forty-five-minute drive. ‘Okay. I’m going to stop by Miss Montgomery’s house first.’ It was about twenty minutes away, in Roland Park, an exclusive neighborhood north of the city. ‘I want to be sure Ford and his girlfriend aren’t there.’
Maynard’s gaze was fixed out the window, in the direction of the alley. And his dead friend. ‘How do you plan to get into her house?’ he asked tonelessly.
‘My brother mentioned that her mother and an aunt live with her.’
‘Not anymore. They stay there sometimes, on weekends, but Simone bought a condo in Roland Park, not far from her dress shop. She’s there now. Maggie should be there with her. Maggie’s not Daphne’s aunt, though. She’s an old family friend. She lives at the farm.’
Joseph knew about Mrs Montgomery’s dress shop. He’d actually shopped there, for his mother. But Maynard knew all the details. Leave it, Carter . ‘ We can stop at the dress shop for a key to Daphne’s house.’
Maynard hadn’t looked away from the window. ‘No need to stop. I have a key.’
Joseph swallowed hard. Of course you do . ‘ That’s convenient then.’
‘Ford’s not at the house or Simone’s condo in the ’burbs. I saw Daphne this morning and she was feeling guilty for ignoring him. She hasn’t seen him in two weeks. I thought he might be at the condo here in the city, but he’s not.’
Joseph blinked. ‘How many houses does Daphne have?’
‘Too many to keep safe,’ Maynard murmured. ‘The condo here in the city is pretty basic. She bought it as an investment, but her old tenant moved out. Now she keeps it for when she works too late to drive home. Ford uses it when he needs to study and the dorm is too loud. It’s next to the Inner Harbor.’
Whoa . Those places weren’t cheap. Joseph owned a few investment condos there himself. His own apartment truly was basic – just a place to lay his head, it was located close to his family’s home. ‘Those condos on the harbor aren’t what I’d call “basic”. They rent for a couple thousand a month.’
Maynard turned to look at him. ‘From a security standpoint, I meant. The building provides a lot of the security, so I don’t worry so much about her there.’
‘Oh. They’d have a record of Ford coming and going then. Even if he’s not there now, I can call and see if he and Kimberly have been there.’
‘They haven’t. I called the desk to ask while you were talking to Novak. Last time the condo was used was last week. Daphne crashed there after working most of the night.’
Did security tell you that or were you there with her? The question danced on the tip of Joseph’s tongue, but he swallowed it back. ‘What other properties does she have besides her house, her mother’s condo, and the condo on the harbor?’
‘She owns a farm in Hunt Valley, twenty acres. That’s where Maggie lives, along with the horses. Maggie takes care of the animals. The farm is the worst, security-wise. Too many entrances and outbuildings.’
‘Four properties. But she lives in the Roland Park house?’
‘Yeah. It’s a Victorian, built in the 1880s. It had no security system until the Millhouses started their threats. I installed one. Anyone comes or goes, I know.’
‘How?’
‘The system sends a text message to my phone.’
Joseph was reluctantly impressed. Maynard was taking care of Daphne. That was good, right? Yeah , he thought glumly. Right . Then he shoved his mind back on track. Hunt Valley was a half hour northwest of her house. ‘Would Ford go to the farm?’
‘Probably not. Especially without a car. Did you check his dorm?’
‘Roommate says he never came back last night,’ Joseph said. ‘I need you to text all of Daphne’s addresses to my boss.’ He dialed Bo on his cell. ‘It’s Joseph. We need uniforms at the kids’ dorms and all of Miss Montgomery’s properties. Her security manager is texting you with the addresses. I want to preserve any evidence while we
Maynard’s gaze was fixed out the window, in the direction of the alley. And his dead friend. ‘How do you plan to get into her house?’ he asked tonelessly.
‘My brother mentioned that her mother and an aunt live with her.’
‘Not anymore. They stay there sometimes, on weekends, but Simone bought a condo in Roland Park, not far from her dress shop. She’s there now. Maggie should be there with her. Maggie’s not Daphne’s aunt, though. She’s an old family friend. She lives at the farm.’
Joseph knew about Mrs Montgomery’s dress shop. He’d actually shopped there, for his mother. But Maynard knew all the details. Leave it, Carter . ‘ We can stop at the dress shop for a key to Daphne’s house.’
Maynard hadn’t looked away from the window. ‘No need to stop. I have a key.’
Joseph swallowed hard. Of course you do . ‘ That’s convenient then.’
‘Ford’s not at the house or Simone’s condo in the ’burbs. I saw Daphne this morning and she was feeling guilty for ignoring him. She hasn’t seen him in two weeks. I thought he might be at the condo here in the city, but he’s not.’
Joseph blinked. ‘How many houses does Daphne have?’
‘Too many to keep safe,’ Maynard murmured. ‘The condo here in the city is pretty basic. She bought it as an investment, but her old tenant moved out. Now she keeps it for when she works too late to drive home. Ford uses it when he needs to study and the dorm is too loud. It’s next to the Inner Harbor.’
Whoa . Those places weren’t cheap. Joseph owned a few investment condos there himself. His own apartment truly was basic – just a place to lay his head, it was located close to his family’s home. ‘Those condos on the harbor aren’t what I’d call “basic”. They rent for a couple thousand a month.’
Maynard turned to look at him. ‘From a security standpoint, I meant. The building provides a lot of the security, so I don’t worry so much about her there.’
‘Oh. They’d have a record of Ford coming and going then. Even if he’s not there now, I can call and see if he and Kimberly have been there.’
‘They haven’t. I called the desk to ask while you were talking to Novak. Last time the condo was used was last week. Daphne crashed there after working most of the night.’
Did security tell you that or were you there with her? The question danced on the tip of Joseph’s tongue, but he swallowed it back. ‘What other properties does she have besides her house, her mother’s condo, and the condo on the harbor?’
‘She owns a farm in Hunt Valley, twenty acres. That’s where Maggie lives, along with the horses. Maggie takes care of the animals. The farm is the worst, security-wise. Too many entrances and outbuildings.’
‘Four properties. But she lives in the Roland Park house?’
‘Yeah. It’s a Victorian, built in the 1880s. It had no security system until the Millhouses started their threats. I installed one. Anyone comes or goes, I know.’
‘How?’
‘The system sends a text message to my phone.’
Joseph was reluctantly impressed. Maynard was taking care of Daphne. That was good, right? Yeah , he thought glumly. Right . Then he shoved his mind back on track. Hunt Valley was a half hour northwest of her house. ‘Would Ford go to the farm?’
‘Probably not. Especially without a car. Did you check his dorm?’
‘Roommate says he never came back last night,’ Joseph said. ‘I need you to text all of Daphne’s addresses to my boss.’ He dialed Bo on his cell. ‘It’s Joseph. We need uniforms at the kids’ dorms and all of Miss Montgomery’s properties. Her security manager is texting you with the addresses. I want to preserve any evidence while we
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