That woman made me so mad.” Then she
sighed. “But I never would have wanted this.”
“Of course not,” Noah said soothingly. “Did you see
when Martha returned home?”
“No. I would have been too angry to talk to her
anyway.” Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“It’s routine, ma’am. We’re trying to establish a time
of death. For her family.”
“Her mother probably won’t care what time Martha
died.”
Noah feigned surprised concern. “Martha didn’t get
along with her mother?”
“No, and I don’t know why. I once went up to yell at
Martha about the mess. I heard her through the door, on the phone, yelling at
her mother. She came to the door crying.”
“Did you hear what they were saying to each other?”
Jack asked.
“Not really. I did hear Martha tell her mother she was
doing it for her. I assumed she meant that was why she worked all the time and
never visited her.”
“Was it normal for a week to pass without seeing her?”
Noah asked.
“Sometimes I’d go a month without seeing her. I hadn’t
planned to see her that night. I just ran into her at the door. I’d already
decided to evict her before that last argument but my lawyer had told me to give
her one more warning, and if she didn’t listen, then get photos of the mess.
Her going out gave me the opportunity to do that.”
“Did you get the pictures?” Jack asked.
“Yes, after Martha left that evening. I don’t normally
intrude on my tenants’ privacy, but I knew I needed to get her out or my whole
place would be infested with roaches.”
Noah felt a spurt of triumph. “Can we get a copy of
those pictures? For our files.”
Mrs. Kobrecki got them from her desk. “Oh, and I
suppose you should take her mail, too. The postman gave me that on Friday as I
was leaving for my weekend trip. Martha’s mailbox was full. He couldn’t stuff
any more in there, so I cleaned it out.”
“You didn’t think it unusual that she didn’t go to her
mailbox?” Noah asked.
“She’d go weeks without checking her mail, like she
was in her own little world.”
“Did she pay her rent on time?” Noah asked.
“She’d never missed a payment until a year ago. She
said she’d gotten wrapped up in a project and lost track of time. After that
she did automatic payment from the bank.”
Jack began sorting the mail, Noah the pictures. Wow .
The kitchen sink was filled with dishes, the garbage can overflowing with paper
plates. Her desk was covered with trash, coffee cups, and stacks of paper. In
the living room were stacks of newspapers, so many the wall was totally
obscured. Someone had done a very thorough cleanup.
Jack cleared his throat. “Mrs. Kobrecki, we’d like to
have a last look around the apartment before we close this case. Can you unlock
it for us?”
“Of course. I’ll get my keys. They’re in the back.”
CSU had sealed the scene. Jack didn’t need Kobrecki’s
keys. “What did you find?”
“Something that looks like a paycheck,” Jack murmured,
“plus a bank statement. Why don’t you chat with Mrs. Kobrecki and I’ll go to
the car and check this out.”
The two stood when Mrs. Kobrecki came back into the
room. “Let’s go,” she said.
“I have to start wrapping up,” Jack said. “Thank you
so much, Mrs. Kobrecki.”
Noah followed Mrs. Kobrecki upstairs. “I apologize. My
partner and I forgot that CSU sealed the scene with our lock. We’ll put your
lock back when the case is closed.”
“I didn’t realize a suicide was a case,” Mrs. Kobrecki
said, suddenly suspicious.
“It’s procedure, ma’am. Who lives in the apartment
next to Miss Brisbane?”
“Nobody. The Smiths lived there, but they got
transferred about three months ago.”
The hair rose on the back of Noah’s neck. “You mean
this apartment was empty?”
“Yes. I won’t rent either of them for months after
this.”
“Could you open it for me? The empty unit?”
Mrs. Kobrecki stiffened. “I don’t have the key to
sighed. “But I never would have wanted this.”
“Of course not,” Noah said soothingly. “Did you see
when Martha returned home?”
“No. I would have been too angry to talk to her
anyway.” Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“It’s routine, ma’am. We’re trying to establish a time
of death. For her family.”
“Her mother probably won’t care what time Martha
died.”
Noah feigned surprised concern. “Martha didn’t get
along with her mother?”
“No, and I don’t know why. I once went up to yell at
Martha about the mess. I heard her through the door, on the phone, yelling at
her mother. She came to the door crying.”
“Did you hear what they were saying to each other?”
Jack asked.
“Not really. I did hear Martha tell her mother she was
doing it for her. I assumed she meant that was why she worked all the time and
never visited her.”
“Was it normal for a week to pass without seeing her?”
Noah asked.
“Sometimes I’d go a month without seeing her. I hadn’t
planned to see her that night. I just ran into her at the door. I’d already
decided to evict her before that last argument but my lawyer had told me to give
her one more warning, and if she didn’t listen, then get photos of the mess.
Her going out gave me the opportunity to do that.”
“Did you get the pictures?” Jack asked.
“Yes, after Martha left that evening. I don’t normally
intrude on my tenants’ privacy, but I knew I needed to get her out or my whole
place would be infested with roaches.”
Noah felt a spurt of triumph. “Can we get a copy of
those pictures? For our files.”
Mrs. Kobrecki got them from her desk. “Oh, and I
suppose you should take her mail, too. The postman gave me that on Friday as I
was leaving for my weekend trip. Martha’s mailbox was full. He couldn’t stuff
any more in there, so I cleaned it out.”
“You didn’t think it unusual that she didn’t go to her
mailbox?” Noah asked.
“She’d go weeks without checking her mail, like she
was in her own little world.”
“Did she pay her rent on time?” Noah asked.
“She’d never missed a payment until a year ago. She
said she’d gotten wrapped up in a project and lost track of time. After that
she did automatic payment from the bank.”
Jack began sorting the mail, Noah the pictures. Wow .
The kitchen sink was filled with dishes, the garbage can overflowing with paper
plates. Her desk was covered with trash, coffee cups, and stacks of paper. In
the living room were stacks of newspapers, so many the wall was totally
obscured. Someone had done a very thorough cleanup.
Jack cleared his throat. “Mrs. Kobrecki, we’d like to
have a last look around the apartment before we close this case. Can you unlock
it for us?”
“Of course. I’ll get my keys. They’re in the back.”
CSU had sealed the scene. Jack didn’t need Kobrecki’s
keys. “What did you find?”
“Something that looks like a paycheck,” Jack murmured,
“plus a bank statement. Why don’t you chat with Mrs. Kobrecki and I’ll go to
the car and check this out.”
The two stood when Mrs. Kobrecki came back into the
room. “Let’s go,” she said.
“I have to start wrapping up,” Jack said. “Thank you
so much, Mrs. Kobrecki.”
Noah followed Mrs. Kobrecki upstairs. “I apologize. My
partner and I forgot that CSU sealed the scene with our lock. We’ll put your
lock back when the case is closed.”
“I didn’t realize a suicide was a case,” Mrs. Kobrecki
said, suddenly suspicious.
“It’s procedure, ma’am. Who lives in the apartment
next to Miss Brisbane?”
“Nobody. The Smiths lived there, but they got
transferred about three months ago.”
The hair rose on the back of Noah’s neck. “You mean
this apartment was empty?”
“Yes. I won’t rent either of them for months after
this.”
“Could you open it for me? The empty unit?”
Mrs. Kobrecki stiffened. “I don’t have the key to
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