Murder.Com

"She's lying," Cliff said. "My man just followed him there."

"Why would she lie?"

"Because she's got Ken over a barrel somehow. I think she knows something and is gonna make sure she's taken care of for the rest of her life. What she doesn't realize is that she's dealing with a madman. We'll have to keep a close watch on that family for the next couple of weeks, until we get the test results back from that sports coat. Let's hope we can get him behind bars before he does any more damage."

After they concluded their conversation, Tom felt the last drop of energy drain from his body. There had been few clues in Bud's murder, but with the Conners murder, evidence seemed to be falling into place. Something else nagged at the back of his mind, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

*****

Angie lay in bed in the darkened room, staring at the ceiling. She felt bewildered by her reaction to Tom's touch. The spark she thought had died with Bud, had come alive. But it's too soon, she thought. I've not even had time to realize I'm alone in the world. Bud's murderer hasn't been caught. And all the other things happening. Maybe I'm just vulnerable and miss a man's touch. No, that's not true, she thought. I've certainly got more sense than that.

She rolled over and covered her shoulder. What did Tom think of her response? He noticed something, that's for sure. She'd just stood there staring at him like some silly schoolgirl and he looked so alarmed. Poor guy. All he needs is another crazy woman to deal with. She flopped over on her back, pulling the sheet up around her chin.

Her thoughts went to Marty. Would Melinda press charges? Would the state prosecute her for shooting Melinda with the intent to kill? However, Melinda had attacked Marty and no telling what she intended to do if I hadn't intervened. Would Melinda claim I'd pulled a gun on her? Oh, dear, I could be in some serious trouble. But I couldn't let her hurt Marty anymore.

Even though Sandy ran to Melinda's side when she heard the shots, she may not have seen what happened. Did she think I shot Melinda? She knew I had the gun. Of course, in her state of mind at the moment, Sandy might not have comprehended the situation.

Dear Sandy. You've definitely been through hell these past few days. Before I pick you up in the morning, I'm calling the twins. They should be here. I know you won't agree, but this situation with Ken is boiling. You need your girls with you.

Angie drifted off to sleep, her dreams a jumble of facts and fiction.

Chapter Twenty-six

Ken pulled into his garage and glanced up at the rearview mirror. His mouth twitched when he saw a car slowly pass the house. "Don't get paranoid, you know they're watching you. Act normal," he said aloud. He pushed the button to lower the garage door and went inside the house.

So, you paid a sympathy call on Mrs. Conners. She's in financial straits and Ryan's old Buick is on its last legs. With two babies, she needs a reliable car. "A new car," she said. He slammed his fist against the wall. "I know this won't stop," he yelled. "She'll bleed me dry. What will she want next? A designer wardrobe, which she damn well needs? Or better yet, the house next door to me."

He flopped into a chair and dropped his head into his hands. Then he gradually raised his head, a sly grin curling the corner of his lips. If she's in such financial straits, how'd she hire a lawyer? Maybe that original letter is right there in that damn filthy house. He jumped up and paced the floor. Think, Ken, think. A woman like that. Where would she hide a letter that she didn't want anyone to find? He'd sleep on it and think about it in the morning with a clear mind.

*****

Angie's spirits rose when she arrived at the hospital and found Sandy bright-eyed, dressed and waiting.

"I hope you feel as good as you look."

"The doctor tells me I'm not out of the woods and must control my stress. Fortunately, I didn't completely break down, but almost."

Angie followed the nurse pushing Sandy in the wheelchair toward the exit, when suddenly she stopped in her tracks. Coming from the opposite hallway was another chair being pushed by a volunteer. The first thing Angie noticed were those green eyes staring from beneath the bandaged head. Her arm in a sling, Melinda frowned when she spotted Angie. She motioned for the woman to turn the chair around and they headed back the way they'd come.

Angie hurried forward and got Sandy into the car. She wondered who would be picking Melinda up. She saw no signs of Marty. The only one in the waiting room was a man in shorts and a tank top, with a long braid.. More than likely Melinda's boyfriend.

In the car, she remained silent for a few moments, gnawing on her lower lip.

"What's on your mind, Angie?"

She smiled. "I forget you can read me like a book. I did something this morning and hope you'll approve."

"Oh, what's that?"

"I called the twins."

Sandy stiffened, then relaxed against the seat. "You did the right thing. I've thought about the girls all morning. Thinking how I should let them know what's going on. After all, this is part of their lives."

"I didn't tell them any of the problems associated with Ken. I just told them you'd been under a lot of stress and were in the hospital overnight, but that you were fine and coming back to my place today."

"How did they respond?"

"They want to talk to you."

Sandy nodded. "I'll call them."

"You know they're welcome to come stay here if you want them with you."

"Thanks Angie. But I really think it best for the girls to stay with mother until this thing blows over."

Once at the house, Angie excused herself so Sandy could talk with the twins in private. "I'm going over to see Marty. I told her to take off until tomorrow morning. I think she needs to know I haven't deserted her."

"You're thoughtful and kind. No wonder everyone loves you."

Angie felt her face flush as she went out the kitchen door. She crossed the driveway and knocked on the cottage door. Marty greeted her with open arms. "Oh, Mrs. Nevers, I'm so glad to see you."

"Hello, Marty. I wanted to check on how things were going. Did the lawyer contact you?"

"Yes. But I'm scared. I don't want to go to prison."

"I'm sure you won't," Angie said, waving a hand. "What did he say?"

"He thinks I might have a good chance of getting no more than probation since Melinda hit me. They took a picture at the jail and my lip showed up real puffy. I told him that wasn't the only time she'd done that. He's going to play it up with how many older people get abused by their children."

"Has he spoken to Melinda yet?"

"She wants the whole thing dropped. Doesn't like the idea of being dragged through the court system." Marty shook her head and grimaced. "I called her at the hospital, but she said she had nothing to say to me and hung up."

Angie sat down on the couch and clasped her hands in front of her. "It might be just as well, Marty. I know this sounds cruel, but she's going to be nothing but trouble and heartache for you if she doesn't settle down."

"I know. But she's my daughter."

"Yes, that's true. But she's also an adult, no longer an innocent child that you can control. Unfortunately, she didn't have you with her all the time and got raised by strangers. And that was Bud's mistake. He should never have taken Melinda away from you and put her into boarding schools."

"But he gave her all the things I couldn't give her."

"That's true, but they were materialistic. I'm sure he thought he did the right thing. But that's neither here nor there now and we can't change it. You and I have to get on with our lives. I'm not taking your cottage away, you may stay with me as long as you wish. However, it still stands that Melinda is not to come on the premises."

Marty lowered her head. "Thank you, Mrs. Nevers. I'll be forever grateful."

Angie stood and patted her shoulder. "We'll get through this, I promise."

She went back to the house where she found Sandy at the kitchen bar blowing her nose. Several wadded tissues surrounded the phone. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. Just mother-daughter tears. I feel so much better after talking to them. And I told them everything. I realize now that my girls are pretty mature."

Angie put an arm around Sandy's shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "They've been through a lot this past year. Life's experiences make a person grow."

"I also talked with Mother about keeping them a while longer. She and Dad agreed it would be best."

*****

A week had passed since Cliff sent in the sports coat for testing. He stopped by Tom's office.

"You busy?"

"No more than usual. Come on in."

"Any new leads on the Nevers-Conners case?"

Tom closed the folder on his desk. "Not on this end. How about you?"

"I know Ken has made several visits to Mrs. Conners' household, but most of the meetings took place in the yard." Cliff tilted his head and raised a brow. "Which seems odd."

"Maybe she's scared to invite him in."

"Well, that's possible, or Weber chooses not to go inside."

Tom couldn't restrain a slight smile. "I can also understand that."

Cliff slapped his hand on the desk. "I think that woman's blackmailing him."

Tom blinked. "What makes you think that?"

"A new BMW showed up in her garage."

Tom straightened in his chair. "You're kidding."

"No."

