Dismissed With Prejudice (9780061760631) by Judith A. Jance

least not yet. It was still too soon. She was still too angry with him for dying. It’s a common enough reaction, and I didn’t fault her for it.
    The time had come to begin the inevitable questioning process. Big Al picked up the ball and ran with it, speaking directly to Kimiko for the first time. “You said you talked to your father last night at his office?”
    Kimi nodded.
    â€œWhat time was that?”
    â€œAbout eight-thirty, I guess. He called around eleven yesterday morning while I was working. It took me several hours to get squared away at work, to make arrangements to have someone fill in for me both at school and on the farm.”
    â€œThe farm?” I asked, suddenly remembering the words printed on the side of the horse trailer. “Would that be Honeydale Farm?”
    People don’t expect you to pay attention to the little telltale clues they leave scattered around them. If you ask someone wearing a Yellowstone T-shirt how they liked Old Faithful, they’ll be mystified as to how you knew. They react as though you have some secret, black magic way of knowing things about them when it’s actually nothing more than using basic powers of observation. Kimi Kurobashi was no exception. She had long since stopped seeing the Honeydale Farm lettering on the horse trailer.
    â€œI live there,” she said, giving me an uncertain look. “I help out around the place for board and room both for me and Sadie.”
    â€œWho’s Sadie?”
    â€œMy horse. Teaching assistants don’t earn enough to support horses.”
    â€œYour parents haven’t been helping you then?”
    â€œAre you kidding? My father threw me out when I was nineteen years old. I’ve earned my own way ever since, every penny of it. When he called me yesterday, it was the first time I had spoken to him in almost nine years.”
    â€œThat’s a long time,” I said.
    â€œHe was a stubborn man,” she said, adding thoughtfully after a moment, “I must take after him.”
    â€œGetting back to yesterday,” I prompted.
    â€œAs I said, it took me a while to get things lined up. It was after one before I was able to get away. It takes a full five hours to get across the mountain pass, a little longer pulling the trailer, especially in weekend traffic, and it was windy coming across the Columbia. I didn’t get here until almost six-thirty.
    â€œMother must have spent weeks packing. She had been here working by herself all day long and was so tired she could barely stand. There wasn’t a crumb of food left in the house—everything was packed. I took her into Kirkland to have something to eat. She doesn’t drive. I dropped her off after dinner, and then I went to see my father.”
    â€œAt his office?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWas there anybody else there?”
    â€œOne person that I saw. A young guy who was moving files.”
    â€œMoving them where?”
    â€œI don’t know. I met him coming out of my father’s office carrying a full file drawer. He brought the empty drawer back later and got another full one. I assumed he must be packing them into boxes somewhere.”
    â€œDoesn’t that strike you as an odd way to move files?”
    â€œOdd? Maybe, especially on a Sunday night, but I didn’t question it, if that’s what you mean. I still don’t think you understand about my father, Detective…”
    â€œBeaumont,” I supplied.
    â€œDetective Beaumont. His word was law both at work and at home. Questioning wasn’t allowed. Period.”
    â€œSo what happened when you got to his office?”
    â€œAs I said, in the doorway I met this young man in overalls who was carrying the file drawer. I waited long enough for him to come out and then I went in.”
    â€œAnd your father was there?”
    She nodded. “Sitting at his desk, polishing that damn sword.”
    â€œHad you ever