File M for Murder (18 page)

While we were at the hospital, had someone broken into the house and taken the thumb drive?

The doorbell rang, and both Sean and I tensed.

That could only be Kanesha. Confessing to taking the thumb drive was bad enough. Now we’d have to explain that it was missing.

Kanesha would go ballistic.

Sean grimaced at me. “What are you going to tell her?” He moved down the stairs closer to me.

“I guess we’ll have to tell her everything.” I turned to face the front door. My legs suddenly felt leaden. I didn’t want to open that door and have to deal with Kanesha. But I had little choice.

“That sucks.” Sean passed me, and I persuaded my legs into motion. While I headed for the door, Sean turned toward the kitchen. “I’ll break the good news to Laura.”

The bell rang again. “Coming,” I muttered. When I reached the door, I grabbed the knob and pulled it open. “Afternoon, Dep.…”

My voice trailed off because I realized Kanesha Berry wasn’t standing on my front doorstep.

Instead, Frank Salisbury, his expression one of deep concern, stood there. “Afternoon, sir. I just heard about Laura and wanted to stop by and make sure she’s okay.”

My first thought was, where was Kanesha? She’d told
me she was coming right over and should have been here by now. But I wasn’t going to ignore a small blessing. Maybe she’d been delayed. That would give me more time to think.

In the meantime, I welcomed Frank into the house. “Laura’s doing fine,” I assured the young man as I showed him the way to the kitchen. His grim expression didn’t lighten, however, until he saw Laura for himself.

Sean and Laura broke off their conversation when Frank and I walked through the door. Sean looked relieved, while Laura looked like a child receiving a much-desired present.

Sean prudently moved out of the way because I didn’t think Frank even realized he was there, he was so intent on Laura. He went straight to her and knelt by her chair. “Darling, how are you? When I get my hands on whoever harmed you, I’m going to rip his arms off.”

He had it bad, and from what I could see, so did my daughter. She flung her arms around her suitor—that was how I would think of him from now on—and simply said, “Oh Frank.” He slid his arms around her, and they stayed locked together for what seemed like several minutes.

Sean glanced at me and rolled his eyes. I suppressed a smile. I wanted to know a lot more about Frank before I would feel truly comfortable with him as serious son-in-law material, though my early impressions of him were favorable. For now I gave him good marks for the way he made my daughter smile and perk up by his mere presence.

When Laura and Frank detached themselves, Frank pulled a chair close to hers and sat. Diesel came around from Laura’s other side and warbled at Frank, who laughed and patted the cat’s head. “Hey, buddy, have you been taking care of my girl for me?”

Diesel meowed several times, as if giving Frank a report on Laura’s well-being, and we all laughed. Diesel glanced
back and forth between Laura and Frank, and I would have sworn that, for a moment at least, he smiled. Then he rose and trotted over to me. He head-butted my right leg, and I figured I’d finally been forgiven for leaving him at home earlier.

I beckoned for Sean to join me, and we moved into the hall to give Frank and Laura some privacy—not that they seemed to realize we were still in the room. Diesel came with us.

Sean glanced at his watch. “Wonder what’s keeping the deputy? Thought she’d’ve been here by now.”

I checked the time also. It had been almost half an hour since I’d talked to Kanesha. “Something else popped up to claim her attention, I’m sure.”

As if on cue, the phone rang, and I walked back into the kitchen to answer it. I figured it was Kanesha, and I was right.

“My apologies for not calling sooner but something came up that demanded my immediate attention.” Kanesha’s tone was brisk as ever. “I’m probably going to be detained an hour or so. I’d still like to come by.”

“That’s fine.” I wondered whether she could hear the relief in my voice. “See you then.”

After I hung up the phone, I saw that Laura, Frank, and Sean were watching me. I shared the contents of the call, and Laura visibly relaxed as Sean and I exchanged glances.

Frank frowned as he gazed at Laura. “Are you sure you’re up to talking to the cops, darling? You should get some rest.” He turned back to me. “Don’t you agree, sir?”

Laura regarded Frank fondly. “I’m okay, sweetie. I’m going to have to talk to her sooner or later, and it might as well be sooner. I want to get it over with.”

“If you’re sure you’re up to it.” Frank didn’t look happy.

“If you’ll excuse us, Sean and I have something to take
care of.” I smiled at the doting couple. “Give a shout if you need anything.”

Sean followed me out of the kitchen along with Diesel. We paused in the hall near the foot of the stairs.

“What do you want me to do?” Sean asked.

“Before Kanesha arrives, I want to determine whether someone broke into the house while we were at the hospital. Check all the windows and doors on the ground floor and even on the second floor, I guess.”

Sean’s eyes narrowed. “It infuriates me to think that someone might have been in this house.”

“Me too, son.” I grimaced. “Maybe it’s time I thought about an alarm system.”

“Might not be a bad idea.”

“I’ll look into it,” I said. “Meanwhile, let’s get on with the inspection. You take the second floor, and Diesel and I will check down here.”

Diesel meowed when he heard his name. He was sitting in what I call his sentinel position, like one of those ancient Egyptian cat statues.

Sean grinned at the cat before he headed upstairs.

“Come on, boy, might as well start in the living room.” Diesel padded along behind me as I began to check the windows.

Since most of the windows in this room faced the street, I didn’t think it likely an intruder would choose one of them for a point of entry. I checked anyway. The side windows were more likely entry points because there were high shrubs and trees on that side of the house that could screen a person bent on mischief from view from the street.

