Brandon stepped into the bathroom, which had a prefab tub with a moldy white shower curtain. A pink razor and a jumble of plastic bottles were lined up along the side. On the Formica vanity, a zippered makeup bag and a scattering of pencils and brushes sat alongside the sink. A glass cup held a purple toothbrush and a tube of whitening toothpaste.

Brandon opened the medicine cabinet with a gloved hand and inspected the contents: mouthwash, acne cream, an array of vitamins. He closed the cabinet and caught Kate’s reflection in the mirror.

“Do you know if your sister takes any prescriptions?” he asked.

“Nothing regularly.” Her brow furrowed. “She gets allergies sometimes, and she has something for that.” She scooted around him and opened a linen cabinet. Amid the stacks of mismatched towels, she found a plastic bin filled with over-the-counter medicines. Tucked among the bottles was a sheet of pills in foil blister packets.

“These are her allergy meds,” she said. “That’s the only thing I know about.”

The apartment door opened. Brandon and Kate stepped into the hallway. Antonio gave Brandon a look that let him know he wanted to talk privately.

Brandon walked over.

“I talked to the tenant in 223,” Antonio said in a low voice. “He hasn’t seen her since Sunday morning, when he passed her in the parking lot. He was coming off his shift, and Vanessa was walking upstairs with some groceries.”

“What time?”

“Around eight thirty. He’s an EMT and he’d been working the graveyard shift. I got his contact info, if we need to follow up.”

Kate watched them from the hallway, listening intently.

“I, um, I’ll wait outside while y’all finish up.” She walked past them to exit the apartment, quietly closing the door behind her.

Antonio turned to Brandon. “It’s sinking in with her,” he said.

“I know.”

“Hey, did I tell you I saw the lawyer again yesterday?” Antonio asked.

“Who?”

“Leigh Larson. She was pulling up to Kate’s house in her little blue Mustang just as I was leaving.”

“What was she doing there?”

“I figure same thing I was. She wanted to talk to Kate.”

“Well, what’d she say to you?”

“Nothing. Just smiled and waved.”

Brandon felt a prick of annoyance, and he wasn’t sure why. If Leigh wanted to talk to her client’s sister, so what? It shouldn’t bother him.

Except that it did. Leigh was obviously still poking around and asking questions. He didn’t want her involved in his case, and he definitely didn’t want her talking to potential witnesses before he did.

“You get a look at the kitchen yet?” Antonio asked.

“I was about to do the bedroom.”

“I’ll check out the kitchen.”