AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The man hesitated but in the end shook his head. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather stay out here.”
“Cate?” Jack deferred to her. From past experience working cases with her, she wasn’t a fan of spending any more time than necessary outside in cold weather.
“Why don’t we at least move closer to the house, under the covered portion of the patio and out of the wind?”
“That’s fine.” Allen walked over to a spot under the overhang, where bushes on either side served as a windbreak.
It was warmer, but not by much.
“Would you like to sit?” Jack indicated several chairs grouped around an outdoor fireplace, fighting the temptation to flip the gas burner that would send a modicum of warmth their direction.
“I don’t mind standing, unless you expect this to take a while.”
“Our preliminary discussion shouldn’t hold you up long.” He pulled out his notebook again, flexing his fingers to stimulate circulation. “I know you already gave a brief statement to the responding officer, but tell us again why you’re here and what you’ve seen while you’ve been on the premises.”
Allen slid his bare hands into his pockets. “I’m replacing a floor in the pool house. Or guest house. I think they use it for both.” He indicated a structure farther back in the yard, on the other side of the large, winterized pool, accessed by a paved path from the patio. “I got here about nine, unloaded my supplies, and went to work. The next thing I knew, the cops were all over the place.”
“Did you see anyone when you arrived, or afterward?”
“No.”
“Were the garage doors open or shut?”
“Shut.”
“How did you get into the pool house?”
“The owner said she’d leave the door open.”
“Did you go into the main house?”
“No. I was planning to later, though. Ms. Robertson asked me to fix a sticking door. I told her I’d do it at the end of the day, but she said she’d leave the alarm off when she left in case I wanted to work on it earlier.”
“Did you hear anything unusual this morning?”
“No. I play music while I work, and I crank up the volume.”
Jack asked a few more questions, but it was clear Allen either didn’t have anything to offer or wasn’t telling everything he knew.
“Do you have any objection to us searching your truck? We can get a warrant, but you’ll be out of here faster if you give us permission to proceed.”
The man’s forehead puckered. “I didn’t have anything to do with what happened here today.”
“Then you shouldn’t mind if we take a look at your vehicle.”
After a moment, he pulled out his keys and passed them over. “Fine. I’d like to leave sooner rather than later. I’ll wait here.”
“Cate.” Jack motioned for her to join him.
She left the shelter of the overhang with obvious reluctance and fell in beside him. “I hate this Arctic weather. It shouldn’t be this cold in early November.”
“Why don’t you move somewhere warmer?”
“I like being close to my sisters. Besides, my husband relocated here for me, and it wouldn’t be fair to disrupt his career. What do you think about Allen?”
“He’s nervous.”
“Agreed. But that’s not a red flag in and of itself. Most people who find themselves linked to a murder investigation are—” She squinted toward the privacy hedge that blocked their view of the concrete pad behind the garage. “I think we’re being summoned.”
