Free She's Not There by Marla Madison Page A

know, the prowler could already have been in there when I came in. I had some errands to do so I left for a while about five. I stopped to eat and got back here about six-thirty. He could have gotten in while I was gone. I‘m glad I had my Tasar. I’m calling Stan.”
    Shannon had purchased a Tasar through an Internet dealer. Lisa had warned her about the illegality of carrying it and was waiting for an ‘I told you so.’
    “Okay, call Stan, but try to get that locksmith here sometime after two.”
    By the time Stan, a fiftyish, rather rotund police officer with thinning gray hair arrived at the office, Lisa was sure that nothing was missing, but also sure that someone had been in her office. 
    After hearing their story and carefully inspecting the premises, Stan said,  “Whoever broke in was probably looking for cash. When he didn’t find any, he ran out when he heard someone else in the building.”
    “We called a locksmith to have stronger locks put on, “Shannon offered.
    “Good. We’ll keep a close eye on your building for the time being. Call us if anything else happens.”
    Stan, visibly taken with Shannon, was obviously trying to placate their fears and advised them to park on the street when they worked after dark. To Lisa’s relief, his cell phone buzzed, and he left before her first client arrived.

    At noon Lisa and Shannon rewarded themselves with lunch at a lovely inn on the other side of the lake. Over the special of the day, a red pepper and sausage soup served with fresh, warm popovers and spinach salad, Lisa told Shannon about the group and what they were trying to accomplish. As Lisa expected, Shannon was eager to help with the online research.
    She said, “You’ll get to go out on interviews with one of those guys that were in the office. Which one, the nerdy one or the older, dark, mysterious-looking guy?”
    “This won’t be a social event, Shannon. I’m going with Eric Schindler, and on a personal level, I don’t really care for the man.”
    “Who knows, he might turn out to be a real nice guy.”
    “He isn’t. He’s arrogant and annoying. Not to mention the fact that he spent time in jail for murdering his wife. And even worse, he smokes cigars.”
    “Are you afraid to be alone with him?”
    “No. He’s irritating, not threatening. TJ has spent a lot of time with him and is convinced he’s innocent. I trust her judgment. For now.”
    “Have you heard from Tyler?”
    Lisa was trying to forget about Tyler, but it was difficult, especially on sleepless nights. “Tyler isn’t up for discussion. Back on the subject at hand, we’re meeting Sunday morning to go over what we accomplish in Saturday’s interviews. If you have anything for us that soon, let me know.”
    Shannon nodded. “I have to go into the office tomorrow for a closing, and when that’s over I can get started. Just let me know what you need.”

    The locksmith arrived promptly at one. Lisa was working on her last client’s file, when the scream of the locksmith’s power drill masked the entry of a visitor. She looked up to see James Wilson standing in front of her desk. Startled at his presence, Lisa jerked back in her chair, reflexes on alert. “You frightened me!”
    “Sorry about that. I got your call this morning and I decided to drop in since I was going to be in the area.”
    Lisa had forgotten she called him before she came into the office that morning and wished she’d prepared for her talk with him. He wasn’t someone she wanted to reveal her hand to, merely wanted to maneuver information from.
    “Have a seat, Mr. Wilson. I’d offer you coffee, but I’m afraid we don’t usually keep it going after lunch.”
    He sat in one of the chairs in front of her desk, casually draping one long leg over the other knee. “No need for coffee. And call me James.”
    James Wilson’s good looks and his surprising drop-in put her on edge. Lisa wasn’t sure whether her unease was due to her libido’s