wrapping papers and baskets of ribbons. It was a pristine, well-organized workroom with southern light streaming in from the overhead windows.
Roger pointed to the dryer, and Lew walked over. At first glance, she thought someone had spilled coffee grounds on top of the appliance. It took a second before her eyes registered that the mess was mud. Examining the muddy patch up close, Lew made out one well-defined print from a shoe and a smear of caked dirt where another shoe might have slid across the top of the dryer. Clumps of dried dirt littered the floor in front of the dryer.
“Check out that window on the right, Chief,” said Roger pointing up. Though it hadn’t been obvious when she walked into the laundry room, Lew saw that the window, a casement-type that opened out, had been shattered. Only a few shards of glass remained in the frame. “A lotta glass on the floor behind the washer and dryer,” said Roger. “I was thinking we might get prints off some of that, Chief. The light in here’s not so good right now but earlier I thought I could see a little blood—”
Lew peered around one side of the dryer. Broken glass littered the floor. One shard did have a dark stain running across it. She looked up at the broken window. “My guess is the intruder may have bumped that window accidentally and got cut. Now, Roger, you haven’t touched anything in here, right?”
“Umm, not down here,” said Roger, his voice hesitant. “I, um, the lady of the house has been pretty upset since I arrived. Been trying to calm her down, see if she can tell us when this might have happened. Had to touch her to help her up the stairs. On the elbow, her left elbow. Hope that’s okay?” Roger looked ready to duck.
“Of course that’s okay,” said Lew. How could a guy be so dumb? She reminded herself to check again to see if she couldn’t get him transferred over to the county sheriff. He’d see it as a promotion but for Lew—a relief.
“Any sign of someone attempting to enter the house elsewhere?” asked Lew, reaching for her cell phone.
Roger straightened up, shoulders back with pride. “No, Chief. I checked real careful just before you got here. There’s a flower garden outside those windows, and Mrs. McNeil said she had sprinklers going all day yesterday. I found muddy footprints right by this broken window but nowhere else. So we know the source of the mud and the point of entry. That’ll help, won’t it?”
Lew knew he expected a pat on the head, but she didn’t have time. Standing in the doorway behind Roger was McNeil, his eyes moving up to the window and down to the muddied dryer as if trying to comprehend what might have happened.
“When was the last time you were in this room?” Lew asked McNeil.
“Me? I never come down here. This is Leigh’s workroom. Good God, I can’t believe this,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Leigh was right—someone did break in. Dammit! What do we do now?”
“I’d check my security system for starters,” said Lew, “meanwhile excuse me while I get in touch with one of the techs from the Wausau Crime Lab who’s in town working the crime scene over at the condos. If he’s got the time, I’d sure like to get him out here tonight.
“Dani,” said Lew, turning away from McNeil as she pressed the cell phone to one ear. “Patch me through to Bruce Peters, please. Do you know how to do that? Good.” Lew waited, “Bruce? Chief Ferris here. I got a residential break-in with one good impression of the sole of a shoe—looks like a sneaker or a sandal. Also I may have blood and prints on the window they broke getting in.”
Lew turned to McNeil, “He’s wondering what kind of security system you have—cameras?”
McNeil shook his head. “We got the signs but no activated system. Didn’t think we needed one in Loon Lake.”
Lew repeated the first part of his answer then said, “Would you and Ray have time this evening to check these out when
Roger pointed to the dryer, and Lew walked over. At first glance, she thought someone had spilled coffee grounds on top of the appliance. It took a second before her eyes registered that the mess was mud. Examining the muddy patch up close, Lew made out one well-defined print from a shoe and a smear of caked dirt where another shoe might have slid across the top of the dryer. Clumps of dried dirt littered the floor in front of the dryer.
“Check out that window on the right, Chief,” said Roger pointing up. Though it hadn’t been obvious when she walked into the laundry room, Lew saw that the window, a casement-type that opened out, had been shattered. Only a few shards of glass remained in the frame. “A lotta glass on the floor behind the washer and dryer,” said Roger. “I was thinking we might get prints off some of that, Chief. The light in here’s not so good right now but earlier I thought I could see a little blood—”
Lew peered around one side of the dryer. Broken glass littered the floor. One shard did have a dark stain running across it. She looked up at the broken window. “My guess is the intruder may have bumped that window accidentally and got cut. Now, Roger, you haven’t touched anything in here, right?”
“Umm, not down here,” said Roger, his voice hesitant. “I, um, the lady of the house has been pretty upset since I arrived. Been trying to calm her down, see if she can tell us when this might have happened. Had to touch her to help her up the stairs. On the elbow, her left elbow. Hope that’s okay?” Roger looked ready to duck.
“Of course that’s okay,” said Lew. How could a guy be so dumb? She reminded herself to check again to see if she couldn’t get him transferred over to the county sheriff. He’d see it as a promotion but for Lew—a relief.
“Any sign of someone attempting to enter the house elsewhere?” asked Lew, reaching for her cell phone.
Roger straightened up, shoulders back with pride. “No, Chief. I checked real careful just before you got here. There’s a flower garden outside those windows, and Mrs. McNeil said she had sprinklers going all day yesterday. I found muddy footprints right by this broken window but nowhere else. So we know the source of the mud and the point of entry. That’ll help, won’t it?”
Lew knew he expected a pat on the head, but she didn’t have time. Standing in the doorway behind Roger was McNeil, his eyes moving up to the window and down to the muddied dryer as if trying to comprehend what might have happened.
“When was the last time you were in this room?” Lew asked McNeil.
“Me? I never come down here. This is Leigh’s workroom. Good God, I can’t believe this,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Leigh was right—someone did break in. Dammit! What do we do now?”
“I’d check my security system for starters,” said Lew, “meanwhile excuse me while I get in touch with one of the techs from the Wausau Crime Lab who’s in town working the crime scene over at the condos. If he’s got the time, I’d sure like to get him out here tonight.
“Dani,” said Lew, turning away from McNeil as she pressed the cell phone to one ear. “Patch me through to Bruce Peters, please. Do you know how to do that? Good.” Lew waited, “Bruce? Chief Ferris here. I got a residential break-in with one good impression of the sole of a shoe—looks like a sneaker or a sandal. Also I may have blood and prints on the window they broke getting in.”
Lew turned to McNeil, “He’s wondering what kind of security system you have—cameras?”
McNeil shook his head. “We got the signs but no activated system. Didn’t think we needed one in Loon Lake.”
Lew repeated the first part of his answer then said, “Would you and Ray have time this evening to check these out when
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