far.”
Butch pulled a cell phone with a leather case out of his right pocket. “Here’s a present for you, courtesy of city hall.”
“Morning, Dodd,” Billy said, trying out the new unit. He and Butch were now in the cruiser heading down the concession road towards Lethbridge. “I need you to get over to Randy Mucklowe’s and pick up the professor and Miss Bird. Tell them about the break-in. Warn her there’s a mess. I need to find out what’s missing and maybe some lead as to who did it. Then I want you back on the files. Dig up anything on Keeler. Yes, Woody. Did he make a statement yesterday, by the way? Look up theft, any data on vagrancy, check arrest records going back ten years.”
Out at the junction of Highway 3, Butch made the eastern turn into the fast lane and cruised the rim overlooking the Belly River valley. After twenty-five minutes, the two men reached the Lethbridge city limits. The cruiser crossed Oldman River, and Billy spotted two herons flying above the tops of the cottonwoods in Indian Battle Park. On Ashmead, Butch pulled up to Satan House. Dodd was on the front steps waiting with Sheree Lynn Bird.
“Morning, Miss Bird,” Billy said. He reached out and shook her hand.
“Randy’s in Montana this morning, Inspector. Working on his dig site plans.” Sheree Lynn looked drawn.
“I’m sorry we had to bring you back here on Sunday,” said Butch, climbing the front steps and opening the door. In the front hall was the chair where Sergeant Royce had spent part of the night on duty.
“Oh, God.” Sheree Lynn raised her hands to her mouth when she saw the tumbled mess in her bedroom.
Billy fumbled for a second. “I am sorry. We had a night watch, and our sergeant had sealed the place, but. . . .”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Take your time, Sheree,” said Billy. “Go in slowly, look around, tell us what’s gone.”
Constable Gloria Johnson was at Sheree Lynn’s dressing table dusting for prints. “Morning,” she said.
The bed had been pulled apart. A candle lay broken on the floor by the window. All the brushes and perfumes on the dressing table had been thrown to the floor. There was broken red glass by the doorway.
“I can’t really tell, Chief,” Sheree Lynn whispered. She turned and came back to the doorway. “Maybe a book or a brush.”
“Did any of the patients you counselled at social services ever do anything like this, Sheree?” asked Billy.
“No.”
“You have any idea who might have done this?”
“Oh, I could guess. Some of the parents — like Cody’s mom — have claimed I was trying to steal their kids from them. Who knows?”
“I’ve found no evidence of prints so far, sir,” said Johnson.
“So all we have is guesswork here,” Billy added.
Sheree shrugged. “No matter,” she said. “At least the person didn’t harm anyone.” She started to cry and covered her face.
Billy handed her a tissue from his pocket.
“Thanks.”
Downstairs, Billy inspected the back window, where the intruder hadentered Satan House. He went out on the porch steps and gazed around, letting his eye fall on the area surrounding the window and the entrance to the house. He walked to the bottom of the steps and knelt.
A moment later, Sheree Lynn came and stood on the top step. “What is it?”
Billy raised his hand. “Call Butch to come here, will you, Sheree?”
Butch came with a Ziploc already open. “What’d you find?”
Reaching down, Billy folded the baggie over the thumb and pointer finger of his right hand and picked up a broken red elastic band. He folded the Ziploc so that the band fell down inside, then sealed the edge.
“Won’t hurt to call on Woody this morning,” grimaced Butch.
“You think this investigation will take a while?” Sheree sounded anxious.
“I’ll tell you this,” answered Billy, his voice betraying frustration. “The longer we take, the harder it is to piece together the puzzle. We’re only one day into the
Butch pulled a cell phone with a leather case out of his right pocket. “Here’s a present for you, courtesy of city hall.”
“Morning, Dodd,” Billy said, trying out the new unit. He and Butch were now in the cruiser heading down the concession road towards Lethbridge. “I need you to get over to Randy Mucklowe’s and pick up the professor and Miss Bird. Tell them about the break-in. Warn her there’s a mess. I need to find out what’s missing and maybe some lead as to who did it. Then I want you back on the files. Dig up anything on Keeler. Yes, Woody. Did he make a statement yesterday, by the way? Look up theft, any data on vagrancy, check arrest records going back ten years.”
Out at the junction of Highway 3, Butch made the eastern turn into the fast lane and cruised the rim overlooking the Belly River valley. After twenty-five minutes, the two men reached the Lethbridge city limits. The cruiser crossed Oldman River, and Billy spotted two herons flying above the tops of the cottonwoods in Indian Battle Park. On Ashmead, Butch pulled up to Satan House. Dodd was on the front steps waiting with Sheree Lynn Bird.
“Morning, Miss Bird,” Billy said. He reached out and shook her hand.
“Randy’s in Montana this morning, Inspector. Working on his dig site plans.” Sheree Lynn looked drawn.
“I’m sorry we had to bring you back here on Sunday,” said Butch, climbing the front steps and opening the door. In the front hall was the chair where Sergeant Royce had spent part of the night on duty.
“Oh, God.” Sheree Lynn raised her hands to her mouth when she saw the tumbled mess in her bedroom.
Billy fumbled for a second. “I am sorry. We had a night watch, and our sergeant had sealed the place, but. . . .”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Take your time, Sheree,” said Billy. “Go in slowly, look around, tell us what’s gone.”
Constable Gloria Johnson was at Sheree Lynn’s dressing table dusting for prints. “Morning,” she said.
The bed had been pulled apart. A candle lay broken on the floor by the window. All the brushes and perfumes on the dressing table had been thrown to the floor. There was broken red glass by the doorway.
“I can’t really tell, Chief,” Sheree Lynn whispered. She turned and came back to the doorway. “Maybe a book or a brush.”
“Did any of the patients you counselled at social services ever do anything like this, Sheree?” asked Billy.
“No.”
“You have any idea who might have done this?”
“Oh, I could guess. Some of the parents — like Cody’s mom — have claimed I was trying to steal their kids from them. Who knows?”
“I’ve found no evidence of prints so far, sir,” said Johnson.
“So all we have is guesswork here,” Billy added.
Sheree shrugged. “No matter,” she said. “At least the person didn’t harm anyone.” She started to cry and covered her face.
Billy handed her a tissue from his pocket.
“Thanks.”
Downstairs, Billy inspected the back window, where the intruder hadentered Satan House. He went out on the porch steps and gazed around, letting his eye fall on the area surrounding the window and the entrance to the house. He walked to the bottom of the steps and knelt.
A moment later, Sheree Lynn came and stood on the top step. “What is it?”
Billy raised his hand. “Call Butch to come here, will you, Sheree?”
Butch came with a Ziploc already open. “What’d you find?”
Reaching down, Billy folded the baggie over the thumb and pointer finger of his right hand and picked up a broken red elastic band. He folded the Ziploc so that the band fell down inside, then sealed the edge.
“Won’t hurt to call on Woody this morning,” grimaced Butch.
“You think this investigation will take a while?” Sheree sounded anxious.
“I’ll tell you this,” answered Billy, his voice betraying frustration. “The longer we take, the harder it is to piece together the puzzle. We’re only one day into the
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