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The warning flags were easy to spot.
A possible ID for the piece of crystal they’d found, raising questions about why it had been outside. A man who hated medicine and always kept his windows closed due to allergies, but who had died with high-powered drugs in his system in a room with an open window. A victim who never drank to excess but was legally drunk.
“In addition to all that, his daughter found a slip of paper in his wallet with my phone number and a few dates and initials I haven’t been able to decipher. I’m wondering if they have anything to do with why he contacted me to set up a meeting.”
As Bri concluded, Nan rounded the corner from the hall into the kitchen. “Why don’t I put on a pot of coffee to go with—” She came to a halt inside the doorway and pressed her fingers to her lips.
Marc mouthed “it’s okay” and waved her toward the coffeemaker.
“Um ... maybe this isn’t the best time to talk.” On Bri’s side of the connection, a chair squeaked and a drawer closed. “It’s Friday night, and this is long past working hours. I can call you on Monday and—”
“You’re still working. In fact, I’d wager you haven’t left the office.” He strolled over to the back window and propped a shoulder against the frame as Nan set about brewing their java.
“I haven’t. But as my siblings often remind me, I tend tobe a workaholic who has trouble leaving the job behind even while socializing. I don’t want to intrude on your evening.”
In other words, she’d heard a woman’s voice and thought he was on a date.
Time to correct that impression.
“You’re not intruding. My grandmother won’t mind if we delay dessert a few minutes.”
Dead silence.
His lips flexed again. Throwing Brianne Tucker curves was kind of fun.
“Um ... okay. In that case, I’d like to take you up on your offer to stay involved in the case. Based on what’s come to light so far, I’m not ready to let this go.”
“Understandable. What are your next steps?”
A sound of papers shuffling came over the line. “I plan to talk with the neighbors again, verify they didn’t notice any strangers or unfamiliar cars in the cul-de-sac the night of the fire. I want to have another conversation with Les’s daughter, see if there was anything in the locked safe that could possibly relate to the meeting he and I were supposed to have. I’m also going to talk to a few of his coworkers and friends, get their take on his drinking habits and aversion to medicine.”
“That sounds reasonable. How can I help?”
“I’d like to email you the autopsy report and the note his daughter found. See if any of that material sparks an idea or two.”
“I’ll review it and get back to you ASAP. Or would you rather wait until Monday to talk? I wouldn’t want to infringe on your weekend—or any engagements you might have.” Why not see what he could find out about her social life, since he’d shown his cards to her?
“Anytime is fine. There’s nothing on my calendar except church on Sunday and a family dinner.”
Nice to know she was a churchgoing woman—but did thatfamily dinner mean she had a spouse and children? The absence of a ring on her left hand at the fire scene didn’t necessarily mean she was single.
Short of asking a direct question, however, there wasn’t any way to find out.
“I’ll try to get back to you tomorrow rather than interfere with your Sunday plans.”
“No worries on that score.” Her chair squeaked again. “My brother and sister won’t mind if you call while we’re together. None of us have a nine-to-five job. We’re all used to work interruptions.”
Brother and sister, not husband and kids.
Despite the darkness outside the window, his day brightened.
“I’ll try to review everything tonight anyway. If you want to discuss the case in person tomorrow, we could always meet at a coffee shop. My morning is free.”
Pushy, perhaps, but much as he loved Nan, spending an hour with a beautiful woman closer to his own age would liven up his weekend.
“Um ... why don’t we touch base after you go over the material and decide then?”
A disappointing response, but not surprising in light of her wariness during their first encounter.
