they were left to stare at the massive floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with books.
“This looks like something out of a movie,” Gemma concluded as she ran her finger along the spines. “These books don’t even look like they’ve ever been cracked open.”
Lando followed along behind, reading off notable titles. “Some of these are hard-to-find first editions.”
“Really? What do you think of her taste in books? Aside from Lady Chatterley’s Lover, that is.”
Lando counted a slew of books once banned by a whole host of nations. “She seems to be particularly fond of D. H. Lawrence.”
“She’s certainly a big fan of emotional health and sexuality,” Gemma determined after studying the woman’s desk calendar. “It looks like she’s recently placed an order for books in the self-help category.”
They waited another ten more minutes strolling through her massive collection of titles, making small talk before the lady of the house bothered to put in an appearance.
Jocelyn Williams looked much younger than her forty-two years. Slim, with a swimmer’s build, she floated into the room wearing a wraparound skirt over her swimsuit, her golden-brown hair pulled back in a ponytail.
“I thought I made it clear I wouldn’t be available for an interview until Friday.”
“You did. It looks like you’re available now. Because as chief of police in charge of opening cold cases, I have the right to change the time and place for an informal interview anytime. You can look it up in the city’s charter.”
Jocelyn’s jaw tightened. “I see. So this is informal? Because if it isn’t, I can opt for my attorney to be present. No? Should I do that now, Chief?”
Gemma spoke up, going into her pitch about the federal grant. “I’m here because I don’t believe the Coyote Wells PD has the evidence to warrant spending the money to reopen your sister’s case. Sorry. That’s just the way I feel. To be honest, the files are a mess. You’re probably not aware of this, but some time ago, someone stole the actual evidence. If that wasn’t bad enough, the storm we had Sunday night damaged most of the boxes stored away in the basement. Water damage. My husband is a great cop, but even he can’t perform miracles when it comes to solving a case that goes back twenty years without actual evidence.”
“Wise woman,” Jocelyn stated, dropping into a leather club chair. “Very well. I’ll leave calling my lawyer for another day. What is it you want to know?”
“Where were you the night Sandra and her family was murdered. It seems with the notes that are still readable; there’s a discrepancy in your story.”
Jocelyn narrowed her green eyes. “There’s no discrepancy. I was at home in my apartment, the one I had off-campus at San Francisco State. I shared an apartment in a house with six other girls. You’re welcome to check.”
“Oh, I will,” Lando assured her. “But the murder happened on a Friday night. How is it that a college senior is at home on a Friday night?”
“I don’t remember why I was home. I just was. Then the next morning, I was still there asleep in my bedroom when one of the other girls banged on the door and told me I had a phone call. If I remember correctly, the call came in about eight-thirty. I went out to the hallway to pick up the phone, and the person on the other end was Chief Caulfield. He was the one who told me Sandra was dead, and so was the rest of her family. My sweet nieces were gone; my brother-in-law was gone. I was completely devastated.”
“So there’s no one who would have wanted the entire family dead?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Did Chief Caulfield ever theorize who might’ve killed them?”
“I believe he mentioned it was a vagrant or someone passing through town. Is that it? Are we done here?”
Lando lasered his eyes on Jocelyn. “Yeah. I think that clears up any questions I might have. You do realize I’ll need to verify everything you’ve told me.”
“Of course. Lots of luck tracking everyone down after such a long time,” Jocelyn challenged. She got to her feet. “If we’re done, I’ll have Mrs. Nance show you out.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Gemma maintained. “I think we can find our way back to the front door.”
“Do you think it’s worth opening such an old case?” Jocelyn asked as her guests started to leave.
“Probably not,” Gemma stated before steering Lando out of the room and down the hallway.