Read Online Think Murder by Cassidy Salem - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cassidy Salem
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echoed the sentiments of a Hallmark card. I drafted and deleted my first 10 or more attempts. In the end, I posted a short message:
Hilary was so many things – talented, warm, caring, always willing to help others, a good friend. My life was enriched by having known her. I’ll miss her dearly.
That done, I curled up in bed in front of the TV set. I fell asleep somewhere near the end of a rerun of “Doctor Zhivago” on the movie classics channel.
Chapter 13
The still on TV woke me before my alarm. I turned it off and got ready for work. Planning to go to Cutie Pie right after work and expecting Bruce to be there, I opted for my dressy jeans, my favorite lavender blouse, and a black cardigan.
When I got to the office, I checked for messages and meetings. Matt would be out most of the day and hadn’t left me any work. My plan for the day was to get a handle on the Land Use Survey. I had just started searching for the data on West Virginia when Rick Dempsey came over. Rick is a Research Assistant in the Middle East Affairs Unit and good friends with Duncan.
“Morning, Adina. How are you?”
“I’m doing OK. You?”
“Fine. I was wondering, have you spoken to Duncan since Hilary’s funeral? When I called him last night, he didn’t pick up.”
A wave of guilt washed over me. I should have thought to call him myself. “No, I haven’t. I hope he’s alright. Hilary’s death hit him hard. Do you know when he’s due back?”
“I think he’s flying back tonight, unless he changed his plans.”
“I’ll try to give him a call later. Let me know if you hear from him. I’ll do the same.”
“Good idea. Talk to you later.” Rick started to walk away, then turned back. “Adina, I know from Duncan that you and Hilary were close, and that you were with her that night. It must be a difficult time for you, too. If you want to talk…”
I thanked Rick for his concern. Rick and I are what might be called ‘friends by association.’ The only thing we really had in common was our shared friendship with Duncan and Hilary. Rick has a somewhat reserved air, and our interactions thus far had pretty much been limited to small talk.
After Rick left, I got back to work. Unable to focus on what I was reading, I gave up and went to make myself a cup of tea. Thankfully, the kitchen was empty. No stares, no whispers.
I sipped the tea as I debated the merits of calling vs. texting Duncan. In case he was managing to get some sleep, I sent him a text message: “You OK? Want to talk?” He didn’t respond.
The data for West Virginia was in one of the project’s sub-directories on the server. At first glance, it looked straightforward. There were separate files for each year. Hilary had copy-pasted information from a range of places, indicating the sources for each batch of data. She had also prepared a spreadsheet for compiling the data. The completed table would include the acreage designated for conservation, and the easements granted during that year, in total and by end use, for the years 2008-2012.
The total conserved acreage for the start of 2008 had already been entered in the spreadsheet, together with the easements data. There had been some reallocation of land purposes, for the most part for agricultural purposes. I checked the numbers in the table against the snippets in the file. Everything appeared to be in order, so I moved on to 2009.
I read all of Hilary’s online notes for 2009. I then extracted the 2009 data based on how she had processed 2008. The referenced sources were almost identical in structure, various annual reports produced by state zoning authorities. I cross-checked my calculations and data entry before taking my lunch break.
Michelle and I popped out to the sandwich shop for lunch. In between bites, Michelle asked, “Are you going to continue working with Dr. Stickler?”
“Well, I am going to help out for a week or two. You know, those graphs and charts Hilary had been working
Hilary was so many things – talented, warm, caring, always willing to help others, a good friend. My life was enriched by having known her. I’ll miss her dearly.
That done, I curled up in bed in front of the TV set. I fell asleep somewhere near the end of a rerun of “Doctor Zhivago” on the movie classics channel.
Chapter 13
The still on TV woke me before my alarm. I turned it off and got ready for work. Planning to go to Cutie Pie right after work and expecting Bruce to be there, I opted for my dressy jeans, my favorite lavender blouse, and a black cardigan.
When I got to the office, I checked for messages and meetings. Matt would be out most of the day and hadn’t left me any work. My plan for the day was to get a handle on the Land Use Survey. I had just started searching for the data on West Virginia when Rick Dempsey came over. Rick is a Research Assistant in the Middle East Affairs Unit and good friends with Duncan.
“Morning, Adina. How are you?”
“I’m doing OK. You?”
“Fine. I was wondering, have you spoken to Duncan since Hilary’s funeral? When I called him last night, he didn’t pick up.”
A wave of guilt washed over me. I should have thought to call him myself. “No, I haven’t. I hope he’s alright. Hilary’s death hit him hard. Do you know when he’s due back?”
“I think he’s flying back tonight, unless he changed his plans.”
“I’ll try to give him a call later. Let me know if you hear from him. I’ll do the same.”
“Good idea. Talk to you later.” Rick started to walk away, then turned back. “Adina, I know from Duncan that you and Hilary were close, and that you were with her that night. It must be a difficult time for you, too. If you want to talk…”
I thanked Rick for his concern. Rick and I are what might be called ‘friends by association.’ The only thing we really had in common was our shared friendship with Duncan and Hilary. Rick has a somewhat reserved air, and our interactions thus far had pretty much been limited to small talk.
After Rick left, I got back to work. Unable to focus on what I was reading, I gave up and went to make myself a cup of tea. Thankfully, the kitchen was empty. No stares, no whispers.
I sipped the tea as I debated the merits of calling vs. texting Duncan. In case he was managing to get some sleep, I sent him a text message: “You OK? Want to talk?” He didn’t respond.
The data for West Virginia was in one of the project’s sub-directories on the server. At first glance, it looked straightforward. There were separate files for each year. Hilary had copy-pasted information from a range of places, indicating the sources for each batch of data. She had also prepared a spreadsheet for compiling the data. The completed table would include the acreage designated for conservation, and the easements granted during that year, in total and by end use, for the years 2008-2012.
The total conserved acreage for the start of 2008 had already been entered in the spreadsheet, together with the easements data. There had been some reallocation of land purposes, for the most part for agricultural purposes. I checked the numbers in the table against the snippets in the file. Everything appeared to be in order, so I moved on to 2009.
I read all of Hilary’s online notes for 2009. I then extracted the 2009 data based on how she had processed 2008. The referenced sources were almost identical in structure, various annual reports produced by state zoning authorities. I cross-checked my calculations and data entry before taking my lunch break.
Michelle and I popped out to the sandwich shop for lunch. In between bites, Michelle asked, “Are you going to continue working with Dr. Stickler?”
“Well, I am going to help out for a week or two. You know, those graphs and charts Hilary had been working
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