Free Suspicion of Innocence by Barbara Parker Page A

Britton guy from Metro-Dade. He's outside."
    "Who?"
    "The police officer you wanted me to call, remember?"
    "He's here?"
    "Uh-huh. I don't think he's collecting for the P.B.A."
     
    Typical plainclothes cop, Gail thought as Miriam closed the door behind him. Muted blue plaid jacket, a dark tie, short brown hair, gold-framed glasses. A late-thirties guy going slightly heavy around the middle. He could have been an appliance salesman for Sears. Until he handed her a white card with a gold shield on it. Metro-Dade Police Department.
    "Ms. Connor, I'm Frank Britton. How are you this morning?"
    She took his hand, extended across her desk. "Sit down, Sergeant. What's this about?"
    He had a pleasant face. She had seen faces like that before, on expert witnesses about to testify. Settling into the witness chair, straightening the front of his jacket a little, getting comfortable.
    Gail put the card on her desk. "This says Homicide Bureau."
    "Yes, ma'am. I'm investigating your sister's death."
    She sat down in her chair. "I don't understand."
    "You might know this, being an attorney, Ms. Connor. The Homicide Bureau looks into suicides, just like any other death by unnatural causes." Britton's delivery was polite, his accent from somewhere in north Rorida, that down-home drawl uncommon in Miami.
    He said, "Now, we did a preliminary investigation at the scene last Monday, after we got the report. Search of the area and so on. We did her apartment the same morning, but—"
    "Is that routine?"
    "Absolutely. We look to see if anybody's in there. You never know. There could be somebody injured or deceased. And if she had a roommate, we'd want to notify that person." He paused to make sure Gail understood, then said, "I want to go back and do it again. Your mother said to call you."
    "Did she? Why? I mean, she is the personal representative."
    "She didn't mention it. I thought you'd probably be handling your sister's affairs."
    "No. And my mother didn't mention this . . . investigation to me."
    "Maybe she forgot," he said. "It happens. People don't like to think about death."
    "But Renee killed herself. Isn't that what the death certificate says?"
    "No, ma'am. It's still pending. We're not going to release the certificate until I can look into it further, and I usually start with the decedent's place of residence. Last time we had the landlord let us in. If we go back, we're going to need a search warrant unless we have a family member along."
    Gail said, "I don't see the point. Renee was found in a county park with her wrists slashed."
    "Yes, ma'am, a policeman comes in, starts asking questions, when everybody is trying to get over the loved one's death. I realize it can be a shock."
    Half smiling, Gail looked down at his card, aligning it with the edge of her desk. ' This is unreal. Do you do this with all suicides?"
    "Lord, no. We don't have that kind of manpower. It's a judgment call, usually after somebody asks us to look into it."
    "Meaning my mother."
    Behind the glasses, his pale blue eyes showed sympathy. "You can kind of see her point. There was no note, for one thing, or a terminal illness. Most people who do themselves in are depressed. Your mother didn't think Renee was in that frame of mind."
    "Did she tell you Renee tried to kill herself before? With a razor blade?"
    "When was that?"
    "About four years ago."
    "Huh." Britton said, "Well, we still need to check it out. When can you come let us in?"
    "Look, Sergeant, I don't mean to be difficult, but I really don't have the time for this."
    The light reflected in his glasses. "Then we'll have to get a warrant. Or ask Mrs. Connor to go with us."
    Gail let a few seconds go by. "All right. I can meet you Saturday morning."
    "Friday's better."
    "Fine. Five o'clock. It's the best I can do."
     
    After Britton left, Gail told Miriam to hold all her calls. She sat at her desk with both feet curled under her.
    Irene might have gone so far as to call the sheriff of Dade County. And if he