"Where the hell is she getting the money? Conners certainly didn't leave enough for an expensive car, even after the insurance paid off."

Cliff leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "There's something fishy going on, and I think we need to find out what."

"You know it won't do us a damn bit of good to question Ken. He won't tell us a thing."

"And the Conners woman is anti-police. She isn't even concerned about who killed her husband. In fact, would you believe she never called the mortuary once while they had the body under examination? They had to call her."

Tom rubbed his chin. "Doesn't sound like much love lost, does it?"

The phone rang. Tom picked it up, then handed it to Cliff. "For you."

"Detective Maxhimer here."

Tom watched Cliff's expression turn sour. When he hung up, Tom asked. "What's up?"

Cliff hit the desk with his fist. "Damn. I thought for sure we had him." He looked deflated. "The fibers don't match. We're back to square one."

After Cliff left the office, Tom opened the Conners file, which he'd been studying when the detective came in. He reread the part about what had been found under Ryan Conners' fingernails. That inner sense kept nagging him. He scratched his head and read the report again. Nothing, but he knew there had to be something he'd missed. He felt it... but what? He flipped the file closed then opened it at the beginning and reread the whole thing again. No way did that woman have enough money to buy even the cheapest car on the market. Even on time. Her credit cards were maxed and many of her bills left unpaid. In her financial shape, she couldn't get a loan to buy anything, much less a car.

He pulled the phone directory out of the drawer and turned to car sales. Starting with the local BMW dealerships, he began dialing. It didn't take long for him to locate the one that had sold the car to Ken Weber. They had been instructed to deliver it to a Mrs. Autumn Conners. A sympathy gift from the Nevers Computer Technology Company.

"How the hell did he get away with that?" Tom muttered, hanging up. "I guess you can do anything if you're the lone head of a company. Cliff's right. Something fishy is going on here."

Leaving the Conners file on his desk, he shrugged into his jacket and decided it wouldn't hurt to talk to that woman again. He stopped by Cliff's office. "Want to accompany me out to the Conners' place?"

Cliff shook his head. "Try it alone this time. She doesn't like me."

Just as Tom drove up to the Conners' home, Autumn pulled into the driveway in her new car. Tom met her as she stepped onto the driveway.

"Hello, Mrs. Conners. Nice car."

She eyed him suspiciously, not responding to his comment as she threw her shawl over her shoulders and unhooked the two children from their new safety seats. After she lifted the two little girls out of the car, she turned to him. "What warrants this visit? Mr... uh, sorry, but I've forgotten your name."

"Detective Hoffman."

She continued to unload packages out of the trunk, then closed it and turned to him. "You haven't answered my question, Mr. Hoffman."

He stood back and looked at the BMW. "One thing I'm curious about, is how you can afford this car?"

She put her nose in the air as she walked toward the front door. "I don't think that's any of your business."

"Yes, it is the police's business, Mrs. Conners. We're doing a murder investigation and I know your financial status even after the insurance settlement. You can't afford this car. Where did it come from?"

She stood at the entrance and glared at him. "It's a gift."

"Mighty expensive gift. Who from?"

"From the Nevers Company. Guess they felt bad that Ryan got murdered on their property."

"I see. Who transacted the purchase?"

"Mr. Weber. You can talk to him about the details."

"I plan to." Tom shifted on his feet, then looked straight into her eyes. "Tell me, Mrs. Conners. Aren't you curious about the death of your husband?"

She jerked her gaze away and fumbled with her keys. The two little girls clung to her leg. One started to whimper. "I have to get the children inside and down for a nap. You'll have to excuse me now."

"You didn't answer my question, Mrs. Conners. Don't you wonder who killed your husband?"

She shoved the two crying girls inside, then poked her head out the door. "No! Detective Hoffman, I don't care." Then she slammed the door in his face.

Chapter Twenty-seven

Autumn watched through the peephole until the detective drove away. Then she slumped against the door. "Why do the police keep coming around?" She hammered her fist against the door. "Why can't you leave me alone, you bastards? I'm not going to tell you anything."

*****

The woman's behavior baffled Tom. But, he had to hand it to her; she told the truth about the car. Cliff had her pegged; she was definitely hiding something. And as long as Ken Weber was her benefactor, her lips would stay sealed. His intuition kept kicking at him. So what the hell am I overlooking?

He arrived back at the station and poked his head into Cliff's office. "You're right, Cliff. She's covering up. But what?" He shrugged. "She's got me baffled"

Cliff pushed unruly hair behind his ears and replaced his cap. "We'll just keep digging. Something's got to surface soon."

Tom waved. "I'm out of here early. Angie invited me to dinner."

Cliff shook his head. "Man, some of us get all the breaks. What I wouldn't give for a home-cooked meal."

Tom grinned. "I'll see what I can do about getting an invite for you next time."

When Tom arrived at the Nevers' home, Sandy's appearance surprised him. "You look great."

She smiled. "I'm almost back to normal. Now, if only Ken would straighten out and act like himself."

He didn't respond to the comment as they gathered around the dinner table. About midway through the meal, Tom glanced at Angie. "How well do you know Ryan Conners' wife?"

"Autumn?"

"Yes."

"Not well. I've only met her a couple of times. She and Ryan were a strange couple and kept very much to themselves. They seldom went to the company's functions."

Tom nodded. "I gathered that much from interviewing her."

"I went with Ken one time to their home," Sandy intervened. "He had to pick up a report or something. And I can verify she's not what you'd call a housekeeper. The place reeked. It's no wonder Ryan had the reputation of staying at the office long hours."

"Bud told me she's quite brilliant when it comes to computers," Angie said. "The idea of developing the computer program that would copy a person's own handwriting came from her and motivated Bud to talk with the company's technicians. They got real excited about the project. It wasn't long before they had it up and running. That program made a killing for us."

Tom thought about the suicide message written in Conners' handwriting. "Conners must have had the program on his computer."

"If I'm not mistaken," Angie said, "all the computers at the company have it installed."

"Makes sense." Tom leaned back in his chair. "Did the company give any compensation to Autumn?"

"Yes, they did," Sandy said. "I remember Ken mentioning it. They set up something like a royalty where she received a small percentage of each program sold. I'm not sure if it was on a monthly or yearly basis. It would be in the records."

"Then, with her brains, why didn't she go to work when Ryan lost all that money in the stock market instead of his embezzling from the company? Doesn't make sense."

"Good question," Angie said, taking a sip of wine. "Have you talked to her?"

"Yes. This afternoon, but I didn't mention the embezzlement. Not ready to go into that with her just yet." Then he told them about her new car. "Did you sign for that expenditure, Angie?"

A look of surprise crossed her face. "No. Should I have?"

"Well, it seems until everything is settled within the company that you should have some say about the company's expenses. Maybe I'm wrong, but I wouldn't think Ken had full say so on all things."

"Maybe I better check with the corporate lawyers."

"I think that's a good idea."

Angie and Tom glanced at Sandy.

"Don't worry about talking in front of me. Ken's not himself. He's liable to do several dumb things before he gets his head on straight. I've accepted that now. I just wish I knew how to help him."

"Have you seen or talked to him since you've been out of the hospital?" Tom asked.

Sandy shook her head.

Shortly after dinner, Tom left and decided to drop in on Ken Weber. He reported to Cliff where he'd be.

"Be careful," Cliff warned. "That guy's a powder keg, just ready to blow."

"Yeah, I know. But, maybe he'll talk one on one. We used to be friends. I don't know if that still holds true or not. But I want to give it a try."

"Good luck. Call me when you're out of there."

"Will do."

When Tom pulled up in front of the Weber home, he saw Ken's car in the garage. Not sure how he'd be received, Tom stepped hesitantly upon the front porch and rung the bell, prepared to leave if Ken ordered him off the property. But to his surprise, Ken shook his hand and invited him inside.

"I hope this is a friendly visit and not business?"

"Well, I guess you can say friendly and to satisfy my curiosity. Nothing will be on record."

