“HELLO, MR. YUN,” Ray said. “I hope we’re not disturbing you.”
Brian Yun lived in a modest stucco house several miles and income brackets away from The Nile. Spanish tile adorned the roof. A fashionably xeriscaped front yard flaunted cacti, agave, and other desert blooms in lieu of a grassy lawn. Only a birdbath required more than Vegas’s annual four inches of rain.
“Dr. Langston? Ms. Sidle?” He looked surprised to find them on his doorstep. His casual attire consisted of a polo shirt, slacks, and loafers. A uniformed police officer accompanied the CSIs. Classical music played softly in the background. Yun appeared to have been enjoying a quiet evening at home before they arrived. “What are you doing here?”
Sara presented him with the papers. “We have a warrant to search the premises.”
It might not be enough to convict him, but Santana’s identification of Yun as the man to whom he had sold the coral snake had been enough to convince Judge Kim to issue a warrant. Especially once they explained what they were after.
“Search?” Yun’s eyes grew wide. “I don’t understand. What are you looking for?”
“It’s all spelled out in the warrant.” Sara pushed past him into the foyer. “Now, if you’ll just step outside with this officer.”
“Wait! Wait!” he protested. He leafed frantically through the documents, before being daunted by all the legalese. His eyes remained bugged out in horror as Ray followed Sara into the house, carrying his field kit. He hurried after them. “Stop! I need to call my lawyer.”
“Go ahead,” Ray said. “In the meantime, we’re going to get started. We may have a long night ahead of us.”
He frankly doubted that they would find anything incriminating inside the house itself. Nearly a week had passed since Rita Segura had been bitten; there had been plenty of time to clean house. Prudence dictated that they conduct a full search anyway, after they dug up what they were really looking for. Who knows? Maybe they would get lucky.
“Start with the backyard?” Sara suggested.
Ray nodded. “My thoughts exactly.”
“Wait! Where are you going?” Yun looked positively bewildered. Breaking away from the uni, he chased after the CSIs. “What do you want with my backyard?”
“Excuse me, sir,” the cop took hold of Yun’s arm. Her badge identified her as ORTEGA. Her tone brooked no dissent. “You need to come with me.”
“It’s all right, officer.” Ray wanted to observe Yun’s reaction to what they had planned. “You can let him watch.”
“Just stay out of the way,” Sara warned. “You got that?”
A sliding glass door separated the living room from the fenced-in backyard. Ray glanced around the living room as they passed through it. An even larger portrait of Fala, Yun’s late Persian, was displayed upon the mantel of a largely decorative fireplace. He nudged Sara, calling her attention to the photo. With any luck, Yun’s sentimental attachment to his cat extended to its burial arrangements.
Ortega kept watch over Yun as the party stepped out into the yard, which was just as tidy as his office back at The Nile. The light from inside illuminated much of the xeriscaped grounds and gardens, surrendering to shadows farther on by the fence. Tasteful terra-cotta statuary stood among the cacti. Patio furniture rested in the shadow of a large red umbrella. Ray swept the area with his flashlight. Sara did the same.
It was a cool night, but Yun was already perspiring. He ran a shaky hand through his thinning hair. “This is crazy,” he objected. “Maybe if you just tell me what you’re looking for?”
Ray saw no reason to keep it secret. “Your cat Fala’s grave. Care to point it out?”
“Over here,” Sara said, beating Yun to the punch. “I think I found it.”
The beam from her flashlight exposed a small ceramic monument, in the shape of a dozing kitten, nestled in one corner of the yard. A small selection of cat toys, including a green plastic ball and a catnip pillow, lay atop a tiny mound of earth.
Despite their somber mission, Ray was oddly moved by the obvious care and affection shown by the memorial. It was a shame they had to disturb it, but evidence was evidence. Too bad Yun allegedly hadn’t shown as much respect for the life of another human being.
“I’ll get the shovel,” he told Sara.
“Shovel?” Yun gasped as he realized what Ray had in mind. “You can’t. That’s obscene!” He started to lunge forward. Ortega’s hand dropped heavily onto Yun’s shoulder, restraining him. Yun could only quiver helplessly, visibly distraught. “I won’t allow it!”
“I’m afraid you don’t have any choice,” Sara stated. “If you look carefully, you’ll see that our warrant entitles us to exhume your cat’s remains.”
“Why are you doing this?” he moaned, his eyes tearing up.
Ray was brutally honest. “We need to know exactly how Fala died.”