Page 22 of Defending Love
“Yes, we exchanged keys long ago.” Her eyes widened. “Is that a problem?” She covered her lips with her fingertips. “There was no tape. It’s not considered a crime scene, is it?”
“No,” he replied. “Have you noticed anyone else coming and going?”
“Right after the…what happened, there were people there for days. I spoke to one man who said he was a detective.”
“Did he have a badge?” I asked.
“Oh goodness. I can’t remember.”
“Did he say which department he represented?”
Carol scrunched her nose. “I’m sorry. I didn’t ask.”
“Anyone else?”
She nodded. “Last Tuesday, there was a group of people. No, it was Wednesday, because I play pickleball on Wednesdays.”
“People?” I encouraged.
“Yes, they were there when I got home, carrying boxes from Marsha’s house.”
“What was in the boxes?” Eli asked.
She shook her head. “Papers, I think. They were file-like boxes. I couldn’t really see what all they had.”
I tried to understand. “Boxes of papers?”
Carol nodded. “Papers or small books. I was going to ask who they were, but they seemed very no-nonsense.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Gave off a vibe.” She looked at Eli and back to me. “Some people do.”
I grinned. I supposed Eli gave off a vibe too.
Carol went on, “I did notice that they were wearing rubber gloves and dark uniforms.”
My gaze went back to Eli. “I want to look closer in Dad’s office.” I reached out to Carol, touching her hand. “Thank you. You have my number. If you see anyone else or need anything, please reach out to me.”
She lowered her arms. “Give Marsha my love.”
I nodded as we walked toward the front door and paused to give Hoosier one more pet. “I will. Thank you.”
Once we were back outside, I asked, “Was anyone at Guardian aware that someone took items from their house?”
“I’m going to find out.”
Standing on Mom’s front porch, I asked, “What were you looking for earlier? Do you think this house was bugged?”
“We can talk about that in a more secure location.” He unlocked the door.
If it was possible, the house seemed even quieter than it had been a few minutes earlier. I went straight into the front office, separated from the foyer by a set of French glass doors. Upon opening the doors, I was hit with the familiar scent of my father. It wasn’t anything in particular, just a reminder that this was where he spent his time.
I started to reach for a drawer handle and stopped. “Should we try to get fingerprints?”
“Carol said they wore gloves, but let’s be sure.” He reached into his suitcoat pocket and pulled out latex gloves. “Here. Put these on.”
I quirked my eyebrow. “You just carry these with you?”
“I’m prepared.”
Slipping my hands into the gloves, I began opening the drawers to Dad’s desk. Eli also donned gloves and began to inspect the tall bookcases. The top drawer contained pens, paper clips, a stapler, checkbooks, and a calculator. The last item made me smile. Only my parents would still have a calculator when their phones were capable of everything. The next drawer had stacks of notepads and envelopes. I opened the larger file drawer and gasped.
