The Valentine's Day Murder Read Online Free PDF Page A

Matty’s car, the cop pretty much trampled the area.”
    I smiled in spite of myself. “My husband says the police do more to destroy crime scenes than anyone else does. The cop didn’t know anyone was missing at that point, so he had no reason to be careful where he walked. Anyway, if Val came back from the lake, he may have walked across another part of the beach. He had no reason to return to the car if it was locked.”
    “It’s so frustrating,” Carlotta said. “I’ve gone over and over all of this since Valentine’s Day.” She looked down at the heart-shaped ruby ring on her right hand. “A man doesn’t give his wife a gift like this at lunch and disappear after dinner without a word.”
    I had to admit it seemed unlikely. She unlocked the car and we got in.
    “How did he pay for it?” I asked, as she backed up.
    “It must have been cash. I never got a bill for it.”
    “That’s a lot of cash to carry around.”
    “It’s what we’ve always done. We both work, and when we buy each other gifts, we use our own money. We both have bank accounts in our own names.”
    “Has his been used since February fourteenth?”
    “The bankbooks are in his desk drawer. They haven’t been touched. And he hasn’t written any checks.”
    That would be easy enough to check. “Any credit cards?”
    “I have those records, too. Although some of the papers for the company credit card may be at the office.”
    “Did you keep much cash in the house?”
    “Never. We both thought it wasn’t safe. There’s nohome safe either. We keep valuables in a box in the bank.”
    “What about insurance, Carlotta?”
    She looked blank. “Nothing that I know about.”
    “Maybe something will turn up.”
    When Carlotta finally pulled into the driveway, I couldn’t help being impressed with her house. It was large and had a lot of land, a rather extravagant residence for two people who spent a lot of time away from it. We went in through the garage and stopped in the large foyer to hang our coats in the closet. The foyer rose two stories with high windows that let in natural light.
    “It’s beautiful,” I said.
    “Thank you. We put a lot of ourselves into this house. There’s still more we want to do, but it’s on its way. Come upstairs and I’ll show you your room.”
    “My” room was furnished comfortably for a guest with a double bed, a dresser, a lamp I would read by, a big closet, and my very own bathroom. I promised Carlotta I would be down as soon as I had hung up a few clothes. Before I opened my suitcase, though, I went to the large window, opened the blinds, and looked out. The land behind the house was as well cared-for as the front and appeared to amount to a couple of acres. There were flower beds, tall trees, younger trees that had probably been planted since the young couple moved in, and a stone patio that would surely be graced with summer furniture when the weather became warmer.
    I found my way to the kitchen where Carlotta was sitting at a built-in table looking over her mail. “When do we begin?” I said.
    She looked at her watch. “Pretty soon. Clark’s wife,Bambi, is first on the list. I have to call to see whether she wants to come here or wants you there.” She reached for the telephone and stopped. “A message. Let me listen first. Whenever there’s a message, I think it might be Val.”
    She pressed a button and the tape rewound, a sound that always reminded me of scurrying mice. Then a voice said, “Carlotta, this is Bambi. I’ve changed my mind. I really don’t want to talk to your friend. I’ve spent hours with the police and I’m worn out. I don’t know what she can do anyway. So let’s cancel.”
    “I can’t believe it,” Carlotta said. “She must be getting worried that the police think Clark killed Matty. This is very disappointing.”
    “Let’s not worry about it. There are plenty of other things I can do.”
    “Let me call Annie Franklin. She’ll talk to you.