“So, he’s not a digital marketer.” Bree set down her cup.
“He lied about other things as well.” Todd tapped on his keyboard. “Spencer used two dating apps, TechLove and Cool Beans. Both companies are cooperating fully. We have full access to his accounts.”
Most people didn’t read the terms of service before they clicked the little box at the bottom of their screen, but many smartphone apps included a disclaimer that the company could share personal information with law enforcement.
“I’m still digging into the data,” Todd said. “So far, I’ve found nine women he dated in the past thirty days.”
“Busy guy,” Matt said.
“How much detail do the apps provide?” Bree asked.
Todd checked his notes. “Messages are saved for thirty days, unless the user deletes them. After thirty days, messages are purged.”
“Did he date any of the women repeatedly?” Matt asked. “One bad date doesn’t seem like enough to generate the kind of rage that wraps layer upon layer of plastic on a man’s face.”
Todd tapped his computer keyboard. “Six of Spencer’s dates didn’t make it beyond the initial coffee meet. According to in-app messages, three of the women refused a second date. Spencer broke it off with the other three. He actually told one woman she wasn’t as attractive in person as in her dating app photos. He accused her of photo editing the pictures.”
“Wow.” Matt’s brows lifted. “That seems harsh.”
“Yeah.” Todd blew out a hard breath.
“He didn’t text with these women using his cell number?” Bree asked.
Todd shook his head. “He was very regimented in his approach. He didn’t give any of the women his cell number until a third date was agreed upon. Three women made it to that magical third date, and in-app messaging ceased. Their conversations likely moved off the app to the cell provider at that point.”
Matt said, “Then his phone records will likely pick up where the app messages leave off, but most cell providers don’t keep actual texts very long.”
“We’ll have the time and date of his texts, just not the content.” Bree held up one hand, fingers crossed. “We can hope for more data.”
“An interesting note on the in-app messaging I’ve reviewed so far,” Todd said. “Not only did Spencer lie about everything, it seems he tailored his imaginary background to what he thought they wanted to hear.”
“Example?” Bree asked.
The chair legs squeaked as Todd rocked back and stretched his neck. “In their first conversations, Avery talked about her niece. Spencer responded with a story about his brother’s kids, but we know Jasper doesn’t have any children. Another woman told stories about her dog. Spencer responded with his own story about the golden retriever he lost to cancer last year. He told her he was so heartbroken that he couldn’t bring himself to get another dog yet.”
“Didn’t Jasper say Spencer was too much of a neat freak for pets that shed?” Matt asked.
“He did.” Bree nodded.
“Basically, he lied to all of the women he dated.” Todd shifted forward again. “He created the persona he thought they’d like.”
“How would you keep all the lies straight?” Matt’s question sounded rhetorical. “Seems like a lot of work.”
“Right?” Bree agreed. “I’d never be able to keep track.”
Todd shrugged. “Since it appears he didn’t go out with any one woman more than five or six times, it didn’t matter. He wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship.”
“Jealousy is a potential motive,” Bree said.
“So is anger and revenge,” Matt added.
Bree frowned. “What do we know about the three women?”
“We already discussed Avery Ledger.” Todd scrolled on his computer. “Monica Linfield is a model-slash-actress, and Farah Rock is a technical writer. They’re both attractive—and local. I’ll print their photos.” He clicked the touchpad. The printer in the corner chugged and spit out two images.
Matt retrieved them and put them on the board next to Avery Ledger’s photo. “It seems Spencer has a very specific type.”
All three women were in their midtwenties, slender, with long dark hair.
“Is Spencer’s brother, Jasper, still on our suspect list?” Todd asked.
“For now, yes,” Bree answered. “But we have no evidence to link him to the scene—or to his brother.”
Todd pointed to his laptop screen. “We have his computer and his cell phone. The techs are working on getting access to those today.”
“The autopsy is scheduled for eleven thirty.” Bree checked the time on her phone. It was nearly eleven o’clock. “Matt and I will attend. Todd, dig into the backgrounds of the three women Spencer recently dated at least three times. See if you can rule any of them out.” Her gaze slid to the murder board. “We have more than enough motivation. Now we need evidence.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
By eleven thirty, Matt stood in the autopsy suite and stared through his face shield at the body on the stainless-steel table. Next to him, Bree crossed her arms and did the same. The ME had started the autopsy ahead of schedule. In front of them, Spencer LaForge’s naked body lay exposed, except for the plastic wrap that still covered his head. His full-sleeve tattoo was unimpressive, a hodgepodge of unrelated, mediocre ink. Overhead lights glared down mercilessly, exposing every dark secret. Nothing could hide.
It wasn’t the gore factor that made an autopsy hard for him to watch. It was the cold, sterile surroundings. He knew the victim was no longer present in a sentient way, but the clinical treatment of their body still made him a little heartsick. Every dead body was also a spouse, sibling, or child. He worked hard to never forget that.
But there was only one way to determine how someone died. Dr. Jones treated every victim with respect, yet she still had to dissect their body.
“You haven’t missed too much. We’re still on the external exam.” Dr. Jones waved a hand over the corpse. The body would have been painstakingly photographed and searched for trace evidence before it was undressed. Then the entire process was repeated after the clothing was removed. The clothing would be sent to the crime lab for further analysis. “The victim is male and in good physical condition. I found no sign of sexual assault on external examination.” She drew a circle in the air over the hip area. “As we discussed at the scene, these burn marks indicate the use of a stun gun to incapacitate the victim.”
Matt counted. “He was zapped three times.”
Bree said, “Which explains why the ligature marks are so faint.”
“He didn’t do much struggling.” Dr. Jones pointed to the victim’s left elbow. “There are bruises and abrasions on the left side of the body, likely from falling and hitting a hard and rough surface after being stunned.” She indicated a scrape on the underside of the victim’s jaw.
“Like the paver patio?” Matt asked.
“Yes.” Dr. Jones picked up a pair of scissors. “I’m going to cut the plastic and remove the layers intact, as this will be the best way to preserve both the method of wrapping and any trace evidence in the layers.”