“Mari is an animal rights activist,” I said. “She’d never wear real fur. Do the Parkers have a pet?”
Detective James hesitated. “Not to my knowledge.”
“So, do we think this fur could have come from the kidnapper?” I said.
“It’s a possibility. Problem is, we don’t know if we’re looking for a pet or someone with a real mink coat.” He turned back to the lab tech. “How long before we know for sure?”
“I’d need to send it to an outside lab. We don’t have the proper equipment here. Probably take a few days at best.”
Detective James sighed in frustration. “Okay. Go ahead. So far, it’s the only trace evidence we’ve got. Sarah, I’m sure you could use a break. Why don’t you grab some food and we’ll meet back here later.”
“I’ll just grab a granola bar from the vending machine. Can I get you something?”
“No, thanks.”
I exited the lab and jogged up the stairs to grab my purse from the detective’s office, plumbing the depths to find some quarters. The vending machine offered a delectable assortment of prepackaged, sodium-filled - and
probably stale from age – snack items, none of which tickled my fancy. I opted for a candy bar. The break room contained three Formica tables, a dozen plastic chairs, and a water cooler. I filled the paper cone with lukewarm water and downed it before the cup disintegrated in my hand. I crumpled the wrapper and tossed it halfway across the room toward an open trash receptacle. My gym teacher hadn’t lied when he said I’d never stand a chance of making the basketball team. I trotted over, bent down to pick up the trash, and realized my black jeans were covered with hair below the knee. If I’d noticed earlier, I might have chosen a clean pair of jeans before leaving the house. I tried to slap the hair off, but the static cling sucked it right back onto my leg. I started to sneeze.
Then it hit me. I stood up so quickly it made me dizzy. I forgot about the candy wrapper and bolted out of the break room.
Chapter 11
Detective James was still with the forensic guy when I entered the lab. I rushed over and pointed down toward my ankles. “If it’s not too late, can you test this cat hair with the sample from Mari’s car to see if they are a match?”
“Where did this come from?”
“I was at Alice Rossini’s house yesterday. Apparently cat hair clings to black denim like glue.”
“She has a cat?”
“The cat lives in the barn out behind her house. The caretakers took the little guy in.”
The detective pulled on some latex gloves, and with a pair of tweezers, plucked a sample from my clothing. He presented it to the lab tech. “Let’s perform a comparison analysis on the two samples.”
The lab tech complied. Within five minutes he confirmed there was a seventy percent chance the hair came from the same cat.
Detective James furrowed his eyebrows. “Perhaps Mrs. Parker came in contact with this cat the last time she visited Alice. Cat hair tends to stick. It could have been on her clothing for quite some time.”
“He keeps it in the barn.”
He rubbed his forehead as if a headache had materialized. “What do you know about these … caretakers?”
“They’re a young couple. Moved here about three or four months ago from North Carolina. Alice found them through a senior organization. I have no idea if background checks were performed.”
“I’m heading back to my office to check them out. Can you get me their full names and birthdates?”
“Oliver and Lucy Adams.” I felt a lump in my throat. “But, if I call Alice to get their birthdates, she’ll know something is up.”
“I’ll see how far I can get with just their names.”
I followed the detective back upstairs to his office. Finally, Detective James leaned back in his chair. The blank expression on his face gave nothing away. “Sarah, I think it’s time to get Oliver in here for a little chat.”
“What did you find?”
“Well, he’s never been arrested as an adult, but his juvenile record is quite a different story. He was arrested three times between the ages of twelve and fifteen. I don’t have access to the complete file. I’ll have to contact the town of Ashland where he was arrested and see if they can fax over the details. This could just be petty stuff, but I’d like to know what we’re dealing with. As far as the cat hair goes, it’s circumstantial at best, but we have no other leads. I need you to do me a favor, Sarah.”
“Sure, what is it?”
“I want you to call Mrs. Rossini and have her ask Oliver and his wife to come here for a routine interview. Do your best to make it sound casual. I’ll keep them in separate rooms and see if both of their alibis check out. Meanwhile, I want you to convince Alice to allow us to search her property, including vehicles.
“This is going to upset her,” I said. “Even if Oliver is innocent, the insinuation could tarnish their arrangement.”
“That’s why we need to treat this as a routine check,” he said. “I’m not going to arrest anyone until we uncover a motive, or tangible proof.”
“For arguments sake, if Oliver had something to do with Mari’s disappearance, where would he be keeping her? He and Lucy live with Alice full time.”
“There are dozens of foreclosed and abandoned houses around town. It wouldn’t be that difficult to break into one.”
“Unless she’s … her body could be anywhere.”
“What?” Detective James narrowed his eyes at me. “What is it, Sarah?”
“I don’t know. I hate to even bring it up because it’s going to sound crazy.”
“Let me decide what crazy is.”
I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “My boyfriend and I had dinner at Alice’s house two nights ago. Oliver brought us down to the basement at Alice’s request to show us the vintage props from her husband’s movies. Apparently, Oliver is the only one who ever goes down there. Alice and Lucy seemed to think it’s haunted. There was this horrible stench. Oliver claimed it was from a dead raccoon.”