From the living room I moved on to the rest of the rooms on the ground floor. I found not a sign of forced entry anywhere. The door to the porch was secure, and its lock hadn’t been tampered with.

I realized I hadn’t checked the front door, so my assistant and I walked back to it. I opened it and squatted to examine the lock. Diesel stuck his head up beside mine, as if he too were checking the lock, and warbled.

“That’s right, boy,” I said with a smile. “No signs here either.” I stood and stepped out the door, pulling it shut behind the cat and me. “Let’s check the windows from the outside.”

Diesel rarely went out into the front yard without his halter and leash, but I trusted him not to bolt. He was, like many of his breed, timid about some things and preferred to stick close to me outside. He stayed with me as we made the circuit around the perimeter of the house.

I was sweating profusely by the time we reached the front door again. I pulled out my key to unlock the door, and when Diesel and I stepped inside, Sean was coming down the stairs.

“Did you find anything?” I pulled out my handkerchief to blot the sweat on my forehead.

“Not a blessed thing. What about you?”

“No sign of any kind of break-in.” I shook my head. “The only thing I can think of is that someone with a key let the person into the house.”

“Do you really think either Stewart or Justin would do that?” Sean leaned against the banister. “I don’t. Azalea wasn’t here today either, and I’m sure she wouldn’t let a stranger roam through the house unattended.”

“You’re right,” I said. “Azalea’s definitely out, but I want to check with Stewart and Justin, just in case.”

“I’ll call them.” Sean pulled his cell phone out. “I don’t think either one of them was in the house when I dropped Diesel off here. But I suppose one of them could have come back to the house after I headed to the hospital.”

“While you check, I’m going to get some water.” Diesel
preceded me into the kitchen and disappeared in the direction of the utility room, where I kept his food and water bowls and his litter box.

Frank and Laura were deep in conversation when I walked in and at first didn’t appear to have noticed me. I greeted them, and they both started. I smiled as I filled a glass with tap water and drank it down thirstily.

“Laura’s brought me up to date on everything, sir.” Frank stood and walked over to near where I stood by the sink. “I’m really concerned for her safety, and I want you to know I’ll do whatever I can to help keep her safe.”

“My knight in shining armor.” Laura’s tone was teasingly affectionate.

Frank flashed her a grin. “Sir Frank at your service, milady.” Then he sobered. “Seriously, I can arrange to be with her a lot of the time she’s on campus, and when I can’t, I think I can arrange for a couple of students to help.”

“That’s kind of you, Frank.” I was touched by his offer. “I appreciate your concern for Laura.” Then I had a flash of fear—what if Frank was the one who had attacked Laura? What if his devotion to her was simply a screen for some darker motive?

I tried to keep my expression bland, and Frank didn’t seem to have noticed anything. Then another terrifying thought hit me: What if Frank killed Connor Lawton to make sure he couldn’t woo Laura back?

For a moment I couldn’t breathe. Diesel must have sensed my distress, because he rubbed against my legs and warbled loudly.

Frank smiled as he looked down at the cat. “He sure is affectionate. I’ve never been that fond of cats, but this guy could make me change my mind.” He bent slightly to rub Diesel’s head, and Diesel meowed at him. When Frank stopped rubbing, the cat butted his head against the man’s leg.

As Frank laughed at Diesel and petted him again, I relaxed. Diesel liked Frank, and I took that as a strong endorsement that Frank was okay. In the time since I first rescued a hungry kitten from the public library parking lot three years ago, I had learned that Diesel had an uncanny ability to judge character.

If Frank noticed any oddness in my manner, he gave no sign. Sean walked into the kitchen then, and I welcomed the diversion.

He brandished his cell phone. “Neither one was here to
let anyone into the house.” He slipped the phone into his pocket.

“What does that mean?” Laura asked.

I hastened to explain about the missing thumb drive. “Sean called both Stewart and Justin to ask whether they’d been home this morning while we were all at the hospital. And whether they’d let anyone into the house.”

“Dad and I couldn’t find any signs of forced entry.” Sean threw up his hands. “So if nobody broke in or was let in by someone who lives here, then what the heck happened to that dang thumb drive?”

“You’re sure you left it on the dresser?” I asked. “You didn’t perhaps squirrel it away somewhere?”

“I left it on the dresser. I didn’t even consider hiding it.” Laura shrugged. “It must be here somewhere.”

Diesel meowed and rubbed against my legs.

Four pairs of human eyes slowly focused on one large kitty. Then the humans exchanged glances.

“I never thought of Diesel taking it.” Laura shook her head. “Does he take things?”

“Every once in a while,” I said. “He’s like most kids. He likes toys and shiny things. Did you leave your bedroom door open this morning when you left?”

“I did.” Laura stretched a hand toward Diesel. “Here, sweet kitty, come here.” Diesel chirped and walked over to Laura, who took his large head in both hands and bent to kiss his nose. “Did you take my toy, Diesel?”

Diesel meowed, and we all had to laugh. I felt some of the tension slowly drain away. “The trick now is going to be finding it,” I said. “He likes to hide his toys and then pull them out when he wants to play with them.”

“Why don’t you just ask him where it is?” Sean laughed. “You’re always talking to him, and he sure seems to understand a lot of what you say.”

I caught Frank exchanging a skeptical glance with Laura. Neither of them had of course spent as much time around Diesel as Sean, so I couldn’t really expect them to believe it could happen.