“Maybe someone cared too much, and didn’t trust Ted to keep quiet, even with the blackmail. Maybe someone didn’t pay because he planned to kill Ted. We need to worry about that, too.”
“I am worried about it,” Michael said. “What’s with this ‘we’ stuff, anyway? I’m in California, and can’t exactly be much help, and you shouldn’t be doing this anyway.” *
“I’m crushed. I thought you shared Dad’s admiration for my amateur sleuthing skills.”
“I do. I think you’ve uncovered some important evidence here,” he said. “But if you’re right, and Ted was killed because he was blackmailing someone, what makes you think that same person will react calmly if you unmask him as the killer? Or her. Don’t take any chances. You need to turn that printout over to the police.”
“I will, of course,” I said. “Tomorrow morning.”
“Good.”
“After I’ve made a copy of it.”
“Oh, good grief.”
I sighed. It was too late, and I was too tired for yet another argument over my taking too many chances.
“Michael, don’t worry so much,” I said. “I’m not going to confront someone and accuse them. I’ll let the police do that. But I’m certainly in a better position than they are to try to figure out the real names of the people on the list. I’m there at Mutant Wizards all day.”
“What if some of the people on the list aren’t at Mutant Wizards?” he countered. “Ted did have a life outside the office, right?”
“Not in the last six months he didn’t,” I said. “And anyway, even if all the suspects aren’t from Mutant Wizards, we know the killer was there Monday. I know who was there Monday, and I have a lot better chance of catching them off guard than the police.”
“Just don’t take any foolish chances,” he said. “Sneaking around the office in the middle of the night is not a smart thing to do.”
“Don’t worry - I’m not feeling suicidal,” I said. “I’m not going to do anything but try to identify the rest of the people on the printout.”
“Yeah, right.”
He didn’t sound as if he believed me.
“And find out who Ted’s landlord is, of course,” I said. “If he rented the place, I’m more than half-convinced he was supposed to be some kind of caretaker until they could settle the estate and sell it.”
“You know, that’s not a bad idea,” Michael said. “You should definitely concentrate on the landlord angle. See if the place is for rent or sale.”
“Michael, were you paying attention when I described that house?”
“I gather it was a little run-down, but what’s wrong with a place that needs a little fixing up?”
“A little run-down? It’s a wreck!”
“So it’ll need a lot of fixing up,” he said. “We can handle it.”
“It’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and you must be the pod Michael,” I said. “It can’t possibly be the real Michael, Mr. ‘Neither one of us has time to bother with all that,’ who refused to even consider that nice but run-down farmhouse last summer. The farmhouse was in mint condition compared to this place.”
“That was last summer,” Michael said.
“And you’ve grown more reasonable?”
“More desperate,” he said. “Just check it out, will you?”
I closed my eyes. The place was way too big, and probably way too expensive, and I couldn’t even imagine what it would look like without Edwina Sprocket’s possessions crowding every inch of it. But something about Michael’s voice told me it wasn’t the right time to bring up any of that.
“Don’t get your hopes up. Everyone in town knows the place is vacant, you know.”
“Just check it out, okay?”
“Okay.”
When would I have time? I wondered. Maybe I could get Dad to do it.
After saying good night to Michael, I got ready for bed. I fussed with the ancient window air conditioner until it deigned to produce the occasional puff of cold air. And then I crawled into bed, but for a little while, I lay there, staring at the printout some more, looking, in vain, for more inspiration.
“Tomorrow,” I said, and turned out the light.