For Sale in Palm Springs: The Henry Wright Mystery Series

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Henry gave Amit Anchula a ride home that night; he wanted to check some things with Wayne before giving him back his keys and full mobility. He told Anchula about his encounter with his neighbor and the large dog and was told that Lucky, the dog, probably would have licked him to death.

On Anchula's recommendation Henry went to the Hilton Garden Inn on El Camino Real where they had plenty of rooms available. It was very late and he was tired when he threw his bag down on one of the beds and sat down on the other and called Wayne's cell phone.

"Henry?" Wayne answered on the third ring.

"Yeah, couldn't you tell it was me from your phone?"

"You must be in a different area code than earlier, I wasn't sure."

"I'm in a hotel in Mountain View; I need you to check on something for me." Henry took off his shoes and lay down on the bed.

"How did it go with Anchula?" Wayne asked.

"Long story, but he was in the house the morning after Thornbird was killed." Henry explained.

"So he didn't do it? Are you sure?" Wayne sounded unsure.

"It's easy enough to verify, but he says he flew down the afternoon of the day that Thornbird was murdered, but to be sure there is something that I need you to look at for me." Henry reached for the television remote on the nightstand; he could watch the late news before going to sleep.

"Ok, shoot. What do you need?" Wayne asked. "Anchula claims that the front door was open when he got there, Thornbird was dead in a pool of blood and when he saw the body he spooked and as he ran out he kicked the door on the way and it slammed shut. Can you have someone go out to the house and look for scuff marks or something on the door to corroborate his story?" Henry surfed through the channels on the television while talking with Wayne.

"You know what, I'll go out personally and have a look around to see what I can find." Wayne sounded tired as well. "I can call you back at this number in the morning. Anything else?"

"No, just let me know what you find. Talk to you in the morning." Henry hung up the phone and lay back on the bed. He should call Rosie and ask her about Saturday, where did he put her phone number?

He awoke in the same position as the daylight was trying to come in through the blackout curtains, and some way too cheerful young woman was talking about the local traffic on the television. He didn't mean to fall asleep in his clothes; he was just tired after a long day. He was in the shower when the phone rang.

Fortunately the Hilton had the foresight to install a phone in the bathroom. Henry picked it up with one of the big fluffy towels wrapped around him so that he didn't drip all over the bathroom floor.

"Wayne?"

"Yeah, how'd you know it was me, do you have caller id in the hotel?" Wayne's voice was cheerful on the other end. "No there's no caller id at the hotel but you're the only one that knows I'm here." Henry started drying off his head.

"Well, I'm calling you from the house on Granvia Valmonte where Thornbird was murdered. The front door has one of those springy doorstop things on it to keep the door from banging into the wall. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"What time is it anyway?" Henry asked.

"It's almost nine; anyway, there is a large dimple in the wall where the door stop hit it kind of hard. It was definitely made after the place was painted." Wayne explained,

"The paint is flexed inward, so it was still soft when it happened."

"So Anchula was right. That means the real killer left the front door open Wayne." Henry reached for his shaving gear in his toilet bag.