Page 36 of Every Deadly Suspicion

“Scott’s fiancée thought that he was writing a book about the Buckleys.”

“Really? I bet Scott was not happy about that. Marshall’s style is early American. Well, he earned his nickname Muckraker.”

“I can testify to that.”

Nathan turned and gave her a warm half smile. “You sure can. Let’s get inside the house.” He turned and Hanna followed.

“Wait, where is Edda’s car?” She remembered reading in thereports that the cars of the first two victims had also been missing when the bodies were found.

“We haven’t found it. DMV records told us that she has a red VW Bug.”

“Yeah, it’s a cute car. It fit Edda. Did you find the first two victims’ cars? I don’t remember the updates.”

“Not right away. The first victim’s car was found in a ditch near Oakdale, and the second victim’s car was found in a park-and-ride lot outside of San Francisco. So we expect Edda’s car will turn up sooner or later. There is a BOLO in the system.”

Hanna knew that none of the victims had any personal effects on them when they were found. No phones, purses, watches. All the info they had on the probable suspect came from computers and phone records.

They were able to get into Edda’s house because she kept a key under the back doormat. Her pup, Gizmo, a little Jack Russell terrier mix, was happy to see them. He needed to go out, so Hanna kept an eye on him while Nathan went in.

Gizmo ran around the yard for a few minutes, did his business, and then looked at Hanna expectantly. She took him back into the house, sticking just her head inside the door first.

“Clear to come in?” she called out to Nathan.

“Yes. Place is neat as a pin. There’s no crime scene here. She met the guy somewhere else.”

Hanna entered and went in search of dog food. She found the dog bowl and not much farther away was the food. She filled the bowl and watched the little dog attack it with gusto.

She looked around the little house. It was old and small; she’d grown up in a similar-type house. Two small bedrooms, one bath, small kitchen cut off from the rest of the house. While not many original structures from the gold rush period survived to thetwenty-first century, the basic footprint of them had. This little house was designed like an old mining cabin. Edda rented from Everett Buckley, which was a normal situation in Dry Oaks.

Everything was neat and homey. Pictures of her son throughout his life were everywhere. So were crochet pieces. Over the back of the sofa hung a beautiful blue, green, and gray crocheted blanket. Edda was known for the blankets she crocheted. Hanna had one of different shades of pink that was her favorite bedspread. Edda also made small blankets for newborns. She’d slowed down a bit after her son died. Hanna had assumed it was grief and that Edda would eventually recover.

Not now.

“Lord, help us find the man responsible for this, please,” Hanna prayed.

The dog finished eating and curled up on her foot. Chuckling, she bent down and picked him up. He snuggled into the crook of her arm.

“Looks like you found a friend.” Nathan held an evidence bag with Edda’s laptop in it under his arm.

“Yeah, I’d better be careful, or I’ll be fighting Mandy for this dog.”

“Maybe you should keep him.”

“Aren’t I always complaining about how busy my life is?”

He patted the dog’s head. “Doesn’t look like he’ll take up too much time or space.”

“Hmm.” The little guy certainly wasn’t very heavy. “Just the laptop?”

“Yeah, I’m looking for a journal. She has a whole row of journals in her room, dated, but the current month is missing.”

“Hmm.” For a few minutes, Hanna helped him search the small room. No journal to be found.

“Maybe it’s in her car or purse.”

Nathan nodded. “Possible. I’ve done all I can here. I need to get this laptop to the techies. I’ll wait outside for Manny.”

Together they walked out the front door.

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