The woman shifted her gaze to Fiona. “I’ve seen you on TV. You’re investigating that robbery at the National Gallery.”
“We’re looking into it,” D.C. said. “I’m Captain Campbell and this is Lieutenant Gallagher.”
“Wendy Davis.” She held out her hand to him and as D.C. grasped it, she continued, “You weren’t on TV.”
“I’m trying to keep a low profile.”
“Too bad.” She winked at Fiona as she stepped aside and ushered them in. “I could have used the eye candy.”
Wendy cut a path through the furniture and waved them into a sturdy-looking love seat near the window. When she dropped into a rocking chair, a fat tabby cat sprang onto her lap.
D.C. pulled out his notebook. “We visited your neighbor earlier.”
Wendy nodded. “Then he and his pals took off and you came back. Is Billy a person of interest in your investigation?”
D.C. glanced up at her. She was smart, and she didn’t miss much. “We’re pursuing a lot of leads. His cousin was mugged last evening near the National Gallery.”
Fiona stiffened slightly, but she didn’t say a word.
Wendy’s eyes narrowed on D.C. “You think there might be a connection between that and the robbery?”
“We can’t discuss the details of our investigation. What can you tell us about Billy Franks?”
She shrugged. “I rarely run into him. He’s quiet, keeps to himself, doesn’t throw wild parties. If I run out of sugar, he’s not the neighbor I would think to borrow from.”
D.C. smiled. “I see that you paint over near the window. Can you tell us if Billy’s pals are here often?”
Wendy ran her hand over the cat. “In the last month, they’ve been here nearly 24/7. There’s lots of food deliveries—Chinese, Italian. Sometimes the delivery guys buzz the wrong apartment.”
“Any other visitors?”
She thought for a minute. “There was a woman who came here a couple of times. Once I was on my way out and saw her at their door. She came again just last week, but she didn’t stay long.”
“Can you give us a description?” D.C. asked.
“Early to midthirties, tallish. Drab clothes, sensible shoes, long, curly hair. She looked like a professor, but I thought it odd that she’d pay house calls. Professors didn’t do that when I was in college.”
“Perhaps you could sketch us a picture of the professor?” Fiona asked as she offered her notebook and pen.
Wendy glanced at D.C.
“We’d appreciate it.”
She began to sketch. “I only saw her from above or in profile when she was standing in front of Billy Franks’s door.”
“Can you tell us if Billy and his pals were here yesterday during the day?”
Not looking up from her work, she said, “I didn’t hear anything. But I usually don’t. I saw them leave about three.” She inclined her head toward the window. “That’s what I’d usually notice. And, of course, it gets dark so early now, I don’t know when he returned.” She studied the notepad, added a few more strokes, then handed it to Fiona. “That’s the best I can do.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Davis.” D.C. rose.
“It’s Miss. I took my maiden name back after my divorce.”
“If there’s anything else you remember, please call my lieutenant.”
Fiona handed her a card.
They were at the door when Wendy Davis said, “There was something. It’s kind of silly. And probably totally irrelevant.”
They both turned back.
“One day last week, I was on my way out and I saw the two geeks at Billy’s door. They were wearing red scarves. You’ve seen how they dress—Goth style—and they were carrying shopping bags. I thought I spotted a Santa hat on the top of one of them. It’s probably nothing.”
“Thank you, Miss Davis.”
Fiona waited until they were out on the street to say, “No, you can’t break into Billy’s apartment to look for scarves or possible hats, either.”
“Wouldn’t think of it. I imagine they dumped them shortly after they realized Amanda didn’t make it home last night. Her landlady certainly didn’t mention them.” As they crossed the street, he draped an arm across her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “By the way, you were a very good girl in there.”
She shot him a glance. “The eye candy was working. Miss Davis wouldn’t have tried to remember half as much for me.”
“Yeah, but I wasn’t the one who asked her to make a sketch of the mystery woman. Anyone we know?”
“She drew a pretty good likeness of Kathryn Lewen.”