"That's good. It's been a bit lonely around here. I can honestly say, it's good to see you, Tom. I'm assuming you're making this visit on your own time, so what can I fix you to drink?"

Tom followed Ken into the large recreation room, decorated quite differently from his office at work. The furniture consisted of two huge couches with lots of throw pillows of all sizes.

A large television screen and stereo equipment occupied one whole end. He also spotted two telephones, one on each side of the room. Teenagers definitely lived here. A huge, well-stocked wet bar with leather-covered stools covered the opposite end. Ken had soft classical music playing which Tom couldn't identify, but thought pleasant for background music.

"So what brings you here?" Ken asked, settling on one of the couches.

Tom positioned himself opposite him, setting his drink on the large heavily-lacquered oak coffee table between them. He folded his hands together and looked at Ken. "I'll get right to the point. I'm curious as to why the Nevers Company felt they should give Mrs. Conners a new car?"

Ken smiled. "How did I know that you'd ask that question? I just didn't feel Mrs. Conners should have to suffer over Ryan's stupidity. I tried to tell him that the game he played with the stock market would do nothing but make him a loser. He kept telling me he'd get it all back. Well, he didn't and I guess that's when he started stealing from the company. As I'm sure you know by now, that young intern we hired found the dummy company Ryan invented."

Tom raised an eyebrow. "You knew about the dummy company?"

"Yeah, Bud told me that day on the golf course."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because all hell broke loose after Bud's murder and everyone kept suspecting that I'd killed him. Even my wife and daughters. I became very angry that people would suspect me of such a hideous crime. Bud and I had been friends for years." He came forward in his seat and rested his elbows on his knees. "Tom, why would I kill a man that I loved like a brother? The man was so good for me. He kept me on an even plane. He soft-stepped where I came on too strong for my own good. We were a great team." Ken slouched back on the couch. "I don't know if I'm going to be able to keep the company going without him. I'm too hot-headed and have no patience."

Tom studied Ken as he spoke.

"I did some sleuthing on my own. After the report came out on how Bud died, I couldn't figure out how anyone could have pumped him full of phenobarbital. I checked with some medical people and they said it can be injected. Now how in the hell did they get Bud to stand still so they could poke him with a needle? He was a big guy."

"They must have knocked him out first," Tom said. "No way would the examiner be able to tell us. The body was too badly burned."

Ken ran a hand over his forehead. "I also tried to track his whereabouts after we played golf. He disappeared into thin air." He shifted in his seat and crossed his legs. "Do you think Ryan Conners killed Bud to shut him up?"

"That's possible, but then who killed Ryan to quiet him? I'm sure you know by now that you're our prime suspect. We know you bet and lost heavily on the horse races." Tom cleared his throat. "More than you can cover with your salary."

"I wouldn't kill over it."

"Men have killed for less."

"So, I'm definitely the number one suspect?"

"Afraid so, Ken. Unless you can show me why you shouldn't be."

"All I can tell you is I'm not a murderer. Even though I hit my wife and one of my daughters, which I regret with all my heart. This whole thing is tearing me apart. So let me tell you why I'm a bastard and murder suspect number one."

Chapter Twenty-eight

After two hours Ken finally stopped talking. "There, you have it. That's my story."

Tom looked at him, stunned by what he'd just heard. "Why the hell didn't you tell me you had an alibi at the beginning?"

"I didn't think I needed one. I'm a stubborn son-of-a-bitch and hated people judging me." His shoulders slumped. "Also, I thought the police would find the murderer by now. I feel like I'm being framed, but I don't know by whom. I'm as frustrated as you are, Tom."

"Now that you've told me about the Conners woman, I'd like to see that letter."

Ken ran his hand over his face. "Oh, God, what'd I do with it? I remember wadding it up and tossing it." He thought for a moment, then jumped up. "Let me check my office."

He returned within a few minutes, smoothing out wrinkled sheets of paper. "Sorry it's in such bad shape. But she's really got me by the balls. As I told you," he raised his brows, " I borrowed some money from the company. But in this letter, it sounds like Ryan and I were embezzling thousands of dollars of the company's profits. I only did it once, but it would be hard to prove with Ryan skimming every month, making it look like I was in on it."

Tom scanned the letter, then glanced at Ken. "Do you think Ryan actually wrote this or do you think his wife did it with the computer program?"

Ken flopped down on the couch. "Hard to say. They might have composed it together. But I do believe when the police moved in he got scared and panicked. I actually figured he committed suicide under the pressure. It surprised me when you said he'd been murdered."

Tom folded the letter and stuck it into his pocket. "What do you think Mrs. Conners will want next, now that she has her car?"

Ken's eyes turned fiery. He jumped up and paced the room. "She can go to hell as far as I'm concerned. She's not getting any more out of me."

Tom rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Don't turn her off yet. There just might be a link to the killer here."

Ken halted abruptly, looking surprised. "Really? Autumn Conners?" He waved it off. "Come on, Tom. Give me a break. She's a piece of junk. Ryan only stayed with her because of the two little girls."

"There could be an accomplice. I think she's hiding something." He patted the pocket where he'd shoved the letter. "This gives me enough to put a man on her tail." Before heading out the door, Tom turned, poking a finger in the air. "If she approaches you again, get in touch with me immediately."

"Sure will."

*****

Ken let out a long sigh as he watched Tom's car disappear into the darkness. He closed the door and went back into the recreation room where he poured himself a double scotch, then flopped down on the couch. After gulping half the drink, Ken let his gaze travel around the empty room. He set his glass on the coffee table and dropped his head into his hands. "Sandy, I need you and the girls. I promise never to hurt you again. Please come home."

*****

Tom hurried to his car and called Cliff on the cell phone. "Meet me at the office. The case is starting to break."

When Cliff arrived, he found Tom at his desk with the murder files piled in front of him. "What's the big rush?"

"I think we're getting closer to the killer."

"So you talked with Weber tonight?

"Yeah, he bared his soul. Made sense for a change."

"And you believe he's innocent?"

Tom held up a hand. "I'm not ruling him out. He may have just given me a convincing snow job, but it sure gave me some ideas for other avenues to explore. Since we've found nothing concrete on Ken, he just might be innocent." Tom glanced at Cliff for the first time since he'd entered the office, and frowned. "Where the hell have you been? Looks like you went to bed in those clothes."

Cliff chuckled as he looked down at his rumpled pants. "I crashed on the couch when I got home, slept like a baby until your call came in. It sounded urgent, so I didn't bother to change. Who's going to see me at this hour? Maybe some perp we bring in off the street. And who gives a shit?"

Tom shrugged and stifled a grin. "Long as you don't smell."

Cliff sniffed at each armpit. "Nope, still sweet. So, what've you got in mind?"

Tom sat forward and told him Ken Weber's story, then explained his plan. When he finished, Cliff scratched his sideburns and leaned back in his chair.

"I think you've got something. When do we start?"

"First thing in the morning. We'll go through the Conners' house again. We just did a walk-through after Ryan's death. This time, I want a thorough search done and some pertinent questions asked Autumn Conners. So get another search warrant. I don't want her coming back at us."

"And she damn well would," Cliff said, standing. "With two little kids she'll be up early. So, I'll meet you here at six-thirty with warrant in hand."

*****

Angie and Sandy were curled up on each end of the couch watching a television program when the phone rang. Angie picked up the portable on the end table.

"Hello." She shot a look at Sandy. "I don't know, Ken. I'll check and see if she wants to talk." Covering the receiver with her hand, she glanced across the couch.

Sandy stood. "I'll take it in the kitchen." Thirty minutes later, she came back into the study, dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

Angie flipped off the television with the remote. "So, what did he have to say?"

"Tom went by there this evening after he left us. Ken talked to him for two hours and told him everything."

Furrowing her brow, Angie looked at her. "What do you mean, 'everything'?"

