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?“Only one is needed,” Sheryl replied. “Whoever copied your keys won’t be able to open the door if they can’t unlock all three locks. If we do it right, no one should be able to tell we even switched it.”
?I looked at the shiny brass plate of the new lock. “I don’t know…”
?Soon, we had the old lock off the door, and Sheryl put the new mechanism in place. Then I mounted it back and tightened the screws. Sheryl tested it several times to make sure the new key turned easily.
?“Do you have any paint?” Sheryl said.
?I quickly located a small can of black spray paint. Sheryl drizzled the paint onto a paper plate, then using a Q-Tip, she artfully applied it to the shiny lock plate. In a few minutes, the new part blended in with the door as if it had been there forever.
?“That should frustrate our thief, should he return,” Sheryl boasted.
?I started to put the tools away. “So how did the murderer gain access to Randall’s apartment?”
?“The most obvious method is that Randall let him in.”
?“Pointing to someone he knew.”
?“And again, bringing our favorite person, Candy Poole, to the top of the list,” Sheryl snarled.
?I nodded. “Let’s get to the conference and see if we can find her.”
?I put the tool box away and grabbed a brown Harris Tweed suit jacket. Sheryl took her coat and purse and we made our way to the door. On the outside, I turned the locks, and then Sheryl said, “Oh! We forgot your specimen.”
?I unlocked the door.
?At that moment, I saw the elevator door open down the hall and two familiar faces
stepped out, followed by two members of the NYPD in full uniform.
?“Uh-oh,” I exclaimed, and Sheryl turned to look.
?“Well, and here the two of you are, together again,” Detective Elvis declared, his voice carrying down the hall.
?“You weren’t in your hotel room. But it’s very convenient that you are here,” DeStadler intoned in a quieter voice.
?“Ain’t it interestin’,” Elvis pointed out, as they drew near. “Ms. Homes is wearin’ the same clothes she was wearin’ yesterday.”
?“How can I help you, detectives?” I said. “As you can see, we were just leaving.”
? Elvis held out a piece of paper. “We got a warrant to search these premises.”
?“And the only place you are going is downtown,” DeStadler said. “Leave the keys in the lock and step away from the door.”
?DeStadler gave a nod to one of the officers, who took my arm.
?“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?” I seethed as the officer spun me around and threw handcuffs on me.
?“Bag his hands,” DeStadler ordered. “If there is any trace, I don’t want to lose it.”
?The officer quickly put two paper bags over my hands and taped them in place.
?“Is that necessary?” Sheryl demanded, whereupon the second officer, a female, turned her around and cuffed her as well.
?“Afraid it is,” DeStadler said. “We located Candy Poole.”
?“Then she can verify I was with her Wednesday night,” I blurted.
?“No,” Elvis explained, “she can’t verify nothin’.”
