Читать книгу Murder At the Cubbyhole - Alice Zogg - Страница 8

R. A. Huber glanced up from her notes when Andi blew into her office like a whirlwind. The young woman crossed the room with a few long steps, placed her helmet at the opposite side of the desk from where Huber’s Staunton Rosewood chessboard was set up with the chessmen, and plopped into the client chair. Although Andi had intellectually grown in the last three years, she was hardly changed physically. Long-legged at 5’9” and weighing about 120 pounds, her wavy auburn hair cascaded down her shoulders in the same unruly way, and she still looked at the world with mischievous green eyes. As was typical for her, she was clad in jeans, a black leather jacket, and cowboy boots.

Andi said, “How you doin’, Mrs. Huber? I’m tickled pink about your lettin’ me help solve another case!”

“Studying seems to agree with you; you look great!”

“Thank you, ma’ am!”

Getting down to business Huber said, “Let me clue you in,” and told all she knew about the Megan Maguire killing, occasionally consulting her notes in order to go into more detail.

Andi listened carefully, and when her boss’s briefing came to a halt, asked, “So Megan’s folks are no longer here?”

“That’s right. They drove down to see their daughter perform, making a vacation trip out of the occasion. After the tragedy, they stayed in Southern California another ten days and then went home to Portland, taking their only child’s ashes along with them.”

Andi tried not to dwell on that sad picture and said, “I reckon the police checked where the orchid came from.”

“They certainly did, but it got them nowhere. The delivery person used a bogus florist name claiming he was from - -” she consulted her paperwork, “- - Champion Arrangements, dropping off flowers for Megan. It turns out that Champion Arrangements does not exist. The authorities investigated florists throughout Pasadena and beyond, but their inquiries dead-ended. Countless purchases of orchids were made all over Southern California on that Valentine’s Day weekend, so they could have been bought anywhere, and not just at a flower shop. Orchids are also available at supermarkets and places like Trader Joe’s around holidays, especially Valentine’s Day. For all we know, the villain could have grown them in his own backyard. And needless to say, the orchid deliverer was not identified.”

Huber absentmindedly lifted a white rook from its position on the chessboard, and twirling it around in her fingers, said, “According to the information given to Sergeant Wolf, the Cubbyhole was full to capacity the night of that performance; it was the play’s premiere. If the device was activated by a cell phone in the audience, conducting the investigation from that angle would be a waste of time.”

“I’ve lost you, boss.”

“The task to check out each and every person who sat in that theater would be impossible.”

“Gotcha!”

“And even if it was set off by a timer, there was nothing left of it to analyze.”

Andi said, “So are the police clueless as to suspects?”

“I wouldn’t say that. Their investigation is still on-going, but according to the Maguires, the police have not come up with any serious suspects yet.”

“It was murder, right?”

“Placing a bomb in the Cubbyhole would definitely suggest homicidal intent. The explosion was most likely meant to kill Megan and no one else, but it’s too early to jump to that conclusion.”

“I hear ya.”

Huber shoved a piece of paper across the desk, saying, “Here are the individuals the police have questioned. We’ll soon begin our own interviewing.”

Andi looked at the long list of names and addresses and asked, “Which ones are mine to tackle?”

“When are your semester finals over?”

“Not until next Wednesday, but I can - -”

“No, you can’t, Andi! Your education is top priority. I will conduct the investigation alone for the first few days. Then, by the end of next week, I’ll assign people for you to interview.”

Andi knew better than to argue the point.