the computer table. “I think it was because she’d been married before and wanted something of her own. She had some trust issues.”
It was eerie being in the room now, knowing that this is where Kelly had been shot. There was a faint smell of bleach and part of the carpet had been cut out. The room seemed shadowy and dim and I realized the line of poplar trees from the production company were still in front of the sliding glass door. Dan looked around for a light. He passed on the full-spectrum lamp next to the Mission-style chair and found an overhead light that illuminated the room. It seemed like someone had cleaned up after the cops had left, but not done a very good job of it. The plastic bins were stacked against the wall, but they were askew, as were the unfolded shipping boxes on the floor.
“Was the room ransacked?” Dinah asked.
“It was a mess when I came in.” Dan swallowed hard and his voice became a monotone as he told us that he’d just stopped home that day for a few minutes and hadn’t expected Kelly to be there. He’d seen the door to her workroom open. At that, he stopped. “I’ve told this story so many times, it should be easier,” he said. “She was lying there on her back.” He swallowed again and shook his head as if he couldn’t describe it one more time. “The plastic bins were knocked around and there was yarn everywhere.”
I said I’d heard Kelly had been shot and asked if he’d seen a gun. He appeared very uncomfortable as he acknowledged that she had been shot, but then shook his head and said he didn’t know anything about a gun.
“Was there anything missing?” I asked as I glanced around the room trying to compare it to what I’d seen before.
“The cops asked the same question. All I can tell you is the truth. Like I said, I was almost never in here. I don’t even know what she had in here.” Dan didn’t seem to care why I’d asked.
I looked at the library table that held her computer. “There was a lamp there,” I said. “It had a leaded glass shade. . . .” I looked toward Dan, but he just shrugged and said he didn’t know anything about it, and no it hadn’t been one of the things the cops took.
It seemed like we’d found out all we were going to, and I started to go back toward the door, but Dinah was jerking her head, trying to get my attention. “Molly, your sweater,” she said in a pointed tone. “And my reading glasses.” I retraced my steps and as Dan and Stone watched, Dinah and I pretended to look for our stuff.
“I guess we were wrong,” I said, finally as Dinah and I walked through the door and continued toward the front door.
Dan followed along behind us. “I know it sounds strange that I didn’t know much about what Kelly was doing, but I’ve been consumed with trying to make my dollar store work,” he said. “I’m hoping to have the stores all over the country. But first I have to make this one work. The dollar store business is very competitive now.” His tone had changed and he sounded animated and excited as he brought up the dollar-of-the-hour special. I saw Dinah start to flinch and I hurried her out of there before she could bring up her issues with it. He called after us that he hadn’t forgotten her prize and would give it to her next time she came in the store.
When we were back on the street, Dinah and I compared our thoughts. “You know sometimes a cigar is just a cigar,” she said. “You saw how he said he didn’t know anything about the gun, but thanks to Adele we know he owns one, and it’s just unnatural the way he is so gung ho about his store when his wife has just died. Maybe this time, the obvious is the right answer. Maybe Dan really did kill Kelly?”
“But why would he take the leaded glass lamp?” I said.
CHAPTER 13
Shedd & Royal Books and More was buzzing when I walked in after leaving Dinah at her house. The production group must have been on some kind of break, because I recognized a number of them coming out of the café.
Mrs. Shedd was pointing out our selection of e-readers to a customer.