"He hopes he convinced Tom that he had nothing to do with the murders of Bud or Ryan. And it is true that Ken was at home when both murders were committed. You even talked to him the night Bud disappeared. The night Ryan was killed, one of the twins got a good case of food poisoning. She stayed up most of the night vomiting. Ken and I took turns taking care of her until daybreak."

Angie reached over and grasped her arm. "Sandy, I've never believed Ken killed Bud. But I worried about it because of his behavior toward you, thinking maybe I didn't know the man like I thought I did."

"Thanks for your faith in him. To tell you the truth I had my doubts too. But now, knowing he's talked to Tom makes me feel a lot better."

"So what's he worried about?"

"He did take money from the company. But, he told Bud about it and promised to pay it back. Somehow, Autumn Conners found out and is now blackmailing Ken."

Angie jumped up. "What? Autumn Conners? How?"

She gave Ken a copy of a letter that she says Ryan left. The original is with a lawyer. It implies that Ryan and Ken were embezzling funds together. Ken says it's a lie, but he can't prove it now that Bud's dead. He swears he only took money once for gambling debts. But the letter instructed her to warn Ken that if he doesn't give her everything she wants, she's going to the police."

Angie shook her head. "I can't believe this."

"If there's some way we could prove that Bud knew about it and had given Ken an alternative, then it wouldn't be embezzlement. Otherwise," Sandy choked on a sob, "Ken will probably go to jail."

Angie snapped her fingers and hurried to the computer.

Sandy jerked her head around and followed Angie. "What are you doing?"

"This might be a futile search, as I know nothing about accounting. But let's see if Bud entered anything in the books that might explain Ken's debt. Maybe between the two of us, we can spot it."

"I don't understand what we're looking at," Sandy said, watching the monitor as Angie reviewed pages filled with columns of numbers.

"Original records of the company. It's a long story. I'll explain it later. Right now, pull up a chair and let's go through these entries."

"Good Lord, how many are there?" Sandy asked, scooting up a chair and watching Angie scroll through the pages.

"At least three years worth. Probably a jillion figures we'll need to decipher."

"We'll be brain dead by morning," Sandy said, trying to get comfortable in the hard-backed chair.

Chapter Twenty-nine

When Tom walked into his office at six-thirty the next morning, he found Cliff, coffee cup in hand, staring out the window. "Good morning. You look ready to go."

Cliff raised his cup in a salute. "Want a cup?"

Tom checked his watch. "Sure, we have a few minutes."

Cliff filled a mug for him, then sat on the corner of the desk. "Really didn't sleep that well. You got me to thinking."

"I know what you mean. This case has taken on quite a twist."

"Let's just pray we're not too late."

"Got the search warrant?"

Cliff patted his jacket pocket. "Yep. Ready to go?"

Tom left his unfinished coffee on the desk. On the way out, he called for a backup.

The two detectives pulled up in front of the Conners' home, followed by the black and white. Just as Tom started to ring the bell, the door flew open and his eyes met Autumn Conners' furious glare. "What do you want now? You know it doesn't look good for you to keep coming around here. Neighbors are going to start wondering what's going on."

Cliff pushed on the door, but Autumn kept a tight grip, not letting it swing open. He pulled the warrant from his pocket. "Mrs. Conners, we're coming in whether you like it or not."

Her eyes narrowed, then her gaze dropped to the paper. "What's that?"

"A search warrant."

"You've already been through once, right after Ryan died."

"We need to look some more."

Her hand dropped from the door and she stepped back, clutching a gray shawl tightly around her shoulders. "I guess I can't stop you."

"I don't think it would be wise," Tom said, leading the way into the house.

Cliff motioned for the two officers to stay outside until further notice.

The two little girls were playing on the floor, but moved to their mother's side. Tom noticed their sunken eyes and pale gray skin as they stared up at him. These children aren't healthy, he thought. No rosy cheeks on these two little girls. He wondered if they ever got out of this stinking house and played outside.

The mornings were chilly, yet there appeared to be no heat in the house. The floors were barren of rugs and he felt a draft on his feet. Yet, these two little girls were barefooted. "We'd appreciate it if you'd keep the children in the living room while we search the rest of the house."

"What are you looking for?" Autumn asked curtly.

"Not sure, but we'll know when we see it."

Cliff had already meandered down the short hallway. Tom followed him into the master bedroom. The sheets on the unmade bed were dingy and looked like they hadn't been changed in some time. An odor of dirty clothes hung in the air. The two detectives glanced at one another. Cliff pointed to a closed door across the hall.

"You start there, I'll begin in here."

Tom tried the door, but it wouldn't open. He walked back to the living room. "Mrs. Conners, would you unlock this door?" he asked, pointing to the room.

Unsmiling, she scurried past him. "That's where my computer is. Why do you need to go in there? I keep it locked so the girls won't mess with it."

Trying not to lose his patience, he repeated firmly, "Open the door, Mrs. Conners."

Exhaling loudly, she pulled a key from her pocket and inserted it. She flung open the door and stared at Tom intently as he walked into the room. A much neater area, he thought. And it doesn't smell. Strange she'd keep this room cleaner than the rest of the house. Noticing only one computer, he glanced at Autumn. "Is this your personal computer?"

"Yes."

"Did Ryan use it too?

"Only once or twice."

"What do you use it for?"

Her mouth turned down in a frown. "I don't think that's any of your business."

"Mrs. Conners, I'm making it my business and even if you don't want to tell me, I'm going to find out anyway."

She threw her head back, turned abruptly on her heel and left the room.

Tom went to the computer and flipped it on. Several unnamed folders popped up on the desktop. He clicked on them several times, but none opened. The hard drive also contained several locked folders. It reminded him of Bud's computer. He stuck his head out the door and called, "Cliff, come here."

Cliff studied the screen and tried his hand at opening the files. When he didn't succeed, he called for Mrs. Conners. "Would you open these folders for us?"

She shook her head. "Certainly not, those are my personal files."

Cliff shrugged. "Okay, guess we'll have to confiscate this computer." He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and called for the police van.

Autumn Conners' eyes narrowed to slits. "How dare you. My computer has nothing to do with your murder investigation. I'm trying to get a job and you'll ruin my chances if you take it."

"Then make it easy for both of us." Cliff pointed at the screen. "Open them."

She made a motion as if spitting at Cliff. "Go to hell." With that, she took her two children and went outside. He ambled into the living room and watched through the window as she sped down the street in her new BMW. The man tailing her pulled out from an alley half-way down the block.

Cliff went back into the computer room, removed his hat to scratch his head, then slapped it back on his head. "Man, if looks could kill, I'd be dead. That is one mean woman."

While Tom removed the plugs from the back of the computer, Cliff searched the cabinets and packed any disks he found into a box. "Well, well, well, look what we have here."

Tom stopped and glanced down at the tissue-size box Cliff pointed to. "What's that?"

"Micro X-AM, unisize (6-8 1/2)"

"What the hell is that?"

"Latex Examination Gloves, Style 888."

Cliff pulled a clean plastic bag from his pocket and knelt down in front of the cabinet, carefully pushing the box with a pencil until it slid off the shelf into the bag. "She sure as hell didn't use these for cleaning purposes."

Tom smirked. "Yeah, that's damned obvious."

When the van arrived, the detectives put the officers to work, loading the computer and paraphernalia into the van while they completed their search of the house.

Cliff finished going through the kitchen and walked back to the master bathroom where he found Tom, wearing latex gloves, examining containers in the opened medicine cabinet. His expression grim, he seemed to be studying one large bottle for several seconds.

"What is it?" Cliff said, squinting to read the label.

"Phenobarbital."

Cliff raised his brows. "Who's the prescription for?"

"Season Conners. I'm assuming that's one of the little girls. She might have a seizure problem."

"Damn," Cliff said. "I wonder if those kids are quiet because of medication. The bottle's almost empty. When was it prescribed?"

Tom gave him a knowing look. "The day before Bud died." He removed a plastic bag from his pocket and carefully placed the bottle inside.

