Free The Blackbird Papers by Ian Smith Page B

younger than the others. State troopers always seemed to be either monstrously big or Napoleonic. “We got a team out there dusting prints and collecting evidence.”
    Sterling directed his attention to Kay. “I know you're tired, but time is critical. Can you tell me a little about what happened last night?” He took out his black-leather book.
    Kay looked up at the ceiling and closed her eyes. “Let me go back to yesterday morning,” she began. “Wilson left for the lab a little earlier than usual. He wasn't himself. Wally and Serena were throwing a party for him last night in celebration of the Devonshire, and he couldn't stop worrying over how many people would be there. You know your brother hated crowds. And it didn't make things any better that I've been fighting this nasty virus that's been going around. So I decided not to go, which was fine with Wilson, since the plan was for me to stay here and fix his favorite dinner.”
    “Grilled salmon, mashed potatoes, and cucumbers,” Sterling said.
    Kay nodded. “Wilson has never been one for parties, so the only way I got him to go was to bribe him with dinner.”
    “What time did he arrive at the party?” Sterling asked.
    “He called me from his office at about five thirty and said that he was heading over. The party was to start at six and I told him that he should get there a little early to greet the guests with the Mortimers. Even if he didn't want to be there, he still had responsibilities as the guest of honor.”
    “When did he leave the party?”
    “It must've been around seven o'clock.”
    “Are you certain?” Sterling was back at work on the time line.
    “I'm positive,” Kay said. It was obvious that she had gone over the last night's events several times. The officers looked on quietly. “The news had just ended and I was turning to watch
Jeopardy
. That's the only game show that Wilson will watch.” Kay cleared her throat and continued. “Alex was in the middle of announcing the contestants when Wilson called and said that he'd be home soon.”
    “Did he say if anything strange happened at the party?” Sterling asked.
    Kay thought for a minute. “No, the party went well. Wait. He did mention that one of the students parking cars had asked for his autograph. But that was it.”
    “Was Wilson coming straight home?”
    “For sure,” Kay said. “He told me to have the food ready. Then he called back a few minutes later. There were a couple of guys having trouble with their truck.” Kay stopped and closed her eyes. “If only he had never stopped,” she cried softly.
    “Would you like some water, ma'am?” Hanlon asked.
    “No, I'll be fine,” Kay said, waving him off. She took a deep breath. “I told him to be careful. It was dark and rainy and the wind was fierce.” Kay took another breath. “He told me that he would be home soon and to make sure the food was warm.” Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.
    “Was that it?” Sterling asked.
    “That was the last I heard from him.”
    “And about what time was that call?”
    “Couldn't've been more than seven fifteen, seven thirty.”
    “Did he say what type of truck it was—the color or make?”
    “No, just that there were some guys who needed help, and he was going to lend a hand.”
    “When did you start thinking something was wrong?”
    “After about an hour I got a little worried. I called his cell phone to make sure everything was all right, but there was no answer. I figured he was still out of the car helping the men.”
    Sterling nodded his head. His wheels spun. “When did you first place your call to the police?”
    “At about nine, I think.” Kay looked in the direction of the officers.
    “Eleven minutes after to be exact,” the Norwich officer confirmed. “Second call came in at twenty-three oh five.”
    “Yes, but between the calls I drove down River Road to see if I could find him.”
    “And?” Sterling asked.
    “There was no sign of him or the