question.
She dialed 911 despite her aunt’s wish not to have her do so. Aunt Clara didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.
Maggie wasn’t sure if her aunt didn’t want the police to see the house trashed or just didn’t want everyone to know. “We have to report this. I’m sorry, Aunt Clara. It could be involved with what happened to Lou. We have to tell the police. It could be important.”
Aunt Clara shushed her. “Don’t be silly. This kind of thing happens sometimes, I understand. Let’s not panic, honey. It’s not that bad. We can clean it up in no time. No real harm done. I feel foolish calling the police over something so small. They have murders to solve and drunk drivers to keep off the road.”
Nothing she could say would keep Maggie from reportingthe crime. Maggie explained that it had to be done to use Aunt Clara’s insurance to replace her laptop. “They won’t take our word for it. This is something we have to do.”
It only took five minutes for two patrol cars to appear in front of the house. It took a few extra minutes for the officers to get inside. They had to maneuver through the crowd of reporters on the doorstep again.
No doubt they had police scanners and this was part of the bigger story, Maggie guessed. Now she and Aunt Clara were targeted again since the house had been broken into. How much more dramatic and newsworthy could a suspected killer/bank embezzler be?
It took another ten minutes for Frank Waters to join them there.
The police officers asked dozens of questions about the incident, looking a little skeptical when Aunt Clara and Maggie said they hadn’t heard anything, even though they’d been in the attic.
The police asked if anything of value had been taken. Maggie was quick to say that her laptop was gone. She showed the officer where it had been. She even had the evidence to prove she owned it—thanks to the receipt she’d saved.
She’d decided after coming home that she was never going to own anything without a receipt again. It had made it too easy for the bank to confiscate what she owned after she’d been fired.
Frank listened and watched the proceedings with a jaundiced eye. He didn’t say anything to the officers who were investigating. Aunt Clara brought him a cup of coffee, as shedid the rest of the officers. She apologized for not having slices of pie for each of them.
Maggie could tell it was unusual for Frank to be there after a robbery. The police officers kept looking at him and one or two asked why he was there. They were obviously surprised to see him.
Frank shrugged and kept his motives to himself. It seemed to make the officers a little nervous and self-conscious. Maybe they were worried that he was watching to see if they were doing something wrong.
She hoped seeing the house this way might prove to Frank that something else was going on, underlying Lou’s death. The story wasn’t finished because Lou had died. There was still something very wrong. Maybe something that could jeopardize her and Aunt Clara’s lives.
The only thing that appeared to be missing was her laptop containing the information that could clear her name. Surely that meant something important. The thieves were somehow involved in Maggie’s being accused of embezzlement, which made them part of Lou’s death.
At least that’s what she got from it.
Frank crouched by the front door that had been forcibly opened in the foyer. “It doesn’t look like it took much effort to get in here. You ladies need a dead bolt.”
“Is that it?” Maggie asked out of panic, desperation, and fear. “Our home is broken into after my friend is killed and all you can say is that we need a dead bolt?”
“What did you expect? Were you looking for a marching band? Maybe you thought we’d take you into protective custody to make sure you were safe?”
“Even you should be able to see this was something more. Someone was searching our home, and took my laptop. It had all
She dialed 911 despite her aunt’s wish not to have her do so. Aunt Clara didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.
Maggie wasn’t sure if her aunt didn’t want the police to see the house trashed or just didn’t want everyone to know. “We have to report this. I’m sorry, Aunt Clara. It could be involved with what happened to Lou. We have to tell the police. It could be important.”
Aunt Clara shushed her. “Don’t be silly. This kind of thing happens sometimes, I understand. Let’s not panic, honey. It’s not that bad. We can clean it up in no time. No real harm done. I feel foolish calling the police over something so small. They have murders to solve and drunk drivers to keep off the road.”
Nothing she could say would keep Maggie from reportingthe crime. Maggie explained that it had to be done to use Aunt Clara’s insurance to replace her laptop. “They won’t take our word for it. This is something we have to do.”
It only took five minutes for two patrol cars to appear in front of the house. It took a few extra minutes for the officers to get inside. They had to maneuver through the crowd of reporters on the doorstep again.
No doubt they had police scanners and this was part of the bigger story, Maggie guessed. Now she and Aunt Clara were targeted again since the house had been broken into. How much more dramatic and newsworthy could a suspected killer/bank embezzler be?
It took another ten minutes for Frank Waters to join them there.
The police officers asked dozens of questions about the incident, looking a little skeptical when Aunt Clara and Maggie said they hadn’t heard anything, even though they’d been in the attic.
The police asked if anything of value had been taken. Maggie was quick to say that her laptop was gone. She showed the officer where it had been. She even had the evidence to prove she owned it—thanks to the receipt she’d saved.
She’d decided after coming home that she was never going to own anything without a receipt again. It had made it too easy for the bank to confiscate what she owned after she’d been fired.
Frank listened and watched the proceedings with a jaundiced eye. He didn’t say anything to the officers who were investigating. Aunt Clara brought him a cup of coffee, as shedid the rest of the officers. She apologized for not having slices of pie for each of them.
Maggie could tell it was unusual for Frank to be there after a robbery. The police officers kept looking at him and one or two asked why he was there. They were obviously surprised to see him.
Frank shrugged and kept his motives to himself. It seemed to make the officers a little nervous and self-conscious. Maybe they were worried that he was watching to see if they were doing something wrong.
She hoped seeing the house this way might prove to Frank that something else was going on, underlying Lou’s death. The story wasn’t finished because Lou had died. There was still something very wrong. Maybe something that could jeopardize her and Aunt Clara’s lives.
The only thing that appeared to be missing was her laptop containing the information that could clear her name. Surely that meant something important. The thieves were somehow involved in Maggie’s being accused of embezzlement, which made them part of Lou’s death.
At least that’s what she got from it.
Frank crouched by the front door that had been forcibly opened in the foyer. “It doesn’t look like it took much effort to get in here. You ladies need a dead bolt.”
“Is that it?” Maggie asked out of panic, desperation, and fear. “Our home is broken into after my friend is killed and all you can say is that we need a dead bolt?”
“What did you expect? Were you looking for a marching band? Maybe you thought we’d take you into protective custody to make sure you were safe?”
“Even you should be able to see this was something more. Someone was searching our home, and took my laptop. It had all
Similar Books
