Present Danger

and spoke in hushed tones. “I’m sorry. I came by to drop off a sympathy card and gift basket from my grandfather. Pauline somehow thought I was official and started talking. Dragged me into the room. I told her to wait and that someone was coming.” Terra rubbed her temple. “I should leave now.”
She turned to walk away. Jack should let her go, but he touched her arm, stopping her. “Pauline seems to be comfortable talking to you. Let’s not mess with the rhythm. Stay a little longer.”
In Jim’s office, Jack pulled on gloves. A calendar was spread on the desk with handwritten appointments. Jack took a picture. The laptop was closed. He would leave that for a forensic tech. He didn’t see a physical filing cabinet.
Terra sighed. “I should go check on Pauline.”
Jack followed her out. Terra turned right, and Jack took a left to find himself in the last room down the hall—the laundry room. He stepped inside the space and spotted the washing machine. It appeared newfangled to him, but it could still be old. What did he know?
Pauline, appearing to have composed herself, stepped into the space. She had guests to attend to, he surmised, even though they had come to comfort her. Terra stood behind Pauline.
“Tell me about the day before when he called in about the Piper that crashed. Did he talk to you about that at all?” He remained focused on Pauline but didn’t miss the subtle surprise in Terra’s eyes. He’d only learned the news when Sarnes texted him with the information this morning.
“The Piper?”
“I mean the plane crash. He was the one who saved the pilot.” Coincidence? Or was his death related?
Pauline’s eyes almost brightened within her swollen, red features. “Yes. He came home breathless. Excited that he’d helped someone out.”
“What was he doing up in those woods?” Terra asked.
Pauline stared at Terra. “I thought he was on a mountain road near the airstrip and saw the plane go down.”
“Right, but do you know why he was in the area?” Jack asked.
Pauline frowned, and the tears came again. “I don’t know.”
Jack wasn’t making much headway in getting answers from Pauline.
“He was a hero, Pauline. You remember that,” Terra said.
Pauline leaned into her. “I know. He saved someone, but now he’s dead.”
The woman ran her hand over the top of the washing machine and released a heavy sigh. Jack stood back and took in the room where she’d had her last conversation with her husband. He glanced at the floor and spotted a small key.
With his hands still gloved, he picked it up. “What’s this?”
“That’s the key he kept in his wallet. It must have fallen out when he was looking for his credit card. He wanted to pay the man to make the repairs, and I wanted a new machine.”
He kept a key in his wallet? “Do you know what it unlocks?”
Pauline slowly shook her head, then covered her eyes for a few heartbeats before dropping her hands to stare at the washing machine again. Jack wouldn’t press her further, but she either knew something or ignored her husband’s secrets. Jack would have guessed the dropped key was to a lawn mower or a backyard shed, except Jim had kept it in his wallet.
“Thank you for your time,” Jack said. “If it’s all right with you, I’ll just hold on to this key. Do I have your permission to look inside whatever it opens if I can find it?”
She hugged herself and nodded.
“Also, I’d like to look around the house some more.”
“Of course. Take your time.” Pauline hobbled down the hallway, the grief weighing on her.
Terra watched Pauline go, sorrow reflected in her eyes. Pauline’s responses, along with the uncertain key, left Jack with questions.
What were you up to, Jim? Jack tugged off the gloves for now and stuffed them away along with the plastic bag containing the small key.
Then he pulled out his cell and called Deputy Sarnes.
“Deputy Sarnes speaking.”
“Sarnes, I’d like to question the pilot. What can you tell me about him?”
“Name is Chance Carter. I can tell you that he left the hospital.”
“Where is he now?” Jack asked.
“We don’t know. That’s what I mean. I can tell you he left the hospital without being discharged, but I don’t know where he went after that. The NTSB will need to investigate the crash. I have a call in to them to see if he’s contacted them already. Maybe we could catch up with him that way.”
“Let me know when you find him. I want to be the one to question him about the crash as well as what he knows about Jim.”
“He couldn’t have killed Jim, if that’s what you’re thinking. Carter was in the hospital when Jim was murdered. He was in bad shape after the crash.”
“But not that bad if he left the hospital.”
“Good point. We’ll get on it.”
“And Sarnes, get me a digital evidence tech out here. I need someone on Jim’s computer.”
“Say what?”
“You heard me.”
“You got a warrant yet?”
“Pauline gave us permission.” Jack ended the call.
Terra’s brows arched. “Because?”
“There’s more going on here. I’ll look through the rest of the house to see if there’s anything that needs closer examination.”
Crossing her arms, Terra slowly nodded, approval in her eyes. “You know, if the pilot was injured in the crash, he might not remember much.”
“I know what you’re thinking. The plane crash could have nothing to do with Jim’s murder, but I don’t believe in coincidences.”
“And you cover all your bases, Jack. I know you’ll find the killer. As for me, I need to get back to work. Take care of yourself. You know we’re here to help if needed.”
Terra exited the laundry room. Would he ever see her again? Did he want to see her? He shoved those errant thoughts aside for another day.
Sighing, Jack scratched his jaw, dreading his next task. He didn’t want possible evidence further contaminated. He needed to clear the house of all the guests, but Pauline wasn’t going to like