Page 77 of Gone Too Far

“I am so grateful for your friend who came to my rescue,” Taylor said. “All these years since Father died, I never minded being alone. Never felt alone. I had my work. But then, after the ministroke and being forced to retire, I was lonely.”

Sadie produced a rare smile for the lady, who had become unexpectedly important to her. “If you hadn’t told me about the stroke, I would never have known. Asher never mentioned it.”

“Because he didn’t know. I didn’t want him to worry. It wasn’t such a bad one. Just a wake-up call the doctors identified as a TIA.”

“The intruder didn’t get beyond the living room; is that correct?” Sadie asked, steering the conversation back to the immediate issue. Naomi had told Barton this was the case, but now that the lady had calmed and regathered her wits, she might recall differently.

“He came in through the back door. When I walked into the kitchen to see what all the noise was, he pushed me down and plowed his way into the living room. By then your man was beating downthe door. The intruder whipped around and exited the same way he’d entered.”

Sadie nodded. “He didn’t attempt to restrain you or disable your phone?”

“He did cut the phone line outside. Otherwise, he seemed to be in a hurry to get upstairs. I can only imagine that he was after the notes in Asher’s room. There isn’t anything else of negotiable value.”

Something about the scenario didn’t quite fit. The intruder couldn’t have known how long it would take to find whatever he was looking for. He couldn’t have known that Naomi hated cell phones and only had the landline. He damned sure couldn’t know about the hidden notes upstairs.

Unless someone had briefed him on what to expect.

“Naomi, has anyone been in your home since Asher’s death or shortly before, besides Asher, myself, and the two detectives, Falco and Devlin, who visited you?”

A frown furrowed the older woman’s brow as she considered the question. “The day before I learned Asher had been murdered, the Alabama Power inspector came in to check my breaker box. There was some concern about the electrical meter, but all was well. I think it was the morning before ...” She shook her head. “No, no. I’m wrong. That would have been a Sunday. It was on Monday. Early. Around eight thirty or so, just before I got the awful news about Asher.”

“Did this man show you any sort of identification?”

“Of course. I would never have allowed him inside otherwise. What are you getting at, Sadie?”

“I’d like you to write down everything you remember about how this man looked and what he was wearing. While you do that, I’m going to have a look around.”

“Very well.” Naomi picked up the notepad and pen lying on the table next to her chair and set to the task.

Sadie started with Walsh’s room. One by one, she went through each upstairs space, checking all the typical places for bugs. Lampshades, smoke detectors, movable decor objects. Beneath tabletops. On light fixtures.

Nothing.

Downstairs she did the same.

Beneath the table next to Naomi’s chair was the first bug. When she retrieved it, Sadie put a finger to her lips to ensure Naomi said nothing.

“Did you finish up with your description?”

“Finishing now,” Naomi said with a nod. She focused on writing the description of the visitor as Sadie continued around the downstairs area. She found bug number two in the kitchen. At the kitchen sink, she ran a glass of water and dropped each device into the water. When she returned to the living room, Naomi looked astonished.

“You think the man who came by Monday morning claiming to be from the power company planted those devices?”

“I do. I don’t mind keeping twenty-four-hour surveillance on your home, but I’m not sure that’s enough to keep you safe. I’d feel a lot better if you’d allow me to set you up someplace to stay until this is over.”

“Really, I’m fine,” Naomi argued.

“I need all my resources. It would be better for my investigation if I could focus all those resources on finding out what happened to Asher.”

“Well, I certainly can’t argue with that.”

Sadie would bet money that was the first and only time this lawyer had ever said those words.

“I know just the place,” Sadie assured her.

A quick call to Doug Angelo, a friend she’d met through Pauley, and Naomi’s minivacation to an exclusive spa resort for seniors just south of Birmingham was in the works.

“Did your detective friends mention if they discovered anything at the warehouses?”

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