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“Yes, and more. She is a good worker and sold two properties last week.”
Kane placed one hand on the door handle. “She does seem efficient. That’s all I need, thank you for your time.” He swung open the door and walked to Bradford’s side. “What a disrespectful jerk. You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for getting me out of there. I hate men like him.”
Kane took in her pale face and pinched expression. “Maybe we need to take a break.”
“A coffee would be bliss.” She smiled at him. “I’m not hungry.”
The hardware store was opposite. “Okay, I’m going to the hardware store.” He pulled out his wallet and handed her some bills. “We’ll need to find the Harpers and it might take some time. Do you want to slip over to Aunt Betty’s Café and grab us a coffee? Flat white with four sugars for me. If you wait outside, I’ll go grab the car and pick you up.”
“Sure.”
He watched her disappear into the crowd and called Jenna. “Hey, it’s me.”
“What’s up?” Jenna yawned. “No more bodies, I hope?”
“No more bodies.” Kane smiled. “I thought you might like to have dinner out tonight. I have a reservation for a table tonight at eight at the Cattleman’s Hotel.” When she said nothing, he drew a deep breath. “We both have to eat and I need to discuss the case with you.”
“Okay. Why not?”
“Great! I’ll pick you up at seven thirty.”
“Sure. I’m heading over to see Wolfe and attend the Dorsey autopsy, then I’m going home. I’ll bring you up to speed with the post. Rowley is locking up. Catch you later.” The line went dead.
Kane caught a break in the traffic and darted across the road. The bell on the top of the hardware store door chimed as he entered. He glanced around at the old-world-style interior with a variety of goods for sale. The place could not have changed since prohibition. The slight odor of paint and chemicals brought back memories of shopping with his father. As he strolled to the counter, an elderly man tottered out from the back. He wore round spectacles and his long black eyebrows curled up, giving him the appearance of an owl.
“Afternoon.”
“What can I do for you, Deputy Kane?”
“I wondered if you keep a record of the keys you cut for people.”
“Nope, can’t say that I do.” The old man rubbed his long nose. “Too many to keep a record, three maybe four this week.” He lifted cloudy blue eyes to his face. “My son is a locksmith. He does the work now and is cutting keys all the time from his van.”
Kane blew out a sigh and tapped the counter with his fingers. “Do you sell pesticides containing nicotine sulfate?”
The old man waved at a shelf crammed with bottles. “There are quite a few brands. What do you need it for?”
“Oh, it’s not for me.” Kane let his gaze drift over the bottles. “Are you required to keep a list of purchasers?”
“Nope.” The storekeeper gave him a concerned look. “I do for rat poison and a few other dangerous chemicals. I have a book and they have to produce a current ID, but that stuff is used in gardens most times and the bottles carry warnings.” He sighed. “We sell a fair few bottles—not sure when I sold the last one, maybe a few days ago, or maybe last week? I’m n
ot sure.”
So, it’s readily available. Kane touched his hat and turned to the door. “Okay, thanks for your help.”
He moved down the street and paused to purchase some cakes from one of the stalls. As he waited for his change, he caught sight of a magician making animals out of balloons, surrounded by kids. The crowd parted and a woman emerged. He recognized the pale face of Pattie McCarthy strolling by. He checked the time and made a note in his book. Hmm, she sure isn’t acting like someone scared of crowds.
20
Jenna stuffed some cookies into her mouth, jumped in her car and headed to the new ME’s office. She entered the building using her swipe card and headed down the cool white passageways until she came to the pathology laboratory, knocking on the door as she entered. Wolfe sat at a computer and his assistant, a young pathology graduate named Steve, was preparing tissue samples. “Am I too late for the post?”
“Just a little but I haven’t finished yet, so I can go over my findings with you.” Wolfe’s gaze slid over her then he brushed a few crumbs from the sleeve of her shirt. “Just eaten? I’m glad you have a strong stomach.”
Jenna shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”
“Okay.” Wolfe stood and led the way into the morgue. “I have a cause of death and I’ve found a few other interesting clues.”
