the information I’ve been gathering about possible suspects in Lou’s death and my embezzlement charge.”
“You must be one of those conspiracy nuts. Houses get broken into every day.”
“Then why are you here, hmm?” Aunt Clara put her hands on her hips and impatiently tapped her foot. “I think you’re here, Detective Waters, because you know something else is happening.”
Frank scowled. “Look, I admit that something seems wrong here. That’s why I came out when I heard the call. It’s like when a store gets robbed, and then the store owner’s home gets robbed the next day. I don’t like it.”
“So you think there may be a link between Lou’s death and this breakin.” Maggie felt as relieved as if he’d said she had won a million dollars.
“Maybe.” He scratched his head. “I don’t like to make assumptions with no proof. It’s as likely that whoever broke in here saw your address on TV and thought they’d clean you out. They broke in, took the easy valuable to carry—the laptop. That makes sense too.”
“I’m glad you think so.” Maggie was quivering with fear and rage. “That doesn’t make us feel any safer.”
“Look. I think you’re in some kind of trouble. I don’t mean to sound like I don’t want to help. I need proof to move on anything. So far, I have your past issues with your ex-boss, a press release that says you didn’t steal any money, and a breakin with a missing laptop. That’s not much to go on.”
Maggie was fuming. “If I were a killer and a thief, I’d want to make sure no one had evidence that could prove it. I’d come and search this house and take my laptop so I could see what was on it. Then I could decide if I needed to be killed too.”
Frank nodded. “That is one possible explanation. We have no real proof of that, Maggie. That’s what I run on. Right now, I can only investigate what I have and hope something else comes up that leads me to the next place.”
She sank back into a chair, suddenly running out of steam. “By the time you get that proof, we could be the next victims.”
He sat down beside her. “The boys are gonna take fingerprints. We’ll see if any of those match the ones we’ve found in the pie shop. We’ll keep our ears open for your laptop being found somewhere. That’s the best I can do for now. How about you?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. What kind of information were you looking at? You should’ve been sharing that with me, not storing it up for someone to steal. I want you to write down anything you think could be useful and bring it to me.”
She stared at him mutinously.
He smiled at Aunt Clara. “Mrs. Lowder, I’m sorry this has happened to you. Is there anything you can think of that might make some sense of this matter?”
“Only what Maggie has already said, Detective. I stand beside my niece. She didn’t steal anything or kill anyone.”
“Okay then.” He shrugged into his coat. “I’m heading out. It was good to see you both. Take care. Better get deadbolts for the front and back doors. Maybe even consider a security system.”
• • •
M aggie and Aunt Clara stood with their arms around each other after seeing the last of the police officers to the door. They were both scared to death.
The officers warned them to get new locks as quickly as possible. The last officer even put a piece of duct tape on the front door to make sure it would stay closed.
Reporters snapped pictures as the police were leaving, calling out Maggie’s name and asking for an interview. They came right up to the door and tried to get pictures of the inside of the house before the door was taped closed.
“Where were they when the thieves broke into the house?” Maggie asked. “They should’ve gotten pictures of the real criminals.”
“Let’s get this cleaned up and watch some TV,” Aunt Clara suggested. “Everything will look better in the morning.”
While they put everything away, Maggie called a
“You must be one of those conspiracy nuts. Houses get broken into every day.”
“Then why are you here, hmm?” Aunt Clara put her hands on her hips and impatiently tapped her foot. “I think you’re here, Detective Waters, because you know something else is happening.”
Frank scowled. “Look, I admit that something seems wrong here. That’s why I came out when I heard the call. It’s like when a store gets robbed, and then the store owner’s home gets robbed the next day. I don’t like it.”
“So you think there may be a link between Lou’s death and this breakin.” Maggie felt as relieved as if he’d said she had won a million dollars.
“Maybe.” He scratched his head. “I don’t like to make assumptions with no proof. It’s as likely that whoever broke in here saw your address on TV and thought they’d clean you out. They broke in, took the easy valuable to carry—the laptop. That makes sense too.”
“I’m glad you think so.” Maggie was quivering with fear and rage. “That doesn’t make us feel any safer.”
“Look. I think you’re in some kind of trouble. I don’t mean to sound like I don’t want to help. I need proof to move on anything. So far, I have your past issues with your ex-boss, a press release that says you didn’t steal any money, and a breakin with a missing laptop. That’s not much to go on.”
Maggie was fuming. “If I were a killer and a thief, I’d want to make sure no one had evidence that could prove it. I’d come and search this house and take my laptop so I could see what was on it. Then I could decide if I needed to be killed too.”
Frank nodded. “That is one possible explanation. We have no real proof of that, Maggie. That’s what I run on. Right now, I can only investigate what I have and hope something else comes up that leads me to the next place.”
She sank back into a chair, suddenly running out of steam. “By the time you get that proof, we could be the next victims.”
He sat down beside her. “The boys are gonna take fingerprints. We’ll see if any of those match the ones we’ve found in the pie shop. We’ll keep our ears open for your laptop being found somewhere. That’s the best I can do for now. How about you?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. What kind of information were you looking at? You should’ve been sharing that with me, not storing it up for someone to steal. I want you to write down anything you think could be useful and bring it to me.”
She stared at him mutinously.
He smiled at Aunt Clara. “Mrs. Lowder, I’m sorry this has happened to you. Is there anything you can think of that might make some sense of this matter?”
“Only what Maggie has already said, Detective. I stand beside my niece. She didn’t steal anything or kill anyone.”
“Okay then.” He shrugged into his coat. “I’m heading out. It was good to see you both. Take care. Better get deadbolts for the front and back doors. Maybe even consider a security system.”
• • •
M aggie and Aunt Clara stood with their arms around each other after seeing the last of the police officers to the door. They were both scared to death.
The officers warned them to get new locks as quickly as possible. The last officer even put a piece of duct tape on the front door to make sure it would stay closed.
Reporters snapped pictures as the police were leaving, calling out Maggie’s name and asking for an interview. They came right up to the door and tried to get pictures of the inside of the house before the door was taped closed.
“Where were they when the thieves broke into the house?” Maggie asked. “They should’ve gotten pictures of the real criminals.”
“Let’s get this cleaned up and watch some TV,” Aunt Clara suggested. “Everything will look better in the morning.”
While they put everything away, Maggie called a
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