his. ‘‘That’s just it, how did the killer know who was going to eat the chocolates?’’
Good point. Especially since he didn’t know who at the Sanderses’ house wouldn’t be able to resist the chocolate—except for Peggy.
‘‘It’s late,’’ he said as he pocketed the date book. ‘‘I’ll get a warrant to search Oliver’s office first thing in the morning. Want to meet me there?’’
She nodded and walked out of the apartment. He stood for a moment looking at all the expensive things Peggy had purchased, all the while believing her life was about to change for the better. It was depressing as hell.
* * *
JACK AND TEMPEST were waiting the next morning when Oliver walked into his office.
Oliver looked more than surprised. ‘‘What the hell do you want now?’’
Jack handed him the warrant. ‘‘The lab found strychnine in the chocolate Peggy Kane ingested.’’
Oliver swore as he threw the warrant down on his desk. ‘‘What does that have to do with me?’’ He gave Tempest only a cursory glance as he shrugged out of his coat.
‘‘You’ve already met the new undersheriff,’’ Jack said.
‘‘I didn’t think you’d take the job,’’ Oliver said. ‘‘I didn’t think you’d be staying that long.’’
Tempest didn’t comment.
Oliver turned to Jack. ‘‘I don’t know how the poison got in the chocolates. But I can tell you one thing, there isn’t any poison in my office.’’
Jack went around to the desk and tried the top drawer. It was locked. He looked up at Oliver who reluctantly pulled out his keys and threw them down on the desk top next to the warrant.
Jack picked up the keys without a word and opened each drawer, looking through the contents, not surprised when he found nothing of interest.
He glanced around the office. Oliver had gone into Peggy’s office. He came back with what smelled like coffee in a glass mug. But from the looks of the tea-colored liquid, he didn’t have a clue how to make his own coffee.
‘‘Where’s your safe?’’ Jack asked.
The question seemed to startle Oliver. He sloshed some of the coffee onto the carpet and let out an oath. His eyes moved to the oak liquor cabinet against the wall. He either wanted a drink badly or he’d forgotten something he wished he hadn’t. ‘‘You’d better have a warrant to open that safe.’’
Jack motioned to the warrant still lying on the desk. ‘‘It includes all financial and personal records.’’
Oliver swore again. ‘‘You are determined to pin this on me, aren’t you.’’
‘‘The safe,’’ Jack asked.
Tempest had moved over to the bar. She opened the cabinet, pushed aside a few bottles of booze and a wooden panel to expose the safe as if she’d known it was there.
‘‘What’s the combination?’’ Jack asked joining her.
‘‘I’ll open it,’’ Oliver said and shoved them aside. It took him several tries to get the safe open. His hands were visibly shaking and Jack could see beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead and upper lip.
Jack stepped in quickly, stopping Oliver before he could remove anything from inside, the moment the door swung open. Tempest produced an evidence bag and began putting the papers he handed her inside it.
Oliver grabbed a bottle of bourbon and retreated behind his desk, his expression like death warmed over.
Jack dug through the safe, finding the usual stocks and bonds, insurance policies (five hundred thousand on both he and Mitzy), business papers dealing with his development plans and bank loans. He’d have Tempest go through all of it first because she had a head for numbers. While Jack didn’t think they’d find a motive for murder in the papers, he could see that something in the safe was making Oliver very nervous.
He had almost emptied the safe when his fingers brushed a large manila envelope that had been pushed to the back.
He drew it out and held it up as he turned to look at Oliver. He could tell that whatever
Good point. Especially since he didn’t know who at the Sanderses’ house wouldn’t be able to resist the chocolate—except for Peggy.
‘‘It’s late,’’ he said as he pocketed the date book. ‘‘I’ll get a warrant to search Oliver’s office first thing in the morning. Want to meet me there?’’
She nodded and walked out of the apartment. He stood for a moment looking at all the expensive things Peggy had purchased, all the while believing her life was about to change for the better. It was depressing as hell.
* * *
JACK AND TEMPEST were waiting the next morning when Oliver walked into his office.
Oliver looked more than surprised. ‘‘What the hell do you want now?’’
Jack handed him the warrant. ‘‘The lab found strychnine in the chocolate Peggy Kane ingested.’’
Oliver swore as he threw the warrant down on his desk. ‘‘What does that have to do with me?’’ He gave Tempest only a cursory glance as he shrugged out of his coat.
‘‘You’ve already met the new undersheriff,’’ Jack said.
‘‘I didn’t think you’d take the job,’’ Oliver said. ‘‘I didn’t think you’d be staying that long.’’
Tempest didn’t comment.
Oliver turned to Jack. ‘‘I don’t know how the poison got in the chocolates. But I can tell you one thing, there isn’t any poison in my office.’’
Jack went around to the desk and tried the top drawer. It was locked. He looked up at Oliver who reluctantly pulled out his keys and threw them down on the desk top next to the warrant.
Jack picked up the keys without a word and opened each drawer, looking through the contents, not surprised when he found nothing of interest.
He glanced around the office. Oliver had gone into Peggy’s office. He came back with what smelled like coffee in a glass mug. But from the looks of the tea-colored liquid, he didn’t have a clue how to make his own coffee.
‘‘Where’s your safe?’’ Jack asked.
The question seemed to startle Oliver. He sloshed some of the coffee onto the carpet and let out an oath. His eyes moved to the oak liquor cabinet against the wall. He either wanted a drink badly or he’d forgotten something he wished he hadn’t. ‘‘You’d better have a warrant to open that safe.’’
Jack motioned to the warrant still lying on the desk. ‘‘It includes all financial and personal records.’’
Oliver swore again. ‘‘You are determined to pin this on me, aren’t you.’’
‘‘The safe,’’ Jack asked.
Tempest had moved over to the bar. She opened the cabinet, pushed aside a few bottles of booze and a wooden panel to expose the safe as if she’d known it was there.
‘‘What’s the combination?’’ Jack asked joining her.
‘‘I’ll open it,’’ Oliver said and shoved them aside. It took him several tries to get the safe open. His hands were visibly shaking and Jack could see beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead and upper lip.
Jack stepped in quickly, stopping Oliver before he could remove anything from inside, the moment the door swung open. Tempest produced an evidence bag and began putting the papers he handed her inside it.
Oliver grabbed a bottle of bourbon and retreated behind his desk, his expression like death warmed over.
Jack dug through the safe, finding the usual stocks and bonds, insurance policies (five hundred thousand on both he and Mitzy), business papers dealing with his development plans and bank loans. He’d have Tempest go through all of it first because she had a head for numbers. While Jack didn’t think they’d find a motive for murder in the papers, he could see that something in the safe was making Oliver very nervous.
He had almost emptied the safe when his fingers brushed a large manila envelope that had been pushed to the back.
He drew it out and held it up as he turned to look at Oliver. He could tell that whatever
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