I walked back to the back porch.
“Anything?” Ms. Fowler asked.
“No, I’m afraid not,” I told her
“Damn,” she said.
Her words surprised me, and I smiled. “Do you have cameras?” I asked looking up at the house.
“Oh yes, I forget about those things, come this way.” She suddenly became very animated.
She nearly danced with excitement and I followed her back into the house.
“Kay installed these things and she checks them when she comes over. She says it won’t stop anyone from breaking in, but it might help catch the people if they do break in.”
“She’s right. Do you have many break-ins over here?”
“No, she said you can’t be too careful. I asked her if I should have a gun, but she said no.” Ms. Fowler looked disappointed.
“That is probably for the best.” I reassured her. “Do you know if Kay has a gun?”
“Well, I’ve never seen it, but I would suspect she would.”
I wondered why she thought that but didn’t ask. That could wait. “Anything else you can think of that seemed out of place this week?”
She looked at the floor in thought. “No, I can’t think of anything.”
“Okay, I’m going to have some people from the local police department come over and look at your cameras, is that okay?”
“Anything to help Kay.” She was very concerned for Kay’s wellbeing.
“Thank you. And if you ever need anything just call me. I live over in the carriage section.”
“Oh, I knew you were a good boy.” She beamed when I told her I lived over in the section of the garden district that had once been where the higher paid blue-collar workers of the shipyard and some of the middle management types had lived back in the twenties and thirties. My house had once belonged to one of the apprentice school instructors. Like I said, we all take pride in our section of the city.
I used the front sidewalk to walk back over to Kay’s house. By now the forensic unit had shown up and a new detective seemed to be in charge. I approached him slowly and held up my badge.
“Ah, Agent Craddock, I was told to expect you.” He held out his hand. He was much younger than O’Reilly, close to Jared’s age mid to late twenties.
“I’m Detective Charlie Cavanaugh.”
“Have you been inside yet?” he asked
“No, not yet.”
“Come on in.” He waved and led the way.
“You can call me Ethan.” I said as I walked around the first floor inspecting every room looking for signs of an intruder. “Was the security system active when you came in?”
“No.” Detective Cavanaugh shook his head.
I inspected the control panel by the door and then proceeded upstairs. There were no signs of a struggle and the only thing that looked out of place was the empty scotch bottle. I bagged that and the empty glass.
“I assume your forensic team is going through everything,” I said.
“Yes, I’ve been instructed to make sure your team is included in the findings,” he reassured me.
“Do you mind if I have one of my team members join you? She has a lot of experience with missing persons cases,” I asked, hoping I could get Andria on this case.
“We’d appreciate the help. We’re stretched a little thin right now,” he told me.
“Okay. Thank you.” I took the evidence out to the car and then pulled out my cell phone.
“Forensic Unit.”
“This is Agent Craddock, is Andria there?” I waited until I heard the phone click.
“Ethan?”
“Andria, I need you over at 9 Westover Street with a full kit,” I told her.
“What? I thought you were out in Nelson County with the rest of the team.” She as surprised.
“I got pulled back for another case. This one is urgent, a possible missing person. Can you meet me here?” I hoped.
“On my way,” she said.
It took Andria thirty minutes to get to Kay’s house.
“Okay,” she said upon entering the living room. “What are we looking for?”
“Well the occupant of the house lives alone and didn’t show up for work today.” I said trying to not let my anger and stress show.
“We don’t know if she left of her own accord or not, but we do know she is not answering her cell phone and she didn’t let anyone know she wouldn’t be at work today.”
“Okay, got it.” Andria went to work introducing herself to the team that was already there and began helping them search for clues as to what happened to Kay.
I was certain the house was in good hands, so I left go to Kay’s office and talk to Sherry.
***
The headquarters for Port City Industries was impressive, and I took the elevator up to Kay’s office.
An attractive woman about Kay’s age was sitting at a reception desk. Her eyes were red from crying.
“Excuse me. I’m looking for Sherry?” I offered.
“I’m Sherry,” she said with a frightened look on her face.
“I’m Ethan, we spoke on the phone.”
“Oh!” She looked relieved and got up and walked around the desk.
“I’m so sorry to have bothered you, I just didn’t know who else to call. This isn’t like Kay, even if she needed a day off, she would have told me.”
“I’m sure she would have.” I said in a comforting voice, at least I hope I sounded comforting. “Is there somewhere we can talk in private?”
“Kay’s office?” She pointed to the closed door next to where we were standing.
“Yes, that will be fine,” I said. I stepped inside and looked around. I don’t know what I was expecting frankly but somehow it wasn’t this.
“Has anyone else been in here this morning? Or last night?” I asked looking around the office. It was well appointed with very few personal effects. The pictures were of employees, company awards. There was nothing of the woman who normally occupied this office.
“No one comes in here without my knowing it. If I’m the last one to leave, I lock it. If Kay is the last one out, she locks it. She and I are the only ones with keys.”
“What about janitorial staff?”
“They come