“Are you telling me you think Mari’s decomposing body is in the basement of Alice Rossini’s home?”
“No. I don’t know what I’m saying. Why would Oliver keep her body in a place so obvious? He never would have offered to give us the tour. Just forget I mentioned it.”
“Let’s make this simple. If Mrs. Rossini allows us to search her property, and nothing turns up, we’ll just chalk it up to being over cautious. If she doesn’t agree, we’ll need to obtain a search warrant from a judge.”
“This makes me nervous,” I said. “I don’t want Alice to panic.”
“You’ll figure it out.”
* * *
I left the police station and called Carter. When I explained to him that Oliver was a person of interest in Mari’s disappearance, he agreed to accompany me to Alice’s.
Carter was waiting in his Buick when I pulled into Alice’s driveway. “Does Alice have any clue what’s going on?” Carter asked.
“No. I called to tell her we were on our way. I feel bad lying to her, but I think it’s best for now.”
“What’s your plan?” he asked.
“I’ll tell Alice I’ll stay with her while Lucy and Oliver are at the station. At that point, I’ll ask if it’s okay for the police to search her property. I’ll tell her it’s routine.”
“Routine? I think she’s smarter than that, Sarah?”
“She adores Lucy and Oliver. They’ve been good to her, and if he’s innocent …”
Carter sighed. “Alice is a big girl. She deserves the truth. She’ll understand.”
“I know, but I think her health is declining. What if this ordeal causes her to have a heart attack or something? She’s already on a lot of medication.”
“You’ll find a way to tell her. Let’s go get this over with.”
Lucy answered the door, a look of concern on her face. “Ms. Woods. Is everything okay?”
“May we come in?�
�� I asked.
She looked around with uncertainty. “Certainly. But Alice is taking a nap.” Lucy hesitated. She looked at Carter and back to me. “Is there bad news?”
“The detective in charge of the investigation thinks it would be helpful to talk to Mari’s neighbors, including you and Oliver. He’d like to see you both this afternoon, if possible.”
Lucy ushered us into the house and invited us to relax in the formal sitting room. “So, why does the detective want to speak to us?”
“It’s just procedure,” I said. “Nothing to worry about.” I felt bad about the lie, but what else could I say? “Is Oliver here?”
“I think he’s out back. I’ll … go tell him.”
“I’d be happy to stay with Alice if you and Oliver want to head to the station and get the interview over with. Someone will be here shortly to pick you up.”
“Why can’t we drive ourselves?” she asked.
“It’s no problem,” I said. “It’s a courtesy of the police department.”
Lucy stood there as if her legs were paralyzed. She seemed unsure of herself. Finally, the chiming of a bell echoed through the house. “Mrs. Rossini is awake. Please excuse me.” She whisked off while Carter and I remained on the couch.
“Well,” Carter whispered. “This is going to be an interesting afternoon.”
A few minutes later, Lucy wheeled Alice into the room. “Good afternoon,” she said, eyes puffy from sleep. “Is there any news about Mari?”
“I wish there was,” I said. “The detective feels he needs more help from the community … and that sort of thing. He asked if Lucy and Oliver would be willing to go and speak with him.”
Alice blinked, apparently not buying my vague explanation. “Well, of course. Anything to help. But Lucy and Oliver don’t know Mari that well.” Alice hesitated, then said, “why can’t the detective come here?”
“He’s very busy and thought it would save time to have them go to the station. I already told Lucy I’d be happy to stay here with you until they return. It shouldn’t take long.” I gestured to the van parked outside the house. “The driver is here to pick them up.”
Alice turned her head toward Lucy. “I’m perfectly fine with that, dear. Why don’t you let Oliver know?”
Lucy removed her apron and left the room.
Alice looked up at Carter from her wheelchair. “Okay. Now that Lucy is gone, please tell me what’s really going on.”
I glanced at Carter, who proceeded to shrug in the ‘I told you so’ sort of way. I stalled until I heard the outside door close. “Look, Alice …”
“Mari is dead, isn’t she?” Alice said.
My breath caught in my throat. I composed myself and said, “Why do you say that?”
“You’re acting very mysteriously,” she said.
“I’m sorry. This is hard for me.” I reached out to touch her hand. “Detective James asked if you would agree to a search of your property, including the vehicles.”
“Sarah … why? What is he expecting to find?”
“I can’t share that information right now. Not until the detective speaks with Lucy and Oliver. I’m sorry.”
“What kind of theory do the police have? Surely my caretakers have nothing to do with Mari’s disappearance?”
“I’m not at liberty to divulge that information.”
Alice closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m telling you, that young couple would never be involved in anything untoward. I’d bet my life on it.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” I said. “If nothing turns up in the search, they’ll move on with the investigation and look for other leads.”
Alice exhaled. “Okay. I’ll agree to it.”
I made the call to Detective James. He congratulated me for persuading her. However I felt no triumph in the victory.
