Debra looked at an open book on the computer desk. That was when she noticed the framed pictures of a pretty blonde-haired woman.
Debra’s suspicion was immediately aroused. None of the pictures were posed. All of them were shots of her walking, or playing with her dog in the park. He even had one of her getting her paper off the front porch first thing in the morning.
“Interesting. A bit of stalking behavior going on.” Debra digested how that nugget might reshape the case, as she pulled one of the pictures from its frame to show around.
Then she sat down at Andrew’s desk and carefully began to decipher his home project. After a few grueling hours, struggling with Andrew’s chicken-scratch notes Debra finally got a clear picture of what Andrew was working on. If the formula he invented actually worked as his notes described, Debra finally had a motive for someone wanting him dead. Good old-fashioned greed.
A foolproof love potion would be worth billions, and more than enough motive to want Andrew McGee and his associate dead. Blowing up the lab to cover any trace of evidence was beginning to make sense, but it still didn’t explain the nature or source of the explosive used. Plus, why would someone go to all the trouble of blowing up the lab and then leave all of this evidence where it could be so easily found?
The wheels were turning in Debra’s mind as she drove over to the neighborhood where the lab had been. She began a door-to-door canvas. She knocked on the door of a house one block down from the crater.
“Good morning. My name is Detective Manning.” Debra presented her badge for inspection, when the homeowner opened the door. “I’m investigating the explosion that occurred on the next block. Is there anything you can tell me about the chemists who worked there?”
“No, not much I’m afraid. They kept to themselves. I did see them every day though. They walked past on their way to Alexander’s a few blocks down.” The elderly woman held her housecoat closed with one hand while pointing the way with the other.
“Thank you, ma’am. I appreciate the information.” Debra headed straight to the steakhouse. She entered, and seeing no wait staff made a beeline to the bar.
“Good morning, I’m Detective Manning. I’m investigating the explosion. Do you recognize any of these people?” she asked the bartender as she passed him three pictures to examine.
“Sure, I recognize all three of them. These two are the people from the lab. That’s Heidi, my former bartender. She up and vanished the day of the explosion. And this freak was obsessed with her.” The Dom DeLuise-looking bartender pointed at Andrew’s picture with a chubby finger.
“All right. Can I get an address for the bartender?” Debra knew this couldn’t be a coincidence.
“Sure.”
Debra waited while he went and fished Heidi’s job application from a filing cabinet. “Here you go. All of its current as far as I know.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your help.” Debra drove to the address given for Heidi Gunderson’s apartment, and had the manager let her in.
“Are you sure you don’t need a warrant?”
“No, ma’am, Heidi has gone missing from work. I need to enter the premises to do a welfare check.”
“All right, if you say so.” The shriveled redheaded manager opened the door eyeing Debra warily.
Debra did a quick scan of the apartment and found no one at home. Nevertheless, a brief glance at the contents of the apartment told Debra she was getting warmer. In the bedroom closet, she found stacks of unopened DVD’s and car stereos. It was obviously stolen merchandise.
Debra found a picture of Heidi with her arms around the neck of an unsavory-looking character. She put in a call to the Crime Scene Investigation Unit, to come out and catalog the evidence. Then she took the photo and job application, and headed downtown to research Heidi’s background.
Later that night, when the city had calmed down as
Debra’s suspicion was immediately aroused. None of the pictures were posed. All of them were shots of her walking, or playing with her dog in the park. He even had one of her getting her paper off the front porch first thing in the morning.
“Interesting. A bit of stalking behavior going on.” Debra digested how that nugget might reshape the case, as she pulled one of the pictures from its frame to show around.
Then she sat down at Andrew’s desk and carefully began to decipher his home project. After a few grueling hours, struggling with Andrew’s chicken-scratch notes Debra finally got a clear picture of what Andrew was working on. If the formula he invented actually worked as his notes described, Debra finally had a motive for someone wanting him dead. Good old-fashioned greed.
A foolproof love potion would be worth billions, and more than enough motive to want Andrew McGee and his associate dead. Blowing up the lab to cover any trace of evidence was beginning to make sense, but it still didn’t explain the nature or source of the explosive used. Plus, why would someone go to all the trouble of blowing up the lab and then leave all of this evidence where it could be so easily found?
The wheels were turning in Debra’s mind as she drove over to the neighborhood where the lab had been. She began a door-to-door canvas. She knocked on the door of a house one block down from the crater.
“Good morning. My name is Detective Manning.” Debra presented her badge for inspection, when the homeowner opened the door. “I’m investigating the explosion that occurred on the next block. Is there anything you can tell me about the chemists who worked there?”
“No, not much I’m afraid. They kept to themselves. I did see them every day though. They walked past on their way to Alexander’s a few blocks down.” The elderly woman held her housecoat closed with one hand while pointing the way with the other.
“Thank you, ma’am. I appreciate the information.” Debra headed straight to the steakhouse. She entered, and seeing no wait staff made a beeline to the bar.
“Good morning, I’m Detective Manning. I’m investigating the explosion. Do you recognize any of these people?” she asked the bartender as she passed him three pictures to examine.
“Sure, I recognize all three of them. These two are the people from the lab. That’s Heidi, my former bartender. She up and vanished the day of the explosion. And this freak was obsessed with her.” The Dom DeLuise-looking bartender pointed at Andrew’s picture with a chubby finger.
“All right. Can I get an address for the bartender?” Debra knew this couldn’t be a coincidence.
“Sure.”
Debra waited while he went and fished Heidi’s job application from a filing cabinet. “Here you go. All of its current as far as I know.”
“Thank you. I appreciate your help.” Debra drove to the address given for Heidi Gunderson’s apartment, and had the manager let her in.
“Are you sure you don’t need a warrant?”
“No, ma’am, Heidi has gone missing from work. I need to enter the premises to do a welfare check.”
“All right, if you say so.” The shriveled redheaded manager opened the door eyeing Debra warily.
Debra did a quick scan of the apartment and found no one at home. Nevertheless, a brief glance at the contents of the apartment told Debra she was getting warmer. In the bedroom closet, she found stacks of unopened DVD’s and car stereos. It was obviously stolen merchandise.
Debra found a picture of Heidi with her arms around the neck of an unsavory-looking character. She put in a call to the Crime Scene Investigation Unit, to come out and catalog the evidence. Then she took the photo and job application, and headed downtown to research Heidi’s background.
Later that night, when the city had calmed down as
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