Cliff took the bag and held it up. "Let's hope the goddamn bottle is covered with fingerprints."

*****

Sandy lay on the couch with her eyes half-closed. The women had taken turns going through the files, jotting down entries that looked suspicious so they could have Tom, Cliff or the auditor decipher their meanings.

Suddenly, Angie shouted. "Sandy, I think I've found something!"

*****

Autumn slowed down as she came to a stop sign. Her insides trembled with anger. But she mustn't lose control. Keep cool. A bunch of dummy cops invading her privacy. Did they think for one minute they'd be able to open her files on the computer? In college she'd stunned them all with her knowledge of the technology. Even Bud Nevers had taken her idea and used it. But he never paid her enough for its worth. Big deal, a little check each month for whatever they sold. She'd tried to tell him she could work at home and do lots of things for them on the computer, but he vetoed that idea. He wanted his employees at the big building. Said it helped morale and made for one big happy family.

What the hell did he know about family? His prissy little wife in a big mansion, surrounded by a big wall and guarded gate. Housekeepers and garden muckers to keep the place nice. Well, what they needed were a couple of kids to drive them nuts.

She glanced in the rear-view mirror at her two little girls in their car seats. "Ain't that right, my little ragamuffins?" Both girls nodded and laughed. "Well, you just wait, Mama's going to see to it that we don't live like scum forever. I've got it all planned and no one's getting in our way. Your dad was a chicken, but we didn't need him anyway. Mr. Weber will help us out." A sly grin curled the edges of her mouth. She glanced back into the mirror again. "Do you little munchkins like our new car?"

"Yeah, mommy, it's really pretty," they said in unison.

Suddenly, she noticed the car behind her. Her eyes narrowed. "Damn tail. Hope he enjoys going to McDonald's for breakfast."

Chapter Thirty

Cliff followed Tom into his office. "Think you can get that computer whiz to help us again?"

Tom nodded as he picked up his messages. "No problem. I'll get right on it. But first," he waved one of the slips of paper, "I want to return John Graves' call."

"I'll be right back." Cliff headed down the hall to the men's room. When he returned, Tom had just hung up. Cliff closed the door and pulled a chair up to the desk. "So what'd he want?"

"To let me know that the company would be willing to take on the Nevers auditing case for twenty-five thousand dollars."

Cliff raised his brows and let out a whistle. "What are they going to do, use gold pens?"

Tom grinned. "No, but it would involve Holmes & Goode going to each of the companies that did business with Nevers and collecting their invoices so they could compare them to the entries in the records. Very time consuming and costly."

"Yeah, that would definitely take time." Cliff stuck his little finger in his ear and wiggled it. "But you know what still bothers me?"

"No, what?"

"How the hell did Bud's computer get changed? Did Weber know his didn't have the original records in it? Both those guys had separate lines into their offices. Whoever changed them had to know something about computers and how to get into them."

"Good question. Bud's could have been changed the night he was murdered. Think I'll give Ken a call." Suddenly, Tom got up and went to a file where he pulled out a long white envelope.

"Something clicked, huh?" Cliff said, his mouth twitching.

Tom pulled out what looked like six credit cards. "Found these in Ryan's desk drawer. I just figured they were keys to his office and they change the code on them about every six months. I didn't think a lot about it until just now. Bet a couple of these would fit Bud's and Ken's office doors."

Cliff frowned. "Yeah, but I'm sure the codes were changed after the murder. Any idea who does the work?"

Studying the cards, Tom slid one over to Cliff. "Yeah, there on the bottom, KeyTech." Tom pulled out the phone directory and found the company. "Couldn't be easier. They're located right downtown on Balsom Avenue." He quickly noted the address on a slip of paper.

Checking his watch, Cliff stood and put out his hand. "Give me the address and those keys. I've got time to get there before they close. Call them. Make sure the boss stays around in case I get into traffic. While I'm gone, give Weber a call."

Tom picked up the phone as Cliff bounded out the door.

After notifying KeyTech, Tom placed a call to Ken Weber.

"Hello, Ken. This is Tom. I need to ask you a couple of questions."

"Sure, shoot."

"I know you have the accounting files on your computer at work. Do you recall seeing an ABC Wafer Company listed?" Tom could hear Ken repeating, "ABC Wafer...."

"You know Tom, it sounds familiar, but I don't remember seeing it."

Tom raised an eyebrow. "But you said you knew about the dummy company?"

"Yeah, but I didn't know what it was called."

"Okay. I understand. Before Ryan's death, did you ever notice any changes in the accounting system?"

"I have to really study those files. Concentrating on rows of figures is not my thing. If there were any changes, I never spotted them."

"So you're saying you pretty much trusted Conners to do the right thing?"

"Not really, but I couldn't catch him. When he discovered I'd taken that money, he immediately turned me in to Bud. He probably breathed a sigh of relief, figuring I'd be his fall guy for all the money he'd embezzled. And with Bud dead, it would just be my word against the accountant's."

Tom shifted in his seat, knowing this would be hard to prove for Ken. He could still be in hot water. "I notice the company has security on all the doors of the building. Does each person have his own code?"

"Oh yeah."

"Could your office be entered without your knowledge?"

"Easily."

"Why's that?"

"Because I seldom closed my door. The security keys were mostly for night after everyone left. I didn't have anything in the office that I worried about, and I always left my card on the desk. In fact, I had them make me an extra one."

"How did Bud feel about that?"

"Oh, he did the same thing. We were always misplacing our cards. We didn't keep stuff that required security in our offices. True, we didn't want any of our ideas stolen; but they were kept in a different area where we installed high security."

"That pretty much solves that problem," Tom mumbled.

"What did you say?" Ken asked.

"Nothing, not important. Thanks, Ken, I'll keep in touch."

"Wait, have you found anything in the records that might clear me of embezzlement?"

"Not yet, but we'll keep looking."

Ken let out a long sigh. "I told Sandy I'd talked to you. Told her everything. I pray she'll forgive me."

"Give her time. She's going through a lot right now."

"Thanks, for all you're doing."

Tom had barely hung up when the phone rang. Figuring it to be Cliff, he answered. "Yeah."

"Tom, is that you? This is Angie."

He felt a warm flush fill his cheeks. "Oh, sorry about that. I expected a call from Cliff."

"I won't keep you. Just glad I caught you before you left. Do you think you could drop by? I think we've found something in the accounting records that will clear Ken."

"Hold on to it. But it will probably be an hour or a little longer before I can get away."

"That will be fine. Don't eat and we'll have something here."

"Sounds great."

It dawned on Tom that he hadn't contacted his computer man. Locating William Bird's card in his Rolodex, he set up an appointment for the following morning. Then he leaned back in his chair, exhaled and wondered what Autumn Conners would be doing about now. He called his tail man.

"She went to McDonald's this morning, returned to the house after you guys left and hasn't left since."

"Anyone come to her place?" Tom asked.

"This is either the loneliest woman I've ever seen or else she doesn't want company. No one comes or goes from that household except her and those two little girls. In fact, those two kids don't even play outside, even though her back is fenced. I don't get it."

"Neither do I. She's a strange one. Just keep your eyes open. She may be laying low for awhile."

"Will do."

Tom pulled the Nevers and Conners files and sat down at his desk. His inner sense still nagged him. He knew there was still something he had overlooked. It had to be something right in front of his eyes, but what? It was eating away at him.

By the time Cliff returned, he'd reread both files. They exchanged their findings and agreed that from what Ken had told Tom, it was anyone's guess who got at the computers.

"I can tell your intuition is still bugging you," Cliff said, eyeing the files.

Tom nodded. "There's something right here in front of me, but I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it will pop up in my dreams tonight."

"It'll hit you in the middle of the night. Please wait until morning before you call me." Cliff yawned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yep. I'm ready for a good night's sleep myself."

"Let's call it a day. I'm dropping by Angie Nevers' place. She found something on the computer she wants me to see." The two men ambled down the hallway.

