Read Online On Deadly Ground by Michael Norman - Free Book Online Page B

reminded him that success on the job meant maintaining good public relations and, that so far his performance was less than satisfactory.
    The help Books was seeking came in a late afternoon call from Celia Foxworthy, the EEWA volunteer who had accompanied Darby Greenbriar to the previous day’s interview. She seemed reluctant to discuss specifics over the phone, so Books suggested a private face-to-face meeting later in the evening at his office. She agreed.
    Soon after the call from Foxworthy, Darby Greenbriar called. She had located receipts from her Vegas trip and also wanted to give Books the name and phone number of her husband’s lawyer. There was something else he wanted to ask her about, so he jumped into the Yukon and drove to the EEWA office.
    The sullen widow greeted him with a strained half smile. “You look exhausted,” said Books. “Get yourself eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.”
    â€œYou’re right. I am exhausted. I’m going to need some sleep meds if this goes on much longer. I heard you rattled some cages at a news conference this afternoon.”
    â€œHad your spies over there, did you?”
    â€œYou bet. Consider yourself living in a fishbowl for the duration.”
    That didn’t seem unreasonable to Books, considering the untidy mess he’d gotten himself into. They sat opposite each other at a rectangular mahogany table in the conference room.
    She handed him a slip of paper with a name and phone number on it. “My husband’s lawyer is Victor Stein. That’s his Berkeley office number.”
    Books thanked her. “What were you able to find out about David’s estate? Did you locate a will or trust, anything on his life insurance?”
    She shook her head. “I couldn’t find anything. The more I thought about it though, I think David maintained a safety deposit box in town. He was always paranoid about somebody breaking into our home and snooping into our personal affairs.”
    â€œWhich bank?”
    â€œWells Fargo, I think. That’s where we bank. Victor would know for sure.”
    â€œYou mean your name isn’t on the safety deposit box.”
    She hesitated. “I don’t think so.”
    Books couldn’t recall a murder case he’d worked where the spouse knew less about the family estate than Darby did. He wondered if she was telling the truth.
    â€œI’ve been thinking about something,” said Books. “Who, besides you, knew that David was hiking in the Kaiparowitz Plateau?”
    â€œThe only person I recall telling was Celia, and I think I mentioned it during dinner on Friday night.”
    â€œThe night before you left for Las Vegas?”
    â€œRight. Of course David could have told any number of people.”
    That was true.
    â€œIf you don’t mind, I’d like to ask the office secretary,” said Books. “Maybe she shared David’s hiking plans with somebody.”
    â€œAll right. Let me get Cathy before she locks up and goes home.”
    â€œWhile you’re up, there’s something else.”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œI recall seeing David’s day planner in his office. Mind if I borrow it?”
    â€œSure, if you think it’ll help. I’ll send Cathy in and go get the planner for you.”
    Books had spoken with Cathy Carpenter previously but hadn’t officially met her. She had been a part of the EEWA from the beginning, first as a volunteer and then as office manager once the organization could afford a full-time, paid employee. Books asked her whether she had shared David’s weekend hiking plans with anyone besides Darby.
    â€œAs a matter of fact, I did. One of our members, Lance Clayburn, called Friday afternoon looking for David. When I told him David wasn’t in, he wanted to know whether David planned to come into the office on Saturday.”
    â€œWhat did you tell him?”
    â€œThat David was hiking