No Accounting for Murder

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Carly was glad to be home, but that didn't stop her mind from working on the events of the past few days. And trying to figure out what was going on and how it could possibly be connected gave her an appetite. Wanting to treat Mike, she decided to make his favorite meal-pot roast. While that cooked, she spent some time putting her files in order, boxing up the exhibits from her last client, tidying up the house in preparation for Denise and the grandkids' arrival, and sending an e-mail to the grandkids.

With some nervousness, she checked her fax machine for messages. No new faxes about the mystery job offer. Pleased that they decided to take her no as no, she was also a little disappointed that they hadn't pursued her a little more. After all, if she was exactly the person they needed, shouldn't they have upped the ante or something?

Not that she would choose to work for them. But still, it was nice to be wanted.

After an early dinner, Mike reminded her about her keys before he disappeared into his office to continue working on the point-of-sale program for his client. Carly sat in the quiet of their comfortable living room and called the impound sergeant. He assured her that her keys were safe and he would give them to Denise when she dropped by.

Doc the cat, tired of the neglect, jumped onto her lap. Absently she stroked his silky fur, calmed by his soft purring and warmed by the bulk of his body. She scratched under his chin. "If you keep getting any bigger, I'm going to have to put you on a diet."

Doc stared into her face, listening to the sound of her voice. He squeezed his eyes shut, indicating his enjoyment. He pressed his head into her hand, encouraging her to continue.

Carly complied as she considered her next move. The school board meeting was two days away, so that left her precious little time to figure out how to divert attention from Denise and onto the real embezzler, who she now believed to be Mr. Daniels. How to prove it?

Carly reviewed what she knew about Walter Daniels. He had taught at a school in the Midwest, he was a signing officer on the school bank account, he knew more than he was telling her about Mayor Wells and the school records. If he had stolen the money from the school, how did that connect him with anything else that was going on?

Offsetting her suspicion was Mike's confidence in his innocence. After spending an hour or so with the man this afternoon, he was convinced Daniels would be acting out of character to take the money or kill someone. On top of that was mounded Daniels's interest in engines and anything mechanical. To Mike, it was like whipping cream on a banana split.

Carly wasn't convinced yet. Mike's argument was logical, as was most of what he said and did. Still, she knew there were numerous convicted felons in prison who would tell you they had a logical explanation for why they'd been convicted of a crime, and it had nothing to do with being guilty.

Didn't cut water with her. Evidence was evidence. And circumstantial or not, it was still proof.

She sighed, her impatience bubbling to the surface once again. There was so much to be done to get ready for the kids. So much she didn't know about this whole situation. Her body cried out with pain every time she moved. Every sound made her jump. She needed to rest, but right now she suspected she was too keyed up to close her eyes. Besides which, the small office she shared with Mike wasn't conducive to two people working in there at the same time. Mike was the one under a time constraint with his new client.

She needed some way to relax that didn't include poring over financial statements or crunching numbers.

As Doc purred against her belly, she envied his easy-going lifestyle. No job, no deadlines, no stress. Just one nap after the other. Maybe in her next life she could come back as a cat. Settling back into the sofa, she focused on Doc's silky fur and warmth. She blinked several times, fighting the sleep threatening to overtake her.