Cliff cocked his head and looked at Tom out of the corner of his eye. "Gettin' awful cozy with that woman. You got the hots for her?"

Tom cuffed him playfully on the shoulder. "Now what makes you say something like that? I'm the detective working on the case. Who else is she going to call?"

Cliff threw back his shoulders and stuck his thumb to his chest. "Why, me, of course. I'd love to have all those home-cooked meals."

Tom chuckled all the way to his car.

*****

Melinda paced her small apartment, smoking one cigarette after another. Her boyfriend, Tony, sat on the couch, his dirty bare feet resting on the coffee table. He took a big gulp of beer and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth. "Ah, come on Melinda. What's eating you anyway?"

"Shut up, Tony. I've got to think."

"You've been neglecting my wants for several nights now. Come on baby, let's go to bed."

She flipped her head around and glared at him.

He put a hand up in defense. "Whoa, baby. Don't look at me like that. Those eyes of yours are mean."

"I'm worried about the future. Certainly more than you are."

He dropped his feet to the floor and went after her, grabbing her arm. "Hey, don't talk to me like that."

She yanked away from him and flinched. "That's my sore arm. Don't ever take hold of me like that again."

He let go, looking downcast. "Sorry, I forgot."

"You forget a lot of things. Like, getting a job? Where are we going to get the rent?"

"I'll get it." Then he looked at her, puzzled. "Thought you were going to have some money coming in?"

She let out a loud sigh. "Me too. Things aren't working out. Why don't you go to bed and let me think."

He tossed the empty beer bottle into the trash and disappeared into the bedroom. What a loser, she thought, closing the door so she wouldn't have to listen to his snores. I've got to get rid of him.

She sat down on the couch and dialed the phone in her lap. "Mom, don't hang up. I need to talk to you."

"I have nothing to say to you, Melinda. You're evil."

Melinda narrowed her eyes and bit her lip. "Look, I don't want to argue. All I want to know is, who is my father?"

"Why, so you can cause more people pain? Haven't you caused enough problems?"

"Mom, I'm coming out there."

"I won't let you in. You know what Mrs. Nevers said. She'll call the police. So I wouldn't try it."

"Then meet me somewhere. It's not fair for a girl not to know who her daddy is." Melinda's hand gripped into a fist. "And you know, don't you?"

"He's dead as far as you're concerned. Don't call me about this anymore."

Melinda heard the click and then the dial tone. She tossed the phone off her lap and onto the floor. "Damn her! She knows he's alive and well. She's lying to me again."

A muffled voice came from the bedroom. "Hey, hold it down in there."

She made a face, lifted her hand in the air, middle finger extended, and gestured toward the door.

Chapter Thirty-one

The weariness of work lifted as Tom looked forward to the evening. He waved at the officer as the Nevers' gate swung open. What had Angie found in the records? Or was it possible she just wanted to see him? God, how he wished.

He shook his head at his wishful thinking, put out his cigar in the ashtray and brushed the loose ashes from his jacket as he got out of the car. The cool evening energized him, so he took the steps two at a time and rang the doorbell. Angie smiled when she opened the door and immediately took him by the arm.

"Sandy could hardly wait for you to get here." She led him straight to the study. "I've already got the computer on and the file opened that we want you to see." She pushed him down in the chair in front of the monitor and pointed to an entry. Sandy stood behind him, wringing her hands.

Tom ran his finger across the monitor. "Company loan to Ken Weber, forty thousand dollars." A smile curled his lips. "I think you gals have just cleared Ken. We ran a check on his gambling and since this date, he hasn't acquired any more debts. Everything is falling together."

Sandy stared at the monitor, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Thank you, God," she whispered. Then she straightened. "Tom, can I call Ken?"

He turned and looked at a smiling Sandy, who'd just thrown a knitted dark-colored coverlet around her shoulders.

His shocked expression made her step back and frown. "Is something wrong?"

He jumped up. "No, no. Excuse me while I use the phone in the kitchen." Without waiting for Angie's permission, he dashed from the room, only to find Marty putting dinner together.

Damn, he thought, and hurried onto the front porch to make his call from the cell phone. When he finished, he returned inside. "Angie, I've got to leave."

"But what about dinner?" she asked, surprised.

"If I can get away in an hour, I'll be back. Otherwise, don't wait for me." He headed for the door, with Angie at his heels.

"Can Sandy call Ken and tell him what we've found?"

He stopped on the way down the porch steps. "Yeah, let her call him."

She watched him thoughtfully as he jumped in his car and sped over the crest.

On the way to the police station to meet Cliff, Tom called the surveillance man he had on Autumn Conners, who assured him that she had not left her home since this morning.

Cliff stood on the curb outside the police station and hopped into the car before Tom came to a complete stop. "What hunch hit you now?"

Tom sped away from the curb. "I told you something had been nagging me for days. Well, it hit me like a bolt of lightning when Sandy threw a shawl over her shoulders at Angie's house."

"I'm not following you."

"Do you recall that every time we go to the Conners' house, Autumn has that dark gray shawl over her shoulders?"

"Yeah."

"The fibers found under Ryan's fingernails were from a dark wool material?"

"True. But any lawyer could tear that apart. She's his wife."

"I know that's a risk, but what if Ryan's blood or bits of brain matter is found on that shawl?"

"Hey, now you're talking. Let's get over there before she decides to send the thing to the cleaners."

"Fat chance of that," Tom chuckled.

Cliff nodded, smirking. "You've got a point. Blood and guts wouldn't bother that woman." He shifted in his seat, turning toward Tom. "You know, I've been thinking about Bud's murder. No one saw Bud after the golf game. Do you think he had an appointment with Ryan over the books?"

Tom nodded. "We know Bud talked to Ryan at work about the ABC Wafer Company. I figure on that Saturday, Conners somehow contacted Bud and convinced him to come to his house so they could discuss the matter. Bud, thinking it would take only a few minutes, drove over. He didn't carry his cell phone on the golf course, so he had no way of contacting Angie to let her know he'd be a few minutes late."

"Makes sense so far." Cliff scratched his sideburn. "But no one saw Bud talking to anyone."

"Ryan could have been in the parking lot in his car. No one would have paid any attention to two men chatting around a car. Then Bud followed him out of the lot without anyone suspecting a thing."

"Yeah. I could see that happening." Cliff rubbed his chin. "But how did they drug him?"

"Good question."

Cliff stared out the window. "They could have knocked him out, then injected him. The condition of his body would have made it pretty damn hard to find a needle prick or a bruise not caused by the wreck."

Tom frowned. "True. And the coroner's report confirmed he was unconscious when the car hit that tree."

"Sounds like the act of a cold-hearted, desperate person."

Stopping the car in front of the Conners' house, Tom stared at the front door. "Yeah, it sure does."

"That BMW is still shining," Cliff commented as he climbed out of the car. "But it won't stay that way long." Tom followed at Cliff's heels as they headed up the sidewalk.

The two detectives stood side by side as Autumn opened the door a few inches.

"What the hell do you want now? Haven't you disrupted my life enough?"

Cliff pushed his face close to the crack. "Let us in, Mrs. Conners, I don't want to break in the door."

She closed and rattled the chain guard, then opened the door with a jerk. Stepping back, she glared at the two men as they entered the house.

Tom glanced at her as she clung to the dark gray shawl around her shoulders. Then he glanced around the living room where the television glowed, giving off the only light in the house. "Where are the children?"

"They're in bed. Where do you think two young babies should be at this hour?"

Neither man responded to her sarcastic remark. Instead, they walked around the house. Cliff checked the kitchen while Tom went down the hall, peering into each of the cold rooms. When he came to the little girl's room, he found them asleep under dirty covers. He shook his head in disgust.

When the two men came back into the living room, Autumn still stood by the front door, tapping her foot. "Well, are you satisfied?"

Tom crossed the room and stood in front of her. "Not yet, Mrs. Conners. We need one more thing, then we'll leave." He pulled a large plastic bag from his pocket.

