more minutes on a more complete reconnaissance of the contents, such as it was. Land caught my eye as I watched the purse disappear, and I had a sneaking suspicion that he knew I’d checked out a few things. We’d grown to where we could read each other to a certain extent. He spoke so few words anyway that reading his posture and expressions was almost necessary to communicate.
Danvers turned and looked at me. “Did you know this woman? Land said something about her coming to visit you today?”
I looked at Land again. How could he have known that? I hadn’t mentioned the dead woman to him at all. Even so, I knew that Danvers would believe him over me, and so I opted to spill what little I knew.
“Her name was Mariel Mills. She was the dead health inspector’s sister. I went to talk to the Zoz family yesterday, but they’d moved away—rather quickly and with a lot of cash it would appear. No forwarding address. So I called the sister to find out what had happened. She said that she would meet me here today. And you know the rest.”
Danvers walked away from us for a moment. I could see him talking to the same tech who had received the purse from him a few minutes before. The tech shook her head violently, and I wondered what was going on. Danvers took a deep breath and headed back to us.
“The dead lady’s name is not Mills—or Mariel either. We interviewed Mariel Mills at the time of her sister’s murder and that’s not her. Do you want to try again?” His eyes flashed anger as his arms crossed over his chest. “Who was she, and why was she coming to visit you?”
I panicked. I didn’t have any other answers for the police or for myself. “I told you the truth. I called Linda Zoz’s sister. You knew that I wasn’t happy with the results of the trial or the fact that no one would admit to her murder. It left me with questions—lots of them. So I went and asked some of them. She wouldn’t meet me last night, but she said she’d stop by the food truck today around 1 p.m.” I stopped to breathe.
“Well, you better come up with some answers as well as your questions. You’re going to come with us to the station.” He pointed to an upper floor of the government building where Linda Zoz had been beheaded. I’d been to Danvers’ office a few times, but most of them had been social. I’d been questioned there once, and I didn’t really want to repeat that experience. Danvers had not been social at all. He had accused me of murder then. I knew he couldn’t do that today, but I had heard of material witnesses and how they could be held in custody for what they know. I didn’t want to learn more about that process.
Land coughed and looked at Danvers. “Why? She can’t possibly be the killer. She was with me when the shots were fired. I’m sure that at least ten other people will say the same thing. Secondly, this was a professional hit, and I know as well as you do that Maeve is not a professional hitman.”
I looked at him. “Professional? How do you know that?” I asked. When had my chef become an expert on murder for hire?
“The MO is clear. The killer was far away from the scene of the crime. Mostly likely he found a spot to take out the target. He had to use a high-powered rifle, I’m guessing a MSR. You don’t tote those around public places. They’re expensive, and they take time to learn how to use them. Most people don’t own one or use one. So it’s likely someone who gets paid to do just that was behind this murder. We both know that Maeve isn’t a hit man, and she wouldn’t even know where to find a hit man. It’s not like they advertise on Emily’s List.” While I appreciated the support for my innocence, I felt that Land was going overboard with the description of my incompetence. I doubted that Bill Gates or Warren Buffet could find a hit man either. That skill wasn’t taught at business school.
I’d forgotten about the murder for a minute. I was puzzled by the
Danvers turned and looked at me. “Did you know this woman? Land said something about her coming to visit you today?”
I looked at Land again. How could he have known that? I hadn’t mentioned the dead woman to him at all. Even so, I knew that Danvers would believe him over me, and so I opted to spill what little I knew.
“Her name was Mariel Mills. She was the dead health inspector’s sister. I went to talk to the Zoz family yesterday, but they’d moved away—rather quickly and with a lot of cash it would appear. No forwarding address. So I called the sister to find out what had happened. She said that she would meet me here today. And you know the rest.”
Danvers walked away from us for a moment. I could see him talking to the same tech who had received the purse from him a few minutes before. The tech shook her head violently, and I wondered what was going on. Danvers took a deep breath and headed back to us.
“The dead lady’s name is not Mills—or Mariel either. We interviewed Mariel Mills at the time of her sister’s murder and that’s not her. Do you want to try again?” His eyes flashed anger as his arms crossed over his chest. “Who was she, and why was she coming to visit you?”
I panicked. I didn’t have any other answers for the police or for myself. “I told you the truth. I called Linda Zoz’s sister. You knew that I wasn’t happy with the results of the trial or the fact that no one would admit to her murder. It left me with questions—lots of them. So I went and asked some of them. She wouldn’t meet me last night, but she said she’d stop by the food truck today around 1 p.m.” I stopped to breathe.
“Well, you better come up with some answers as well as your questions. You’re going to come with us to the station.” He pointed to an upper floor of the government building where Linda Zoz had been beheaded. I’d been to Danvers’ office a few times, but most of them had been social. I’d been questioned there once, and I didn’t really want to repeat that experience. Danvers had not been social at all. He had accused me of murder then. I knew he couldn’t do that today, but I had heard of material witnesses and how they could be held in custody for what they know. I didn’t want to learn more about that process.
Land coughed and looked at Danvers. “Why? She can’t possibly be the killer. She was with me when the shots were fired. I’m sure that at least ten other people will say the same thing. Secondly, this was a professional hit, and I know as well as you do that Maeve is not a professional hitman.”
I looked at him. “Professional? How do you know that?” I asked. When had my chef become an expert on murder for hire?
“The MO is clear. The killer was far away from the scene of the crime. Mostly likely he found a spot to take out the target. He had to use a high-powered rifle, I’m guessing a MSR. You don’t tote those around public places. They’re expensive, and they take time to learn how to use them. Most people don’t own one or use one. So it’s likely someone who gets paid to do just that was behind this murder. We both know that Maeve isn’t a hit man, and she wouldn’t even know where to find a hit man. It’s not like they advertise on Emily’s List.” While I appreciated the support for my innocence, I felt that Land was going overboard with the description of my incompetence. I doubted that Bill Gates or Warren Buffet could find a hit man either. That skill wasn’t taught at business school.
I’d forgotten about the murder for a minute. I was puzzled by the
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