“How did it go?” he asked her.
She stood, shaking her head with disgust. “Nothing. And we searched, and we’re good. I know some folks figure we have to be yokels down here in the islands, but we’re good at our jobs, and better than any outsider because we know how to search beaches, the water, swamps, marshes, hammocks, you name it. We had divers out. We did a grid out there. There was no sign of anything. No one even left a damned foam cup out there!”
“I didn’t think there would be anything to find,” Liam said. “The killer took his weapon, there’s been rain, so no footprints, and I’m sure whoever did this was extremely clever.”
“You don’t think it was just a fight of some kind?” Egert asked.
“No. Who the hell has a stiletto-type weapon on them when it’s just a fight gone bad?” Liam said. “Someone is trying to get into this house. They want something in it. Gary White saw them and knew who they were, maybe even what they were doing. Or he was killed on purpose just to scare people away. That’s my theory. Anyway, I know you and your group are the best. I’ll see you later, Yolanda.”
“Well, you’re good at what you do, too, Liam. Wish we could give you more.”
“Not your fault. It’s just that a murder weapon is such a good thing to find.”
“I hear you. But the killer was smart. Took it with him.”
He said goodbye to her and headed to his car. The crime-scene tape was all coming down. Liam waved to a few of the other workers, calling in to the station as he did so. He wasn’t going in right away; he had a few stops to make, and he wanted to make sure that his officers were following up on questioning just about everyone everywhere to find out when Gary White had last been seen.
He headed to Truman and around U.S. 1 on Roosevelt to reach the “new” part of the island and the shopping center where Joe Richter had his offices. Richter’s secretary asked him politely if he had an appointment; Liam offered her his badge.
“Oh. Oh!” the secretary said. “Uh, sure.” Nervously, she pressed a button to announce Liam’s arrival.
Joe Richter came straight out of his office to greet him. “Liam Beckett. How are you? Sad business, yesterday. Poor Kelsey. She comes home to bury her grand father, and a corpse shows up on her property. Sorry—did you know Gary White? Folks say he’s been around, that I must have seen him, but I don’t think that I knew the man.” He pumped Liam’s hand and indicated his office. “Come on in and let me see how I can help you.”
“Thanks,” Liam told him.
Seated across from Richter’s desk, Liam said, “You know, Joe, Gary White was one of the people I caught breaking into the Merlin house after Cutter died.”
“Bad business,” Joe said. “Cutter was such an old coot. Amazing man, but I guess that house has so much in it, it’s just a major temptation.”
“A lot in it, but it’s not always easy to recognize what’s valuable.”
Joe shrugged. “I knew the man’s legal dealings. I don’t know much about his collections. He left all that for his granddaughter to handle.”
“Do you think that Gary White might have been searching for something specific?” Liam asked. “Did you know of any piece that Cutter had that might be extremely valuable—and easy to slip out without anyone knowing any better?”
Richter lifted his hands. “I know there’s a lot valuable in there. Believe it or not, the damned mummy is extremely valuable. There was a time, when the English first delved heavily into Egyptian archeology, that mummies were a dime a dozen, in many places. I don’t think that Cutter’s mummy was someone incredibly important historically, but I know that the coffin and sarcophagus are considered fine examples of Egyptian art during the reign of Ramses II.”
“A sarcophagus is rather big to slip out,” Liam commented. He sat back comfortably in the chair and tapped his fingers lightly together. He had alienated Ted and Jaden last night, and he’d hoped he’d made it up and explained. Ted and Jaden were longtime friends. He didn’t want to alienate Richter, because he didn’t want the man on the defensive. If he was clean, he might be able to help. If he was dirty, it would be good to have him think that he was getting away with everything.
Which the perpetrator was, at the moment, he reminded himself dryly.
“Well, that’s true.” Richter shook his head. “The damned property is worth a mint. But I guess you can’t walk away with property.”