’ he said pointedly.

      Ducking under the crime tape, he stalked back towards the yellow house, the other detectives following a short distance behind.

      ‘Thanks so much, Sergeant,’ Natalie called after him.

      As he rolled the microphone cable around his arm, Josh shot her a withering look.

      ‘Kiss ass.’

      Natalie smiled beatifically.

      ‘Of