The Texas Ranger's Family (Lone Star Lawmen 3)

“What can I do for you?”

“Check on the call that went to the Rodney Harris home maybe five, six minutes ago.” He wrote down the number of Natalie’s landline. “I need to know who made it, anything you can.”

“Will do.”

“I’ll be in with Stan when you’ve got any information for me.”

He moved on and found Stan comparing pictures on a screen. “Stan? Have you got prints from the Harris home yet?”

“We’re still working on them, but we have the prints off Harris’s cell and laptop. There were several different sets on and inside the car. They found a couple of long black hairs on the front passenger seat. We’re running the prints that aren’t Harris’s or his wife’s through the AFIS database. I’ll email you a copy of the results.” He eyed Kit but didn’t remark on the collar.

“Great.”

“Les has finished going over the car. It was totally clean. By that I mean there wasn’t anything in the glove compartment, no litter. Nothing.”

“When he checked the spare tire, did he see anything that could give us a clue where the car was serviced or purchased?”

“No. He found the laptop and cell phone in the trunk. They found a thumb print on the lid and we’re looking at it now. The two items were wrapped in a baby quilt, of all things.”

“Obviously it was wrapped to hide it from view.”

“You’ll notice two hundred and eighty thousand miles on the car.”

Interesting. Why would an accountant have done so much driving? “Later in the day someone from the staff will drive it over to Mrs. Harris’s house with the deceased’s personal effects.”

“Thanks, Stan.”

Kit would look through everything with her later. He hoped Natalie could remember how many miles were on the car when she’d first met her husband. If he had a travel allowance, Kit knew the mileage on the car would be way over the limit.

“Kit?” He turned to see Rafe coming toward him.

“What did you find?”

“That call originated from a throw-away phone.”

“I thought so. Appreciate it.”

Whoever had broken into Natalie’s house was anxious to get back in. Maybe the culprit thought the money had been stashed in the attic, unless he’d checked it out the first time. Kit phoned Stan.

“Kit?”

“One more question. Did the forensics team take prints on the trap door leading to the attic at the Harris residence?”

“Let me check.” He came back on the phone quickly. “No.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Forensics should have checked that. Kit would do it after he went back to Natalie’s house. Now that he was through here, he’d head over to LifeSpan Pharmaceutical and get the status on the investigation of the accounts fraud.

When he reached the car in the underground parking, he removed his clerical shirt and put on the brown Western shirt he’d brought, the badge attached to the front pocket. Then he phoned Natalie.

“Hi. I just found out Rod’s car will be delivered to your house later today. They’ll phone you first. I just wanted you to know what to expect. You’ll be happy to learn that the baby quilt you made was found in the trunk.”

“Oh—I’m so glad. I hated losing it. Thanks for letting me know.”

“Of course. While I have you on the phone, do you have any idea of the mileage on Rod’s car when you first started going out with him?”

After a silence she said, “No. Like I said, I simply wasn’t that curious. Sorry.”