17
Tanner stood in the middle of Abby’s living room, his gaze running over the dark oak furnishings and pale pastel walls. Everything was in its place, not even a magazine on the coffee table.
“What exactly are we looking for?” Logan asked him, his hands on his hips. “A note, maybe?”
Sam couldn’t search the house because he didn’t have a warrant. Emily, however, had a key to her mother’s house and had gladly given it to her father. Tanner wanted to take a look around and see if there was anything there that might tell them where Abby had gone off to.
So far, no luck. The house looked like the cleaning crew had just been there, almost spotless.
“I have no idea what we’re looking for,” Tanner admitted. “This is basically me just grasping at straws hoping to find out why Abby would suddenly leave without telling anyone. And where she might be going. It doesn’t make any sense, but then she’d tell you that I never did understand her. I think that I tried, but hell, maybe I didn’t. I wasn’t husband of the year, that’s for sure.”
“Considering how much we all work, and how our careers suck us in, I would imagine none of us would be sporting a trophy. It’s not easy being the spouse to someone who does what we do.”
“Abby hated being a cop’s wife. She always wanted something different. We stayed together for the kids but eventually even that didn’t work. When she married Marty, I was hoping she’d found someone who could make her happy.”
“I’ve always found that people make their own happiness. Generally speaking, no one can make another person happy. At least that’s what Ava says. She’s usually right.”
“Our wives are far wiser than we are so it’s good that you’re listening.”
“What does Maddie say about all of this?”
“She’s being fantastic,” Tanner groaned. “Not a word of complaint from her, and I know she’d like to say something but she’s chosen not to. Hell, she was the one that encouraged me to help Abby. She said it was the right thing to do. I don’t think either one of us thought that the case would go this way. Abby isn’t doing herself any damn favors here.”
“She didn’t even call your kids?”
“She’s not answering any calls from me, Chris, or Emily,” Tanner said, frustration in his voice. “We have no idea where she is, and she’s a suspect in the murder of her own husband. That’s why we’re standing here in her house looking for something and I don’t even know what. How pathetic is that?”
“Then let’s make this worth it,” Logan replied. “Emily let us in so let’s search the place. See if we can come up with anything that might help. Marty had his office here, right? I say we start there.”
The office was at the end of a long hall, overlooking the backyard. It was decorated in a masculine style with heavy dark oak furniture, and golf and tennis trophies displayed proudly on shelves. The other walls were covered almost floor to ceiling with books. Marty’s desk dominated the space, large and imposing with an expensive leather chair behind it.
“It’s like something out of a movie,” Logan remarked, his gaze running around the space. “Almost cliche. A person would take one look at this room and think a rich man sat behind that desk and signed business papers all day.”
Tanner agreed, although to Marty’s credit he hadn’t been the cliche real estate tycoon. He’d liked Marty for the most part. He thought the other man had been a good guy, and he seemed to have a good marriage to Abby.
Until lately. Tanner hadn’t known about all the fighting. Or the swinging. They still needed to talk to some of Marty’s fellow club members. They might have insight into his murder.
Logan tugged at the drawers on the desk, but they didn’t budge.
“Locked. I don’t suppose Emily gave you a key?”
“She didn’t, and I’m not inclined to break a lock. Not without talking to Abby first. The reason Sam hasn’t been here to look himself is that he doesn’t have enough probable cause for a warrant. If we find anything to help us, he might not be able to use it in a court of law. I can’t do that to him.”
“There’s papers on the desk,” Logan said, lifting one up to get a closer look. “It’s a copy of a contract to buy out Janice’s share of the real estate development. Dated over a year ago.”
“Why would Marty have that front and center on his desk?” Tanner wondered aloud. “That was a done deal long ago.”
“Maybe it wasn’t as done as we thought. He’s made some notes on it, but damn if I can understand them. It looks like a bunch of symbols.”
It was a bunch of symbols. Whatever Marty had been trying to say would be lost on the average reader. Tanner couldn’t help but wonder if that was the entire point. A cryptic shorthand that only Marty - and maybe a few others - would know what it meant.
“We have to find out more about that buyout,” Tanner said. “Just how upset was she? Enough to kill?”
Logan handed the contract to Tanner.
“It doesn’t look like anything out of the ordinary. Straight forward and to the point. They buy her out, and she has no more claim to any profits. Cut and dried.”
“Maybe that’s what she’s upset about. Once the money started coming in, she had a bit of buyer’s remorse for bailing too soon. Money can do strange things to people.”