Page 111 of The Dollmaker

“Yes,” she said, extending her hand.

Without hesitation, he accepted it in a firm grip.

“Welcome,” he said.

She sensed he’d read a book on politeness and was ticking through bullet points. “Thank you, Mr.Andrews.”

Andrews guided them toward a bank of elevators, and when they were inside, he pressed the top floor. The computer expert made no effort at small talk, and Dakota, who had never mastered the skill, didn’t attempt it either.

When the doors opened, they followed Andrews along a carpeted hallway to a state-of-the-art computer lab. “I’ve cross-checked names of attendees you sent with a database,” Andrews said.

“And?” Dakota asked.

“Two of the men had a prison record. Larceny, drugs, no charges involving sexual assault or any predictors suggesting an escalation to murder.”

“Women are also capable of killing.”

“Agreed,” Andrews said. “So I had a look at anyone who might have had a mental-health issue.”

“That kind of information is now classified by the HIPAA law. How can you access this?” Tessa asked.

Andrews stared blankly at her. “If it’s connected to a computer, I can get to it.”

Judging by the equipment in the room, she had no doubt he had the digital world at his fingertips. “Good to know,” she said.

“What about people who were there and are now showing up during the course of this investigation?” Dakota asked.

“Diane, Elena, and I were there.” Tessa scanned the list shown on the large display screen. “Stanford Madison was there.”

“Madison?” Dakota said.

Andrews tapped computer keys. “I didn’t see his name.”

“He has a distinctive signature,” Tessa said. “It’s unreadable.”

Andrews pressed more keys and blew up the list. “It must be this one.”

She looked at the elaborate scroll swirling over what looked like mountain peaks. “That’s it. It’s how he signs his work. It’s supposed to be anSandM.”

“He was earning his master’s in art at the school you attended, correct?” Andrews asked.

“Yes,” Tessa said.

“Until a few days ago, Madison was preparing for an art show,” Dakota said. “After I paid him a visit, he tossed all his work in the trash and vanished. I’ve got a BOLO out on him.”

“Interesting,” Andrews said.

“He also knew my sister, as well as Tessa and Diane,” Dakota added.

“It sure shines a bright light on him, doesn’t it?” Andrews said.

“The evidence pointing to Madison feels heavy-handed,” Tessa said.

Andrews nodded. “If I wanted to frame someone, he would be the perfect choice.”

“You think he’s being framed?” Dakota challenged.

“I think it’s important to keep an open mind and not get tunnel vision based on personal bias,” Andrews countered.

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