“She was concerned about missing classes today. Doesn’t sound like someone likely to light out. Anyway, she says she has no other relatives. Where’s she going to go?”
“I suppose I know which assignment I get.”
Sam laughed harshly. “Well I’m not the young, good-looking one here.”
Jay rolled his eyes. “I doubt she sees me that way. Probably hates my guts by now.”
“I expect it’s more complicated than that. And you can change her mind.”
“Even if I don’t want to?”
“Are you sure you don’t?”
“I wish you’d stop answering questions with questions.”
Sam laughed. “Habit. Go play white knight, and then get some sleep. I’m going home and catch a few myself.”
Jay nodded reluctantly. Sarah Anne Martin was a pretty young woman and all the more dangerous to him for it. He went back to the room where they’d left her and found it empty, but as he walked back out in the corridor, an evidence specialist came toward him with the young woman beside him.
“Done?”
The evidence guy nodded.
“Did you get the pictures of her hands?”
Another curt nod before the man departed.
“I’m heading out,” Jay said to Sarah. “Where would you like me to drop you? Have you got friends or relatives you can stay with?”
She stopped and stared at him. “You’re not going to arrest me?”
“Not right now. You got any relatives you can stay with for a while?”
“No. Can’t I just go home?”
He shook his head. “The house is a crime scene.”
“But… I don’t know where else…” Dark semicircles smudged the skin beneath her eyes. She rubbed at a temple.
“There’s a hotel not too far from here.”
“I guess I’ll have to, but I don’t have clothes or anything.”
“Why don’t you go there and get some sleep, and I’ll have someone bring you some things.”
“Thank you. That’s kind of you, Detective.” She sounded exhausted.
He restrained an impulse to rub her tense shoulders and neck. She was a murder suspect. And he didn’t do the white knight thing anymore. He’d learned his lesson about the costs of trying to rescue maidens in distress. Learned it the hard way.
Jay drove her to the hotel and waited while she registered to be sure he knew her room number. She had no car and very little cash so the odds she’d be going anywhere were slim, but he gave the desk clerk his number and asked him to call if he saw her leave. Then he headed back to his apartment to grab a few hours of sleep. It would be another long day.
* * * *
Sarah’s cell phone buzzed almost as soon as she got inside the hotel room.
“Sarah?” Marc Capelli’s voice sounded rough. “I just heard about Dad. I can’t believe it. We’re all stunned. Are you all right? Were you there when it happened?”
Marc, the younger of Vince’s sons, was also by far the nicer of the two.
“Yes. I’m okay, but I just spent all night with the cops and I need some sleep.”
“Cripes. They didn’t arrest you or anything?”
“No. I’m not sure why not. I’m pretty sure they think I did it. In a way I did.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“I’m too tired right now, Marc. I’ll tell you later.”
“Okay. You need anything now?”
“Not at the moment.”
She hung up and took a quick hot shower to wash off the blood before she crawled between the covers.
A pounding on the door woke her several hours later. She hastily donned the jeans and sweater before she looked through the peephole. A uniformed cop held up a badge so she could see it. Was he here to arrest her? Sighing, she opened the door a crack.
“Miss Martin? I’ve got some clothes and things for you.” The young officer didn’t linger after he’d handed her the rolling case from her closet. Someone had stuffed a random assortment of underwear, jeans, shoes, and tops into it, but it was enough. She took another long hot shower, washed her hair, and dried it with the hotel’s dryer. By the time she finished it was after noon. She’d missed all her classes for the day.
She called Marc back and told him the entire story, including Vince’s words about the key. He was shocked, of course, and outraged.
“The police do realize you’re not guilty, right? They’re out looking for the real culprits?”
Sarah sighed. “I don’t know. I can’t tell if they believe me or not. But I do think they’re professional enough to investigate all possibilities.”
“Poor Dad. I still can’t believe it happened. It must have been hideous.”
“It was, believe me.”
“Why, though? I don’t understand why anyone would want to kill him.”
“That’s the question. I don’t think the cops have any idea, except that the intruders seemed to be searching for something. His office was all torn up.”
“Any idea if they found it?”
“No clue. But… Maybe they did. Would they have shot him, if they hadn’t?”
“Good question. God, I don’t believe this happened. What did he mean about a ‘key’?”
“I’ve no idea. I don’t have any keys that I can’t account for.”
Marc drew in a long, deep breath. “Very strange. Any idea when they’ll let us have the funeral?”
“You’d have to ask the cops about that.”
“What are you going to do now?”
“I don’t know yet. I’m just sitting down to think about it.”
“Keep in touch,” he said. “And if there’s anything I can do to help, don’t hesitate to ask.”
She thanked him and ended the call. The enormity of her situation hit her then. She had just enough savings to cover two more years at the community college and another two at a state university, without living expenses, but no job, few friends, and no place to live. No Vince to help her with problems, to listen to her, to…
Grief surged over her and swept her away on a tide of weeping. Vince had been too young to die. No one should have his life ended so suddenly and brutally. The scene in his office last night… She squeezed her eyes closed against the memory, pressing until colored stars filled her vision. Those shots hitting Vince would fill her dreams for a long time.
After a while the worst of it calmed. She wiped away tears and splashed cold water on her face. She had things to do.
A pad and pen sat on the bedside table. Sarah picked up the pen and began making a list. She needed to start planning for a future that had taken a radical change of direction. A new place to live went at the top of the list. Some place cheap. She’d have to look at her savings, too, and figure out how far the money could stretch. If she were careful, she might have enough to pay for living expenses for this year plus pay the next semester’s tuition school before she had to find a job. That would get her halfway to the associate degree with enough left to cover her tuition for the next three years if she could find a job