Her eyes grew wide when he pulled the shawl from her shoulders and carefully tucked it into the sack.

"What the hell are you doing?" She reached for the sack, but Tom jerked it out of her reach.

Cliff stepped forward. "Our warrant is still good, Mrs. Conners. We might return your shawl after we run some tests. If it turns out clean." He took the bag from Tom and walked out the front door.

Tom stared into Autumn's face as she hugged herself. "I'd advise you not to leave the area, Mrs. Conners. I have a man watching your house."

Her eyes narrowed. "As if I didn't know I have a tail."

Tom shrugged and went out the door, slamming it behind him. He heard the rattle of the chain as he sucked in a deep breath of fresh air and stepped off the porch.

*****

Sandy hung up the phone and glanced at Angie. "Do you mind if Ken comes over?"

"No, of course not." Angie studied Sandy's face. "Are you going home with him?"

She bit her lower lip. "I don't know, but I'm sure he'll want me to."

Angie walked over and put an arm around Sandy's shoulders, giving her a hug. "Wait until you see and talk to him. Then make a decision. But I have a feeling you'll see the old Ken again."

"How I pray you're right. I've been so worried."

"We have no way of knowing how these accusations have affected Ken. And it still might be best that you stay here for another day or two. But, I'm leaving that up to you. You know you're welcome."

Marty came into the study. "Excuse me, Mrs. Nevers. How much longer do you want to hold dinner?"

Angie glanced at Sandy. "Do you think Ken would like to eat with us? It doesn't look like Tom is going to make it back."

"I'm sure he'd enjoy it very much."

"Give us another ten minutes."

Marty nodded and left.

*****

Ken felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Sandy's voice alone had reassured him, but the news she brought made him feel exuberant. He pledged to himself and God above that he would never strike his wife or daughters again. He prayed for words that would convince Sandy of his promise so she'd come home.

When Ken pulled up to the Nevers' property and gave his name, the officer looked at him suspiciously.

"It's okay, Officer. Just contact Mrs. Nevers. She'll confirm I'm expected."

The officer didn't take his eyes off Ken as he dialed the house. Then he stood in the center of the road watching Ken drive toward the house as the gates slowly closed. Suddenly, a small car screeched past him, the bumper clipping his leg as it slipped through the small opening. Crying out in agony, the officer fell to the ground.

Chapter Thirty-two

His mind elsewhere, Ken almost didn't see the car that sped past him as he crested the hill. "What the hell?" Hitting the accelerator, he followed the vehicle to the house, pulling up sharply behind it.

He jumped out and started toward the Toyota. But, to his amazement, a tall blond woman leaped from the driver's seat. Grabbing her arm, he whirled her around, then stood mesmerized as he gazed into her eyes. "Dear God!" He loosened his grip on her arm and stepped back. "Who are you?"

"Melinda Smith, so what's it to you?"

A tree nearby rustled in the breeze and Ken didn't realize a branch had cast a shadow across his face so that Melinda couldn't see his eyes. She turned on her heel and hurried up the stairs to the big house. An uneasy feeling cut through Ken that Sandy might have called her. He followed close behind.

When Angie opened the door, sheer shock crossed her face. "How'd you get in here? I'm calling the police." Then she spotted Ken standing behind Melinda. "Did you bring her here?"

He stepped forward. "No, she sped past me on the road."

Sandy rushed up behind Angie, but stopped abruptly, putting a hand to her mouth.

Ken pushed past Melinda to Sandy's side and put an arm around her shoulders. "Did you ask her to come?"

She shook her head.

Ken stared into Melinda's face. "Why are you here?"

She looked at Ken and sucked in her breath, her face turned ashen. "Who are you?"

"I'm Ken Weber and this is my wife Sandy."

"Do you know Marty Casale?"

"Yes."

At that moment, two police cars, lights flashing and sirens wailing, appeared over the crest.

*****

Tom left Cliff with the responsibility of getting the shawl sent to the lab and headed back to the Nevers' place. At the gate, he found emergency vehicles with lights flashing. He jumped out of his car just as they were loading an officer into the ambulance.

"What the hell happened?"

"It's not life-threatening, but looks like a bad injury to the hip area." After the paramedics filled him in on the incident, Tom jumped back into his car and sped toward the house. Who would force their way onto the property?

When Tom reached the house, two police cars were parked in front, their top lights still blinking. A congregation of people stood on the porch. Two officers stood on each side of a tall blond woman. "Melinda," he muttered, running up the steps.

Angie met him as he hit the landing. "Tom, what happened at the gate?

"Melinda forced her way in and bounced the officer off her fender.

"Is he all right?"

"Looks like a hip injury, but he'll be okay." Tom pointed at Melinda. "Why did she want in here so bad?"

"I'm not sure," Angie said.

Marty stood behind them, wringing her hands.

"I can only think of one thing, that she wanted to pump either me or Marty about her father. But the shocked look on her face when she saw Ken tells me she got her answer."

"Well, I don't think you're going to have to worry about her bothering you anymore. This hit-and-run stunt will probably cost her jail time."

The group watched silently as the officers snapped the handcuffs onto Melinda's wrists and marched her off to the police car.

Marty wiped the corner of her eyes with her apron and disappeared into the house. Angie motioned for everyone to come inside. They congregated in the study and Tom stepped behind the wet bar.

"This has been quite a night. Anyone care for a drink?"

After Tom prepared cocktails for everyone, he raised his glass high. "To you, Ken. Welcome back."

Ken smiled and lifted his glass. "To you, Tom, for helping me out of a big mess."

About that time, Marty poked her head inside the study door. "If I have to warm this dinner up again, it won't be worth eating."

Everyone laughed and proceeded to the dining room table. During dinner, Angie turned to Tom. "What did Sandy do this afternoon that made you leave so quickly?"

Tom put his fork down and dabbed his mouth with a napkin. "I can't tell you until I have proof my hunch is right. However, I will tell you that something had nagged me for days and I couldn't put my finger on it until this afternoon."

Angie rolled her eyes. "Oh, thanks. That really told us a lot."

Tom laughed. "In a few days I'll be able to tell you more."

*****

The next day, Tom walked into the small room at the police station that had been set aside for William Bird to work on Autumn Conners' computer. He found the man hunched over the keyboard with a furrowed brow.

"Problems?"

Bird glanced up and slumped back in the chair, tapping his pencil on the desk. "Damn. Whoever locked these files didn't intend anyone to get into them. Can you tell me something about this person? Maybe it will give me a hint."

Tom scooted a chair up to the desk and related all he knew about Autumn, except her name. Bird raised his brows when Tom told him about her computer knowledge, where she'd graduated from college and what year. "Does any of this information help?"

"Yes, definitely. Check back with me in a couple of hours. I want to try a different approach."

Tom went back to his office and found Cliff thumbing through the Conners murder file.

Cliff glanced up. "How's the computer guy doing?"

"Hit a brick wall. Can't get those files open."

"Figures. I did a background check on Mrs. Conners."

Tom took off his jacket and draped it across the back of the chair. "Yeah? What'd you come up with?"

"That little lady is no slouch when it comes to computers. And I might add, she has a good knowledge of guns. More so than her husband in both subjects."

His interest piqued, Tom sat down. "Tell me."

"I reached one of her professors in college. He told me that she developed a system for locking files on a computer that no one could break. The class tried to get her to confess the secret, but she never did. She got cocky and figured she had the computer game whipped. The professor tried to convince her to keep working at perfecting the system she'd designed, but she felt it wouldn't be necessary, that no one would be able to break her code."

"Yeah, Bird's discovered that."

"Think he'll be able to break it?"

"Only time will tell. Now, what about the gun thing?"

"Turns out she applied for the tryouts on the Olympic shooting team."

Tom screwed up his mouth. "Autumn Conners? You're kidding."

"Nope." He pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket. "Five years ago."

"How did she qualify?"

"When she was a kid, her dad used to take her shooting. Had her in all kinds of gun classes. She always finished as the number one marksman. A title she hated. Said it should be called 'markswoman.'"

