[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.The fourth may also have been a woman or a smallish man.”“Anything else you can recall?” Howland asked.“When Mack leaned over me, he smelled of patchouli.”“Patchouli?”“It’s a perfume made from some East Indian plant,” Elizabeth explained.“It’s popular with touchy-feely types.”“Could it have been his shaving lotion?”Victoria shook her head.“I don’t think so.”“Patchouli is a woman’s perfume,” said Elizabeth.Victoria glanced around.“Where’s Linda? Did she come home last night?”“Not while we were here,” said Howland, pushing his chair away from the table.“I hope she’s all right.” Victoria frowned.“I was bothered by her reaction to her uncle’s death and the fire.Almost no reaction.Yet she was shocked, out of proportion, when she heard that we’d found a body in the house.”“That is pretty shocking,” said Elizabeth.“No more so than her uncle’s murder,” said Howland.“She made quite a point of asking about the computer,” said Victoria.“She insists that it’s hers.”“Burkhardt’s heir hasn’t been established yet,” said Howland.“The courts will have to establish whose it is.Unless, of course, someone finds a will.”“Linda wants to see who gets the eighteen million.There’s bound to be a copy of his will on it.If her uncle didn’t leave his property to her…”“She might do something about it?” Howland finished.“Linda didn’t kill her uncle,” said Victoria.Elizabeth snorted.“I wouldn’t put it past her.Money.Everything comes down to money.”Victoria shifted her feet slightly and winced.Elizabeth got up quickly.“Another footbath, Gram?”“I’m fine, thank you,” said Victoria.Elizabeth sat down again.“What about Hiram’s friend?” Howland asked.“Tad was more than just a friend,” said Victoria.“I assumed so,” said Howland.Victoria cleared her throat.“At some time in the past, before Tad came into the picture, Hiram and Jube Burkhardt were lovers.”“Ah!” said Howland.“You knew Burkhardt threatened to expose Tad if Hiram didn’t sign the phony noncompliance papers?”“And Hiram went along with the scam,” said Howland.“Yes, I’d heard.”“Where’s Tad now?” Elizabeth asked.“On his way home to Nebraska,” Victoria replied.“He called Hiram on his cell phone from the ferry.”“He could have been anywhere,” said Howland.“Tad had an excellent motive for killing Burkhardt.And opportunity, assuming he wasn’t calling from the ferry.”“He was driving his car back to Nebraska,” said Victoria.“The Steamship Authority will have records.”“Good point.” Howland jotted something in his notes.“We told you about the ‘Fatal Error’ message on Burkhardt’s computer, didn’t we?”“You did,” said Howland.There was a loud snort from the end of the table, and all three looked at Dojan, who’d been so quiet they’d forgotten he was there.He had fallen asleep, his arms folded across his chest, his head bowed.The feather in his hair bobbed with his breathing.“We should move into the other room,” Elizabeth whispered.Howland yawned.“We’re not likely to disturb him.”“Dojan had a rough night,” said Victoria.Howland smiled.“So did almost everyone on the Island.”Victoria continued in a low voice.“The morning after Jube’s murder the killer must have gone to Jube’s house to see what was on his computer.”“Burkhardt’s computer was an antique,” said Howland.“If the killer tried to erase certain files, but didn’t know how, he would get that ‘Fatal Error’ message.”“Hardly an antique,” said Victoria.“I don’t believe Jube had owned his computer for more than ten years.”“Ten years!” muttered Howland.“Even a computer nerd might not understand codes that ancient.”“Ancient!” said Victoria.“I bet Hiram went to Jube’s for the same reason,” said Elizabeth.“To delete whatever he could from the computer.”Victoria started to say something, then stopped.“What were you about to say, Victoria?” Howland asked.“The killer must have been in the house when Hiram got there.”“Go on,” said Howland.“Hiram saw the computer running and suspected something was wrong.Jube wouldn’t have left it on.That was when Hiram called me.The killer undoubtedly heard Hiram leave that message on my answering machine.”Howland nodded.“Hiram may have seen the killer [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]