Fat hen farm 01- Killer tracks by Sandy Vale Page A

boxes, wondering who was outside. She heard file drawers opening and closing, then the office door closed and it was quiet again. She started to breathe again. Was it safe to leave her hiding spot?
    Fumbling around in the dark she bumped into a suitcase. She cracked the closet door to peak outside and saw that the office was empty. The light let her see that the suitcase was Roger’s. What was it doing here? Kitty looked inside and saw two cruise tickets in the names of Roger Wilson and Candy Shaw, Roger’s clothes and a wrapped gift package. This didn’t make any sense. Was Roger having an affair with Candy? Was he planning a trip with her? Maybe David found out. That would be another motive.
    Kitty took the suitcase and folders labeled Jimmie’s Auto, locked the door behind her and hurried to her car. She wanted to get home to look at this stuff more careful y. She didn’t notice the black car that pul ed out after her and fol owed her back to Wil ow Fal s.

Chapter 6
    A hot shower, a cup of mint tea, and Licorice in her lap helped her to refocus and get the events of the day in order in her head. She would real y just like to lie down and take a nap but she had promised to make dinner for everyone again.
    Michael came in from the barn looking tired.
    Kitty pul ed herself together. “Would you like a beer, Michael?”
    “That’d be great. I think your detective friend just pul ed in.”
    Max went to the door to greet him. Once he met someone once, he didn’t forget them.
    “Hi Frank. How did your meeting with Herb go?”
    “Herb? Oh, the police chief. He’s stil working on fingerprints and checking at al the businesses here to see if anyone saw anything unusual the day Roger was kil ed. I gave him the cardboard gun you found in your car. He said he would have an officer park on the street to keep an eye on your driveway.”
    Kitty grabbed three beers and a bottle opener and put them on the table. “I’m tired, let’s sit down for a few minutes before I start cooking.
    Michael, how are the chicks doing?”
    “So far so good.”
    Kitty got up from the table. “I almost forgot. When I got my car back, there was a folder on the front seat. It doesn’t make sense to me. I’l go get it.”
    Candy was driving up just as Kitty went out to her truck.
    “Candy, I completely forgot you were coming. Tina should be here any minute. Do you want to come in? Have something to drink?”
    “I . . . I don’t know. I’l wait here for Tina if that’s okay.”
    “Sure. I have to get something from my car.”
    Tina pul ed in as Kitty headed back to the house. She slowed down to hear what Tina and Candy were saying.
    “Candy, are you okay?” Tina asked as she put her hand on Candy’s arm.
    “I can’t stay. Here. Don’t tel anyone I gave this to you.” Candy nervously handed a folder to Tina and walked back to her car.
    “Where did you get it?” Tina asked as she started to fol ow Candy.
    Candy looked back. “I found it in David’s car. I have to go. I don’t know what it means.” Both Tina and Kitty held folders. They looked at each other wondering what it might mean.
    “Let’s go in and take a look at what Candy gave us. Looks like we have company,” Tina said eyeing Frank and Michael sitting in the kitchen.
    Kitty pul ed out several sheets of paper with rows of numbers. “I don’t know what this means. What’s in your folder?” Tina pul ed out pages of photos of cars. “This doesn’t make any sense either.” They both studied the pages before putting them on the table.
    Frank leaned forward looking careful y at the papers. “I think these numbers might be the vehicle identification numbers of cars. Maybe these photos are the corresponding cars. Kitty, I told you that I’ve been investigating a stolen car ring. This might be the evidence I need. Someone must have left that folder in your truck by mistake. If they realize what happened, they’l want it back. Who was at Jimmie’s Auto when you