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mean. It just came to me that there was a hole in his study where it stands.
A Maltese Falcon? What is it made out of? Kate asked, thinking all the
while,Damn, damn.
Pottery or porcelain, something glazed. It s an award he got from the Crime
Club of Canada for a book he wrote about collecting, five years ago. He was
very proud of it.
And it s usually in his study?
With the other awards, yes. It would be anachronistic downstairs, so he kept
it up there. I m sure it was there the last time I was in the study, after the
dinner party, on January seventh. I remember him saying something about a book
he was thinking about writing, that maybe he d get the falcon a mate. I
suppose he could have moved it, he said, sounding unconvinced.
We ll keep an eye out for it, she told him, and hung up. Blunt object: head
injury.Shit.
She eyed the phone. If she called Lo-Tec and asked if he d seen a black bird
statue, he would insist on going out to the Gilbert house then and there, no
matter how long his day had been. Or hers.
Instead, she phoned Chris Williams.
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He answered on the fourth ring; a child was wailing in the background.
Sorry, Chris, this is Kate. I hope I didn t wake your was it a son? a
daughter? Kate couldn t remember the overheard conversation well enough kid?
Oh no, he s working on a tooth, decided to give up sleep until he starts
school. In three years. What s up?
Kate explained about the bird statue, asked if he remembered seeing it. No,
nothing of that sort. You going out to look for it tonight? He tried to sound
willing, but the lack of enthusiasm came through loud and clear.
No, that s why I m calling you rather than Crime Scene. I just wanted to
check if it rang a bell with you, but I ll go out in the morning, and if
necessary, call CSI out again.
Want me to meet you there?
That s up to you.
What time?
Ten-thirty?
I ll be there.
Tight money was a harsh reality of policing, and it cost too much to have a
microscopic search done on every site faintly related to a homicide and in
this case, it was only a possible homicide. If the body had been found inside
the house, or if they had seen any indication that Gilbert had died there, a
thorough search would have been justified, but neither had led them in that
direction. However, a missing blunt object? That was another matter entirely.
THREE
Sunday morning dawned, the first sun of February spilling through the kitchen
windows. Lee made waffles, the Sunday paper drifted in all directions, and
Kate dared a leisurely third cup of coffee.
At 9:37, her phone rang.
Martinelli, have you heard anything from Williams?
Al s voice was taut, and Kate felt her body go tight in response. No, I was
going to meet him at Gilbert s house later this
They ve had an incident in Marin, he interrupted.
What kind?
Sounds like a church shooting in Tiburon, unknown number of people down, the
shooter drove west, reports are into Muir Woods.
Is that part of the park?
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Who knows? It s near, everybody ll be called in.
Shit. Kate suddenly became aware that both Lee and Nora were staring at
her. She gave Lee an apologetic smile and tipped her head at Nora; Lee
instantly stood up and began urging the child toward the sink and its soap
bubbles.
Kate turned away and carried the phone into the next room. Al was describing
a brief report heard by Jani on the radio twenty minutes before and the
difficulties in getting information. He ended, But I thought I should give
you the heads-up, in case you hadn t heard.
I ll phone Williams.
You want me to come up? I ve got an interview with the ADA in the Broadlands
case, Sunday was the only day he could fit it in, but I can cut it short.
No, it s just a matter of looking for a blunt object the lawyer thought
might be missing, and if it s not there, letting Crime Scene in to do a more
thorough search. I ll call Williams, tell him not to worry, I ll be there.
Fine. I ll have my cell on, if you want me.
Let me know if you hear anything.
Will do. Hi to Lee.
Kate hung up, envisioning the heartbreaking chaos up above the headlands at
that moment. It was less likely for a Tiburon shooting to be gang-related than
a similar incident in the city, but that didn t mean the residents lacked
guns.
She walked back out to the kitchen, where Lee and Nora were elbow-deep in
suds. Nora stared up at her, emerald eyes dancing in glee. Mamakay, you used
a naughty word!
I did, love, I m sorry. What s my punishment?
The gamine face screwed in thought, hands dripping suds on the towels spread
across the chair she stood on. You have to read metwo stories tonight.
Kate picked her up, suds and all, and hugged her into a squeal. That s no
punishment, little monkey.
Was that Al? Lee asked.
Yep, he said hi to you, just wanted me to know that something s come up in
Marin, the guy from there might be tied up. Is there any local news, do you
know?
Kate found a channel eventually, showing the aftermath of disaster. Al had
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