Tom nodded. "Figures."

"Another little interesting tidbit. Finally found an acquaintance of Autumn Conners. She asked me not to call her a friend, as she didn't care for the woman. About six months ago, she said Autumn jokingly told her that she and Ryan were going to get what they deserved from the Nevers company, even if it meant murder."

"What a strange thing to say to a friend."

"Yep, my thoughts exactly."

About that time, William Bird stuck his head inside the door, a big smile on his lips. "I've cracked the code."

Both detectives jumped to their feet and followed him down the hall. When they entered the room, Tom headed straight for the humming printer and sorted the sheets of paper. He and Cliff sat down at the corner table and concentrated on the documents. Bird continued to click the Print button.

Before long, with a grim expression, Tom glanced at Cliff. "I think we've found our murderer."

Chapter Thirty-three

Cliff had put a rush on the analysis of the shawl and the results came in two days. He scanned the pages quickly, then hurried down the hall to Tom's office and handed him the report. "Your hunch paid off. Ryan's blood and brain remnants were found on Autumn's shawl."

Tom shoved back his chair and shrugged into his jacket. "Okay, let's go." On the way down the hall, he told one of the assistants to get Child Services to meet them at the Conners' residence."

Autumn Conners, wrapped in a dirty blanket, sat huddled in the corner of her couch. She stared at the officers taking her two children from the room as Detective Hoffman read her rights. Then her gaze moved back to Hoffman, locking on his face.

"Do you understand your rights?"

She nodded.

"Would you like a lawyer present?"

Shaking her head, she squinted at him. "Why do I need a lawyer?"

"You're going to be charged for the murder of Bud Nevers and your husband, Ryan Conners."

Her body jerked. "That's crazy," she hissed.

For the first time, Tom noticed fear in her eyes. "Your computer files prove that you and Ryan planned the murder of Bud Nevers."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're only trying to scare me. No one can open my files."

Cliff stepped forward with a sheet of paper in his hand. "They've been opened, Mrs. Conners."

"I don't believe you. You're lying and it won't work." She turned her back to him and pulled the blanket closer to her body.

He began to read from the paper. "Bud Nevers must die a death that looks accidental. Ryan, make all computers at the company read the same, get rid of original records. Lure Bud Nevers to the house, knock him out, inject him with phenobarb. Wear latex gloves. Make sure the Porsche's gas tank is only half-full, drive the car to the hill and push it over the cliff. No evidence will remain on the burned body."

Autumn slowly shifted her eyes toward him, her mouth pulled down in a tight frown. "How dare you. Invading my privacy rights. No one gets into my computer."

Cliff straightened his hat. "Mrs. Conners, your technology is over five years old, which makes it obsolete in the computer world. I'm surprised that you didn't realize that, since you claim to be so computer savvy."

"Why'd you kill your husband?" Tom intervened.

"I didn't," she said, hitting the sofa arm with her fist. "He turned weak and couldn't stand the pressure. When the police started questioning him, he caved in and shot himself."

"Why was the gun on his right side when he's left-handed?"

"He was ambidextrous."

Cliff stared at her. "Explain why fibers from your shawl were under his fingernails and how his brain matter got splattered over the fabric. The man's brains didn't leak out his ears at night, Mrs. Conners. You shot your husband so he wouldn't squeal on you."

"Lies! Lies!" she screamed. "And what have you done with my babies?"

Tom couldn't believe his ears. "You should have thought about that a long time ago. They'll be well taken care of, believe me. Better than living in this pigsty."

Cliff motioned to the two officers in the room. "Get her out of here and book her for murder."

"I'm not going to rot in prison." She suddenly flipped back the blanket, exposing the barrel of a handgun pointed directly at Tom. Before he could react, she let go with two shots.

Tom went down. Before she could turn the gun on Cliff, shots echoed from every corner of the room. Cliff and the officers had turned their guns on Autumn. She slumped to the floor, dead, blood pooling from her body.

Cliff holstered his gun and knelt beside Tom. While hunting for a pulse, he shouted into his cell phone. "Officer down. Need ambulance immediately."

*****

Angie paced back and forth in the waiting room while Cliff sat in the corner resting his head in his hands. It had been three hours since they'd rushed Tom into surgery.

She stopped and looked at Cliff, then sat down beside him. She grasped his wrist with trembling fingers and spoke in an agonized voice. "Cliff, you saw what happened to Tom. How bad did it look?"

He patted her hand and took a deep breath. "Mean. But, he's a tough bastard, he'll make it. If for no other reason, he'll come through this for you."

She sighed and squeezed his hand. "I need to tell him how much he means to me."

He stood and looked deep into her eyes. "Do it as soon as you have the chance. Then I know he'll make it."

She nodded.

"I'm going for some coffee. Want some?"

"Yes, thank you."

After he disappeared down the hall, Angie leaned back in the chair. Yes, she knew what Cliff had left unsaid. She'd seen it in Tom's eyes when he looked at her. Could he see it in hers? Could it be possible to fall in love so soon after Bud's death? Or was she on the rebound? Was she strong enough to know the difference?

The pain of Cliff's words, only a few hours ago when he'd notified her about Tom getting shot, had surged through every fiber of her body. She didn't even recall driving to the hospital. Now the waiting was taking its toll. "Dear Lord, don't let him die," she whispered.

She wiped the tears from her eyes just as Cliff turned the corner into the room, carrying two Styrofoam cups of coffee. At the same moment, one of the surgeons pushed through the double doors, pulling off his mask and rubbing his forehead. Angie jumped to her feet.

"How is he, doctor?" Cliff asked.

"A lucky man. No vital organs were damaged other than the spleen, which we removed. But he can live fine without it. Some muscle and tissue damage. The bullet lodged in a rib, which probably saved his life. So far his vital signs look good, even though he's lost a lot of blood."

"Thank God." Cliff crossed himself and blinked back the tears of relief that welled in his eyes.

"When can we see him?" Angie asked.

"They'll be taking him down to recovery. But it will be several hours before they put him in a room. I'd suggest you go home and get some rest, then return in the morning. We'll know more then."

Early the next morning, Angie stood at the entrance of Tom's hospital room for a few moments before she walked quietly to his bedside. He looked so gaunt it made her heart race. A nurse moved to the opposite side of the bed and emptied a syringe of medication into the intravenous bottle. She checked the tubing that ran to the back of Tom's hand, then glanced up at Angie and smiled.

"He's so pale." Angie said. "Is he all right?"

"He's doing very well," she said, writing on his chart.

When Angie glanced down at Tom, his eyes were open, a grin curling the corners of his mouth. "You're the most beautiful thing I've seen in hours."

She reached over and gently pushed a wisp of hair out of his eyes. "How are you feeling?"

He took her hand. "Like hell, until I looked up and saw this angel standing over my bed."

Angie leaned down and kissed his cheek. "You look wonderful to me too."

*****

Two months later, Angie, Tom and Cliff gathered with Ken's family in the Webers' backyard. Chickens grilled on the spit, flavoring the air with a wonderful aroma. The twins were laughing with some of their friends on the opposite side of the yard. Ken pulled a huge bottle of champagne from a covered container filled with ice.

"I think it's time to celebrate," he said. "I'd like to make a toast to Tom and Cliff. Not only for surviving, but for sticking by me through this mess."

All raised their glasses.

"Thank you," Tom said. "Now I'd like to make an announcement. I've just asked Angie to marry me and she's accepted. We've set the date for three months from tonight."

Everyone cheered and congratulated the happy couple.

After the party, Angie and Tom left. In the car, Angie asked. "Whatever happened to the Conners' little girls?"

"You know, I figured one day you'd ask that question, so I've kept track of them. You'll be happy to know, they've both been adopted."

Angie raised her brow. "Together?"

"Yes." He put his arm around her and pulled her close. "Like us, at last together."

She smiled and snuggled her head against his shoulder. "Never to be separated."

The End