Silent Evidence by Clea Koff

Author:Clea Koff
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Published: 2024-08-05T10:20:53+00:00

16

It took Frank Spicer a full minute to get to the front of his house at 1501 Prickly Pear Close. Whoever was pounding on the door didn’t stop the entire time, which was aggravating, but he could only move so fast given that he’d been in bed and was slower getting up these days. Slower at everything, in fact. He turned on the porch light, looked through the peephole and was relieved to see people in Phoenix Police Department uniforms given how late it was. He pulled back the deadbolt and the pounding stopped.

When he opened the door, an officer holding up what looked like some kind of federal badge handed him some papers. The front page had WARRANT typed across it in letters big enough for Frank to read without his glasses. He did need glasses for the rest of it, so he invited the authorities into the house. After all, he had nothing to hide.

As it turned out, the law enforcement officers did not want to search his house. It had all been a mistake, as Frank was sure it would be. They wanted to search that old van parked near their house, a vehicle that had nothing to do with them. Frank told them that and his wife, Sally, seconded him, now that she’d joined them in the front room.

‘That’s right, the van isn’t ours. We have a Saturn.’ She smoothed down her pink terrycloth muumuu. ‘It’s in the driveway.’

‘Ma’am,’ one of the agents who’d identified himself as FBI said. ‘The van has an extension cord running into your garage.’

‘I beg your pardon?’ She pulled Frank with her when she crossed to the window. ‘Had you noticed that?’ She looked at him with wonder.

Frank felt tired. ‘No, I sure hadn’t.’

Sally tried to explain this. ‘We’ve been out of town for a few weeks. Maybe someone was trying to steal our electricity while we were gone?’ She broke off and looked at Frank again.

But Frank could only stare at the four people standing ramrod straight in their living room. They seemed as large and immoveable as statues.

*

Scott regarded Frank Spicer. He didn’t fit the image of the man he’d seen climbing into the van earlier this evening. ‘Mr. and Mrs. Spicer, does anyone else live here with you?’

‘Our son, Wayne.’ Sally sounded puzzled.

‘We’ll need to speak with him to determine if he’s the owner of the van. Where can we find him?’

‘But it’s not his—’ she began.

‘Let me get him,’ Frank interrupted. ‘It’ll be easier that way. He doesn’t like to be disturbed,’ he said over his shoulder as he headed for the hallway. One of the police officers followed him.

Scott stood across the room from Sally Spicer. She no longer looked concerned about the unfolding events, only befuddled. She fluffed her short gray hair and then smiled self-consciously at him. He maintained a polite expression.

The person who followed Frank into the room was a very good match for the tall man Scott and Eric saw on the surveillance video.

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