Chapter 12
Two police officers and a forensics technician arrived at 1:15 p.m. Carter offered to assist in the search. Once they got to work, I offered to make a pot of tea. “You’re a trooper, Alice,” I said. “This must be difficult for you.”
She sat at her favorite char, fingers fidgeting in her lap. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know what to think. All I know is that Mari is in trouble. I just want to know she’s alright.”
I fixed a cup of earl grey, added some milk, and returned to the sitting room. Alice blew on the hot liquid, then sipped it gingerly. She didn’t seem to be in a talkative mood, so we sat in silence for a few minutes.
“Alice, did Mari ever mention a desire to own a gun?”
She looked up, eyes wide. “A gun? Heavens no. Why?”
“We discovered a search on Mari’s laptop.”
Alice’s shoulders slumped forward. “I’m starting to realize there are many things I don’t know about Mari.”
“I’m sure she neglected to mention it because she didn’t want you to worry,” I said.
“If she was looking at guns, she must have had a good reason,” Alice said. “But why not pepper spray or Mace? Even one of those stun-gun’s I’ve seen on TV.”
“It’s possible she never intended to buy a gun. Perhaps she was conducting research for some other reason,” I said.
“Like what?”
“I have an idea. I could go to the local shooting range to see if anyone recognizes Mari. Maybe she went there to inquire about guns or taking lessons.”
Alice regarded me with skepticism. “I suppose.”
* * *
By four o’clock, the police and forensics team had completed their search. They packed up and left, with no indication as to what – if anything – had been discovered.
Carter joined us in the sitting room and asked Alice how she was holding up.
Alice let out a long, tired sigh. “I thought they would never leave. Did they find anything?”
“I don’t think so,” he said.
“Thanks for keeping an eye on them,” Alice said. “It’s not that I don’t trust the police, but I feel better knowing you were present.” Alice turned to face me. “How long do you suppose Lucy and Oliver will be gone?”
“I have no idea,” I said. “But I’d be happy to fix something for dinner if you’re getting hungry.”
“Very kind of you,” she said. “But I’m fine. I suppose my stomach is a little queasy after all of this excitement.”
I checked my cell phone. No messages or calls.
Alice became distracted as she looked out the window. I followed her gaze. A van had pulled up in front of the house and Lucy got out, a tense expression on her face as she came through the door. She entered the room and rushed over to Alice. “Ma’am, are you okay? I am so sorry I was gone so long. Did you take your medication, yet?”
“I’m fine, dear. How did it go at the police station?”
“Fine, I guess. They wanted to keep Oliver a bit longer. The detective told me he’d have him home by supper time.”
Carter and I exchanged glances but said nothing.
Alice smiled. “I appreciate your willingness to help the officers with their investigation. Why don’t you get dinner started while I say good-bye to Sarah and Carter?"
Lucy nodded, acknowledged Carter and I briefly, then disappeared into the kitchen.
Alice seemed distraught. “Something is wrong. Why do they still have him?”
“I don’t know. I’ll call you as soon as I know something, okay?”
Alice nodded. “Thank you for everything. I appreciate all the time and energy you’ve dedicated to this investigation. You’ve both gone above and beyond.”
“Stay positive, Alice,” Carter said. “Try not to worry too much. It’s bad for your health.”
Since Carter had other issues to attend to, I drove back to the police station by myself. Detective James was still in the interview room and I couldn’t bear the thought of spending another moment in the break room. I checked my watch: 4:35 p.m. I decided to visit the local shooting range, instead.
Chapt
er 13
The Manchester Firing Range – an imposing brick structure — was located ten minutes south of Bridgeport. I entered the lobby and looked around. To my left was a large glass counter containing guns, ammunition, and other accessories. On the walls, semi-automatic rifles and other scary looking weapons were displayed like trophies. The bearded man behind the counter acknowledged me with a friendly nod. “Evening, ma’am,” he said. “Can I help you?”
“I hope so. My name is Sarah Woods. I’m assisting the Bridgeport Police Department in a missing person’s case. Can you please tell me if this woman has been here in the past few weeks?” I showed him the photograph of Mari.
He studied it, but his expression was empty. “Maybe you should ask Derek. I’ll buzz him for you.”
“Thank you.”
A few seconds later a tall, lanky man with a limp walked into the shop. He wore Wrangler jeans, cowboy boots, and a worn out jean jacket. “What can I help you with, miss?”
I showed him the picture. “Has this woman been here recently?”
He barely glanced at it before he nodded. “She has. What’s this about?”
“She’s missing. The police have reason to believe she purchased a gun. I was wondering if she bought it here.”
He chewed on his lower lip for a second and finally gestured for me to follow him to a back office room. “She was here last week with her son but we didn’t sell her a weapon. They already had one.”
“Her son?” I asked.
“That’s what she said. Interested in getting him lessons. He proved he was over eighteen, so I obliged.”
“Did she explain why she wanted him to learn to shoot?”
“Not really,” he said. “I assumed it was for sport.”
“Sport?”
“Target practice. Not everyone comes in for self-defense reasons.”
“How many lessons?”
Sarah Woods Mystery Series (1-6) Boxed Set Page 55