Read Online R.P. Dahlke - Dead Red 04 - A Dead Red Alibi by R.P. Dahlke - Free Book Online Page A

guess I’d better go tell him what we’re up to,” I said. “Maybe we can buy a pair of cutters so we can make a more dignified entrance.”
    “Huh? Oh yeah,” he said, pulling his head out of the engine compartment. “You do that. I’ll be right here.”
    I squeezed through the break in the wall and skipped around to the driver’s side of the Jeep, excited to share our news.
    “We found an old Italian race car in the barn,” I said, opening his door. “Dad is inside cleaning it up.”
    Caleb laughed. “A what?”
    “A race car. Come on,” I said, pulling his arm, “see for yourself.”
    Caleb was, to say the least, astounded. “How the hell did a race car get here?”
    I laughed. “I don’t know, but isn’t this fun? We need to pick up some things to get it running.”
    “You kids go,” Dad said. “I’m going to look for the tires.”
    “We’ll fill up a gas can at the nearest gas station,” Caleb said, reading the shopping list. “Buy the motor oil, and ask where to buy a 6-volt golf cart battery, right?”
    I gave the sleek race car one last pat and turned to go with Caleb. “Did you have to arm wrestle the power company?”
    “Good thing I did or you’d be still waiting on them,” he said, starting the Jeep. “They never heard of your property manager, and they sure didn’t have an order to come out here any time soon.”
    “That rat. If I do sell, I’ll find another realtor.”
    “I also stopped by the sheriff’s office. Homicide detectives will be out here today.”
    “ Today?” I asked, my nerves jumping into my throat. “And then we can go home, after the interview with the homicide detectives, right?”
    He let the engine idle for a minute. “It’s more than likely that I will be released. You and your dad will be required to stay within the county until you’re cleared or a suspect is arrested.”
    I looked out the window at the adobe house, the roof that still needed inspection, the rooms to paint. I had been making pretty plans for us. But of course he would have to go. He still had a job in California. Who was I kidding? I would miss him, especially now that we’d made up. My voice couldn’t seem to control itself when I asked him if he was leaving today or tomorrow.
    “What—and leave you and your dad here to deal with a killer? I’m still on vacation, and I can take a leave of absence if I need to. Besides, I can help with the cleanup and painting. I’m staying.”
    “Oh, good,” I said. In thanks, I reached up and squeezed the back of his warm neck. “I’m glad. You know, we could use your contacts to match suspects to the case and—”
    “I have no jurisdiction here, sweetheart. For better or worse, the locals will handle this case.” He paused, the muscles in his jaw work ing around his own frustration.
    “That homicide detective, Ian Tom , doesn’t look to be inept or lazy, but there’s still a chance he might try to stick Noah with it.”
    “That’s ridiculous,” I said.
    “I know it and you know it, so let’s hope that your dad’s interview with them will clear up the last of their questions.”
    My earlier happy mood dissipated. “Like what?”
    “Like why he chose to go down that hole instead of calling 9-1-1 and how his jacket ended up at another crime scene.”
    Fear made my voice rise an octave. “I remind him to take his cell phone every day, but he forgets. As for his jacket, he offered the detective a perfectly honest explanation for that.”
    “Yes, and it makes sense to us, but I don’t think the detective is counting your dad out of the equation just yet.”
    “Can’t you do something?”
    “Lalla, believe it or not, I’m itching to butt in where I’m not wanted, but I’m going to give them forty-eight hours to come up with a realistic suspect.”
    “And then what will you do?” I asked, holding my breath.
    “Forty-eight hours, Lalla. You and I can do that, can’t we?” There was doubt in his voice, and worry too;