Gavin’s cell phone went off and he answered the call. When he hung up he announced, “Colin Turner’s been located. He’s being brought in as we speak.”

Mitchell Gavin was in his office when the phone rang again. He felt like pulling the cord from the wall. Since Colin Turner’s arrest last week, he had been pelted with calls from the media. Nonetheless his spirits were high. He was looking at a promotion for making the arrest in the most high-profile murder case that Buffalo had seen in the last twenty years.

The evidence found in Julia’s house was indisputable. DNA confirmed the teeth and portions of the jawbone clinging to them belonged to Julia. Blood at the scene belonged to Julia. And Colin left his fingerprints in her blood on the kitchen cabinet door; this was better than a confession. Other evidence was being uncovered that connected him to the murders of both Francine Donohue and Samantha Ritcher, but the department was keeping it quiet for now.

Gavin finally picked up the receiver and though he hadn’t spoken to the person on the other end in quite a while, he recognized the voice immediately. “Well, Thomas Hayden, how have you been?”

“I couldn’t be better,” Thomas answered.

“How are things in Boston? Are you keeping the crime rates down?”

“I’m doing what I can.”

Gavin couldn’t read the tone—if Thomas was joking or sarcastic he didn’t know. But he did know Thomas’s background and reputation. Thomas Hayden had spent years as a criminalist working in various roles for the State of Massachusetts, and was very highly regarded. After his retirement, he branched out and was now a high-profile expert usually hired by the defense. He was well known for being able to turn the odds around, especially with hopeless situations. This is what he was famous for. Christ, there were radio and television shows depicting his cases.

Thomas Hayden was also arrogant and rightly so. Gavin decided to stroke that ego, if only to find out what this call was about, though he had his suspicions. “So, are you working on anything unusual? I just heard about your latest triumph on that show, Crime in the City. It’s such a good case that they keep repeating it.”

“That was a challenge. The one I have right now is boring. It’s a suspected arsenic poisoning death. The family is requesting a second autopsy to test the victim for it.”

“Do you think they’ll find any?”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that arsenic will be found in the body. I’m having samples tested as we speak.”

“So, you’re suspicious that someone killed him?”