Free ToServeAndProtect by KyAnn Waters Page B

night.”
    Back in the kitchen, she took their mugs to the coffee
carafe for refills. “Then you believe someone planned this?”
    “Yes, I do.”
    “I can’t imagine who.”
    “We’re just beginning our investigation.” And he hoped
to hell he didn’t find evidence against McKenna. He wanted her to be innocent.
He turned away and paced across the stone tiled floor. Patterns like the bottom
of a whitewater riverbed flowed from one grayish blue square to the next.
Getting information out of McKenna felt like swimming upstream. Getting her to
understand the gravity of her situation was proving impossible.
    “How long have you been divorced?” she asked, handing
him back his mug.
    “Three years.” As he took the cup from her hand, the
doorbell rang. The tones and chimes echoed through the house. Last time he’d
heard such music he’d been in a cathedral.
    “Just a minute.” She excused herself.
    Polite etiquette would have had Dustin remain where he
was, but investigating a murder gave him liberties he might not normally take.
Anything he could find out about the company kept in the Porter home helped his
investigation. So he followed her.
     
    “Can I help you?” McKenna vaguely recalled the man
standing outside her door. Several other men, also wearing suits stood behind
him.
    “My name is Gary Chen. I worked with your father.
Actually,” he stumbled. “I worked for him. I am…was his assistant.”
    “Yes, of course.”
    “We’re having trouble accessing your father’s
research.”
    She opened the door wider. “Please, come in.”
    “Thank you.” Gary stepped into the foyer. “We’ve tried
contacting you.”
    “Oh, I’m sorry. I’ve had the phone off the hook. I
meant to call and thank you for the flowers. It was very thoughtful of everyone
at Ronac.”
    “We know this is a difficult time.” He acknowledged
Dustin with a slight bow of his head. “Much of his computer at the lab is
encrypted. You know how he protected his research.”
    McKenna pointed down the hall. “You can take the files
from his office.” She smacked her lips. “Except, I sort of made a mess.” She
led them down the hall. It looked as if a cyclone blew through the desk and
filing cabinet. “I didn’t find what I was looking for. You’re welcome to it.
Hopefully, you’ll have better luck.”
    Gary instructed the
men with him to gather up the papers. “Would you mind if we take the computer?”
    She paused to debate the request. “Actually, I do.
I’ll want to delete any personal files first.”
    Dustin stepped forward. “Perhaps they could send out a
tech to look at the files next week?”
    “Does that work?” McKenna asked.
    “Certainly. We’ll take these papers with us now, and
I’ll call you later in the week to make arrangements to access the computer.”
    “Then I’ll leave you to let yourself out when you have
what you need.”
    Dustin followed McKenna back into the kitchen. “What
were you looking for in the office?”
    She stood at the kitchen sink and watched the dogs
crisscrossing the brush and scrub of the mountain with their tails wagging.
“Anything to help me understand what happened?” A moment of silence passed.
“Why do you think I did it?” she asked with her back to him.
    Dustin leaned against the refrigerator. “As the
detective working your case, I can tell you there’s quite a bit of
circumstantial evidence. We look for opportunity, motive, and means. You’re the
only person of interest because you seem to meet all three.” He stalked across
the room. “If you can put me on someone else’s trail, I wish you would.” He sounded
irritated with her.
    “Don’t get mad,” she said and faced him. “Elliot
didn’t have enemies. He didn’t have friends either. You’ve talked to my
neighbors, my friends, and my coworkers. How can you still believe I had
anything to do with his death?”
    Holding onto the edge of the counter, he braced his
upper body with his arms.