Not after last night.
She needed to stay away from him.
Her best option was to talk directly to the Safe Harbor police. Shed go to the station later today, right after she met with Rick Frankl, the editor of Safe Harbor Publishing. Shed already left a message at Ricks office for him to call her to set up an appointment. But first she wanted to look inside Guss laptop.
Muirinn set her mug down, seated herself at Guss rustic wood table and powered up the computer. Immediately, a message box flashed up onto the screen asking for a password.
She tried several possibilities, including ODonnell family names, and the name of the cat.
Nothing worked.
The only way she was going to access this laptop was with the aid of a computer tech who could circumvent the password protection. She also needed a tech to help reconnect the hard drive up in the attic office. Perhaps Rick Frankl could recommend one.
Muirinn reached instead for the brown envelope and slid the black-and-white crime scene photos out. She spread them over the table. Most of the images she recognized from the book her grandfather had written years ago on the Tolkin massacre. But there were a few other images she didnt think shed seen before. She picked one upa shot of bootprints in shiny black mud, a ruler positioned alongside the impressions.
Muirinn flipped it over, read the notation on the back. Missing Photo #3. Bomber tracks.
She frowned. Quickly, she flipped over the rest of the photographs she didnt recognize, laying them all facedown on the table. On the back of each one was a similar set of notations, all with the word Missing scrawled in her grandfathers bold hand.
What did this mean?
Surely her grandfather had given up trying to actually solve the Tolkin murders? Unless she stared at the images strewn all over the table. Unless there was new evidence.
No. It wasnt possible.
Was it?
She turned the images faceup again, selected a photo of a mining headframea rusted A-shaped metal skeleton that loomed over a small boarded-up shack. She flipped it over, read the back: Missing photo #8. Sodwana headframe. Bomber used as entry to mine?
Shed never heard any theory about the bomber using the Sodwana headframe to gain access to the mine. As far as she could recall, the old Sodwana shaft was literally miles from the actual underground blast location near D-shaft. FBI investigators had always surmised that the bomber had been someone working inside the mine that day, someone whod crossed the picket line with her father.
Muirinn realized that she didnt even know which shaft Gus had been found in. Had it been Sodwana?
She shot another look at Jetts deck, inhaling deeply. He would know but before she could articulate another thought, the phone rang.
Muirinn jumped at the sudden shrill noise, then, clearing her throat, she lifted the receiver. Hello?
Muirinn? This is Rick Frankl, returning your call. Welcome to Safe HarborId love to meet with you sometime today.
Smoothing her hand over her hair, Muirinn glanced up at the wall clock. She was nervous about meeting Rick and taking over a small business she knew little about. How are you fixed for time this afternoon, Rick?
Around noon would be perfect.
Ill be there.
Looking forward to itwe all are.
And I cant begin to tell you how sorry we are for your loss, Muirinn. Gus was our cornerstone here. We all miss him.
She swallowed against the lump forming in her throat. Thank you, Rick.
His office is ready and waiting for you. Weve left everything as it was, apart from some cleaning after the break-in
Break-in? Her hand tightened on the receiver. When?
Two nights ago. Someone managed to disable the alarm system and come in via his office window.
Was anything stolen?
Nothing that we can ascertain. Guss desk drawers were ransacked and his computer was turned on, but that was it. We did file a report with the police, of course. Apparently theres not much more they can do in a case like this. The cop who responded said it was probably just vandals.
Muirinn shot another glance at the laptop, the photos spread out over the table. Which cop?
Officer Ted Gage.
After finalizing the details of the meeting, Muirinn slowly replaced the handset, a coolness cloaking her skin. Both Guss offices ransacked? This was more than coincidence.
And why hadnt Officer Gage mentioned this to her last night?
Muirinn quickly gathered up the photos and slid them back into the envelope. To be safe, she unlocked a drawer hidden in the side of Guss thick, handcrafted table.
She placed both the envelope and the laptop into it, but as she was about to shut and lock the drawer, she caught sight of a small bottle of pills in the drawer.
She picked up container and read the label. Digoxin.
Guss heart medication.
Closing her fist around the bottle, holding it tight against her chest, Muirinn walked back to the window, eyes hot with emotion. Her grandfather had never mentioned his heart condition to her. But while that hurt, it wasnt surprising. Gus had routinely refused to acknowledge his encroaching age or ill health, and he used to drink all sorts of herb teas to ward off the inevitable.