that Marski is a person of interest, don’t assume he’s done anything more than run off with a buddy’s pickup.”
As Lew motioned for the two men to follow her upstairs, she said, “Mr. McNeil, I will need you and your wife to stay out of the basement and your yard until Bruce and Ray have looked everything over.”
“Fine,” said McNeil with a wave of his hands.
“Whew,” said Lew after Roger had driven off. “This has been one busy afternoon. Mr. McNeil, let’s go see your wife.”
“Come on,” said McNeil with a sheepish and attractive grin, “I wish you would call me Jim.”
“Okay … Jim.” Lew managed a half-smile. “But before we talk to your wife—does that name, Alvin Marski, sound familiar? He wouldn’t be someone who has been employed at the clinic? Food service? Maintenance?”
“Not that I’m aware,” said McNeil. “I’m happy to call our HR person just to be sure.”
“I would appreciate that,” said Lew.
Before following McNeil into his kitchen where Leigh was waiting with a drink in her hand, Lew took a moment to make one last call. She got Osborne’s voice mail.
“Doc, please save me something for dinner but go ahead without me. If you’re still up for it and I get there before nine, let’s plan to fish even if it’s only for an hour.
“Let me rephrase that: I need time on the water.”
Chapter Fifteen
Lew could see that once upon a time McNeil’s wife had been stunning. White-blond hair pulled smooth, twisted into a chignon at the base of her neck, and married to a creamy complexion and wide Delft-blue eyes gave her a doll-like prettiness. But prettiness marred by too much flesh.
Whatever the cause—an excess of food or drink, lack of exercise, or too many meds—the woman’s delicate bone structure was hidden beneath jowls, puffy rings around the eyes, and cheeks that swung too loose. No doubt the redness in her face was due to the emotions of the moment, but Lew sensed this was a woman who never woke feeling happy.
“I am terrified,” said Leigh, pounding a fist on the table as she sat in a kitchen chair across from Lew and her husband. The small tape recorder Lew had placed in the center of the table bounced and flipped over. As Lew turned it right side up, Leigh picked up a yellow legal pad in front of her and shook it in the direction of McNeil.
“Jim, we have got to move out until the police find the person who’s stalking me. I am so totally frightened I cannot sleep here another night.”
“Leigh …” said her husband, a note of caution hanging in the air, “we are not doing that. I’m calling the security firm and we’ll get the system repaired and upgraded. Again.”
He turned to Lew, “The security system built into this house keeps blowing during electrical storms. Vibrations set it off so easily that half the time I don’t use it.”
“Worse than that,” said Leigh. “Whoever is stalking us does something remotely to turn it off. Remember? Last week when you were at the conference in Appleton, it went out. The weather was fine.”
McNeil raised his hands in a gesture of futility. “I don’t know,” he said to Lew. “I’ve had the security guys out here at least five times in the last few months. They can’t find anything wrong except the electrical storm issue, which happens to everyone in the area. We’re waiting on a new base unit so the system has been off for the last week.”
“I want cameras,” said Leigh, whining like a six-year-old.
“Cameras will cost us thousands of dollars,” said McNeil. “That’s overkill, and I’ve told you that.”
Leigh glared. “After what happened today?”
“All right. I’ll look into it.”
Before the two could argue further, Lew jumped in to change the subject. “Is there anyone that either of you know who might be aware that your system has been off?” she asked. Leigh and her husband both shook their heads. “Anyone at your office?”
“Not that I can think
As Lew motioned for the two men to follow her upstairs, she said, “Mr. McNeil, I will need you and your wife to stay out of the basement and your yard until Bruce and Ray have looked everything over.”
“Fine,” said McNeil with a wave of his hands.
“Whew,” said Lew after Roger had driven off. “This has been one busy afternoon. Mr. McNeil, let’s go see your wife.”
“Come on,” said McNeil with a sheepish and attractive grin, “I wish you would call me Jim.”
“Okay … Jim.” Lew managed a half-smile. “But before we talk to your wife—does that name, Alvin Marski, sound familiar? He wouldn’t be someone who has been employed at the clinic? Food service? Maintenance?”
“Not that I’m aware,” said McNeil. “I’m happy to call our HR person just to be sure.”
“I would appreciate that,” said Lew.
Before following McNeil into his kitchen where Leigh was waiting with a drink in her hand, Lew took a moment to make one last call. She got Osborne’s voice mail.
“Doc, please save me something for dinner but go ahead without me. If you’re still up for it and I get there before nine, let’s plan to fish even if it’s only for an hour.
“Let me rephrase that: I need time on the water.”
Chapter Fifteen
Lew could see that once upon a time McNeil’s wife had been stunning. White-blond hair pulled smooth, twisted into a chignon at the base of her neck, and married to a creamy complexion and wide Delft-blue eyes gave her a doll-like prettiness. But prettiness marred by too much flesh.
Whatever the cause—an excess of food or drink, lack of exercise, or too many meds—the woman’s delicate bone structure was hidden beneath jowls, puffy rings around the eyes, and cheeks that swung too loose. No doubt the redness in her face was due to the emotions of the moment, but Lew sensed this was a woman who never woke feeling happy.
“I am terrified,” said Leigh, pounding a fist on the table as she sat in a kitchen chair across from Lew and her husband. The small tape recorder Lew had placed in the center of the table bounced and flipped over. As Lew turned it right side up, Leigh picked up a yellow legal pad in front of her and shook it in the direction of McNeil.
“Jim, we have got to move out until the police find the person who’s stalking me. I am so totally frightened I cannot sleep here another night.”
“Leigh …” said her husband, a note of caution hanging in the air, “we are not doing that. I’m calling the security firm and we’ll get the system repaired and upgraded. Again.”
He turned to Lew, “The security system built into this house keeps blowing during electrical storms. Vibrations set it off so easily that half the time I don’t use it.”
“Worse than that,” said Leigh. “Whoever is stalking us does something remotely to turn it off. Remember? Last week when you were at the conference in Appleton, it went out. The weather was fine.”
McNeil raised his hands in a gesture of futility. “I don’t know,” he said to Lew. “I’ve had the security guys out here at least five times in the last few months. They can’t find anything wrong except the electrical storm issue, which happens to everyone in the area. We’re waiting on a new base unit so the system has been off for the last week.”
“I want cameras,” said Leigh, whining like a six-year-old.
“Cameras will cost us thousands of dollars,” said McNeil. “That’s overkill, and I’ve told you that.”
Leigh glared. “After what happened today?”
“All right. I’ll look into it.”
Before the two could argue further, Lew jumped in to change the subject. “Is there anyone that either of you know who might be aware that your system has been off?” she asked. Leigh and her husband both shook their heads. “Anyone at your office?”
“Not that I can think
Similar Books
