Murder After Hours by Rayna Morgan

Author:Rayna Morgan [Morgan, Rayna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rayna Morgan
Published: 2018-02-25T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

The next morning, Lea received a call from a distraught neighbor.

“What's wrong, Ida?” she asked.

“I got to thinking about what you said.”

“What I said about what?”

“Putting that picture where people can enjoy it. When I went to the attic to get it—”

Lea caught her breath. “You didn’t hurt yourself going up those stairs, I hope.”

“Don't be silly. The painting is the problem, not the stairs.”

“What do you mean?”

“The seascape isn’t there. It’s gone!”

Lea gasped.

“I forget where I put things from time to time,” Ida admitted, “but I couldn’t have misplaced anything that big.”

Lea’s mind raced. “Of course not. Your painting’s been stolen. Did you have any visitors last night?”

“No one. I had dinner by myself, watched TV, and went to bed.”

A moment’s pause. “There is one thing though.”

“What do you remember?”

“I heard a noise.”

“What kind of noise?” Lea asked.

“I’m not sure. My hearing’s not what it used to be. Once I take my hearing aids out, I’m lucky to hear anything.”

“Where were the noises coming from?”

“Somewhere over my head. I figured it was a squirrel running across the roof. I rolled over and fell back asleep.”

Lea breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness.

“Consider that. Someone in the attic while I was sleeping. Spooky, isn’t it?”

“More than spooky, Ida, it’s dangerous. If you had looked for the cause of the noise, you might have been hurt.”

Or worse. She kept the thought to herself, not wanting to frighten the woman.

“Think carefully, Ida. Who besides me has seen the painting?” She waited for a response, eager for her hunch to be confirmed.

“Ian, of course, and the appraiser he sent.”

“Anyone else?”

“Oh, yes. The nice young man who takes care of my yard.”

“Henry Dade?”

“The last time he was here, I was muttering about needing something to cover the painting. Henry said he had bubble wrap I could use. He even wrapped the picture for me.”

“Call the police, Ida. Tell them everything you’ve told me. Ask for Lieutenant Elliot, Major Crimes Division.”

“Oh, dear. Is this considered a major crime?”

“It's not only a major crime, but one of particular interest to the detective.”

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