“We appreciate the contact with the outside world,” Harriet said.
They chatted for another few moments then said goodbye.
“Okay, what was that all about?” Lauren demanded.
“Let’s get Aunt Beth and Mavis so I don’t have to say this all twice,” she said.
“Get us for what?” Aunt Beth asked as she and Mavis came in from the studio.
“We thought we heard the phone,” Mavis added. “You heard correct,” Lauren said. “Detective Morse just called, and sometime in the next decade, Harriet is going to tell us about it.”
“Morse is still stuck on the other side of the slide along with the other Foggy Point detectives. Apparently, Officer Nguyen reached her on his satellite phone after we saw him. By the time he got done doing whatever she told him to do to secure the office, he couldn’t get back over the bridge, so he’s holed up in the upstairs of the building. One of the other officers came in while he was there, so there are now two of them trapped there. She says the office is current on all its disaster planning, so they have food and water available.”
Harriet went back to her chair by the fire. Lauren sat on the stool she had pulled as close to the heat as she could stand.
“She said she got hold of that skinny blond officer we met that one time, but she had a tree fall on her house and her leg. Apparently, there’s a doctor on her street who was able to put a splint on her leg, which is broken, but she can’t do anything but sit with it elevated.”
“And?” Lauren prompted. “Get to the punch line.”
Harriet started to say something, but Aunt Beth put a hand on her arm, silencing her. She took a deep breath.
“The upshot is, the only officers Morse can get hold of are out of commission. She asked a lot of questions about what Tom and I saw at the homeless camp. I think her concern, along with the task force group she is with, is that the highway serial killer is trapped here with us. All indications are that the killer-or killers-drives a semi.”
“Oh, honey, don’t tell me she wants you to get involved in those murders,” Mavis protested.
“No, not exactly,” Harriet said choosing her words carefully to avoid having to tell an outright lie. “I could tell she was reluctant to ask us to go anywhere near the homeless camp…” That part was true, Harriet thought. “…but she can’t raise anyone else.”
“What does she want us to do?” Lauren asked, leaning toward her.
“She wants to know where the truck-driving couple was on three dates-the last week of August, September seventeenth and Halloween. If they were any distance from Highway One-oh-one or Interstate Five then they can’t be the serial killers Morse and company are looking for.”
“How does that help us with Duane’s murder?” Lauren asked.
“Morse said before that most murder victims know their attacker. The likelihood of a second serial killer operating in our area is slim to none, so if the couple is eliminated as possible suspects than our danger level drops dramatically.”
“And if they are the serial killers?” Lauren persisted. “What’s that do for our danger level?”
“I’d like to hear the answer to that one myself,” Mavis said.
“It sounds like a terrible idea to me,” Aunt Beth stated.
“I’m sure we’ll be safe if several of us go. She didn’t seem to think Duane was a serial killer victim, and according to the paper, those victims were always alone when they were last seen.”
“I can’t believe a police detective would make such a request,” Aunt Beth said.
“Believe me, she needs this information. She said they’re all getting antsy sitting there at their hotel. The task force has a limited budget, and the non-Foggy Point members don’t want to spend the money to get a helicopter so they can interview the couple themselves, and it’s not guaranteed they could even get a helicopter. The Coast Guard won’t bring them.
“She said the task force members from Seattle are sure ‘their’ serial killer couldn’t possibly be someplace as mundane as Foggy Point. They’re still working on other possibilities, but it would help Jane if she could eliminate our pair.”
“So, ‘eliminate’ sounds like she doesn’t think they’re the killers,” Mavis said.
“She said they’ve been operating under the assumption they’re looking for a lone killer, but she said the profiler on the team says they can’t rule out the possibility the killer has taken on a partner. I guess it’s rare, but it does happen,” Harriet reported.
“We need to make a plan,” Lauren said. “You know, figure out who is going to say what when we go up there.”
“I think we should decline her request,” Beth said. “I can’t imagine what she’s thinking, suggesting we put ourselves in harm’s way.”
“I ran into her at the Steaming Cup a couple of weeks ago, and we had coffee,” Mavis said. “I think the male detectives aren’t giving her the kind of support they would if she were also a man. She didn’t come straight out and say as much, mind you-it’s just the feeling I got.”
“That might explain it,” Aunt Beth said. “If she’s being left out of the loop, she might need to come up with something-you know, to prove she’s as good as the guys are.”
“Morse said the victims so far were last seen traveling alone at night on either Highway One-oh-one or the interstate. If we go as a group during the day to the camp, where there are additional people, we’ll be fine.”
“Easy for her to say,” Mavis said. “I’m with Beth-good reason or not, I don’t like it.”
“Would you feel better if we took Jorge or Tom with us?” Harriet asked. “I’m sure either one of them would be up for the adventure.”
“I think it’s none of our business,” Aunt Beth said.
“I’m sure Detective Morse wouldn’t want us to do this if she felt there was any risk,” Harriet insisted. “You know how conservative she is.”
“If you gals are determined, I guess we better work on our story,” Mavis said with a sigh. “Anyone want a cup of tea?”
“I think we should bring up Halloween first,” Harriet said for what seemed to her like the hundredth time. The women had been suggesting and rejecting scenarios for more than an hour. “We don’t need them to have alibis for all three dates. If they were elsewhere for any one of the dates they can’t be the killers. Halloween is an easy date to talk about.”
“Harriet’s right,” Mavis said. “We can talk about the quilts we made for Halloween.”
“I still think it’s like poking a hornet’s nest with a stick,” Beth said when they’d all agreed on a plan.
“And what would that be?” Jorge asked. The four women had been so intent on their plan no one had noticed that he’d come into the kitchen from the garage. “I can tell from the look on Señora Beth’s face I’m not going to like this.”
“Detective Morse called, and she wants this bunch to go questioning people at the homeless camp about the murder up there,” Aunt Beth explained in an exasperated tone.
“Don’t worry, Señora, I’ll keep them safe.” He looked at Harriet. “Do not even think about going without me there to protect you.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Harriet said with a sigh. “I was hoping you were going to offer to drive anyway.”
“I saw you have a bag of pinto beans in your pantry. I can make some bean-and-rice burritos for the people.”
“I don’t have that many tortillas,” Harriet protested.
“Please do not insult the cook,” he shot back. “You have a large bag of flour-that’s all I need.”
“That will give Jorge a good reason to be there and maybe give him a chance to poke around a little,” Mavis pointed out.
“I’ll put the beans in to soak,” Jorge said and turned toward the pantry to get the ingredients he’d need.