Free Take a Dive for Murder by Millie Mack Page B

find out the truth.”
    Carrie wasn’t sure what to say after Charles’s revelations about his feelings. Then he added, “Are you planning on getting started this afternoon?”
    “Yes. I think the sooner I get started, the better. I’ve got my office supplies and I’m ready to go.”
    Carrie held up her plastic bag of recently purchased materials.
    “Hey, you don’t need to buy anything. If you need any supplies, just charge them to Faraday Press. We have an account at that store.” Charles glanced at his watch. “Look, I’ve got to run to the office for a few hours, but hopefully we can talk more when I get back.”
    Charles turned and went into the garage. He entered through the side door, and the first garage door began to open automatically. Carrie stood and watched as Charles guided the car out of the driveway. Then she headed into the house to change her clothes to something more comfortable for her task of cataloging. Hopefully, just as Charles suggested, she would find a clue to Jamie’s murder in his work.

14
    When Carrie opened the door to Jamie’s studio above the Faraday garage, she was stunned. It was as if she had traveled back in time. The room looked exactly like the office they shared at the college newspaper. The desk, filing cabinets, and even the desk chair were made of a heavy light-oak wood that was typical of older offices. Could it be the same desk from our old newspaper office? She asked herself. There was one sure way to find out. She tried the desk drawer, but it was locked. She took the set of keys that Simpson gave her and tried the one that looked like a desk key. The key worked and Carrie slid open the top drawer. Then she pulled out the second drawer. Inside was a wooden divider that cut the drawer into two sections: a smaller section for envelopes and a larger one for letterhead. She lifted the divider straight up and flipped it over. There it was on the back of the divider—an inscription in the wood! Carrie put on her glasses and read the inscription aloud.
    “ For all those who follow, let it be known that the current editorial staff of Carolyn Kingsford, Joel Wheeler, James Faraday, and Stephen Beeker give their blood, their sweat, and even their tears to bring the truth to this campus through the written words and photographs of the student Courier newspaper.”
    We were all so young and even silly, but we did believe we were doing important work on that newspaper , Carrie thought. I wonder how on earth Jamie acquired the original desk.
    She ran her fingers over the words that were written with a non-washable black pen in that tiny draftsman script of Stephen Beeker. She wondered where Stephen was. The next time she saw Joel, she would ask. She slid the wooden divider back into place and sat for a few moments thinking about all the conversations exchanged while sitting around this desk. Enough already, you need to get started , Carrie admonished herself. She looked around the room to get a feel for Jamie’s workspace.
    The desk was placed to the left of the door and sat out from the wall facing a large bay window across the room. On each side of the window were several wooden four-drawer files. To the right of the desk was another window that looked toward the back of the Faraday house. Because the desk wasn’t close to either window, Jamie would see only the trees and open space surrounding the buildings. What a great setup , Carrie thought. You have the windows, so you don’t feel closed in, but not the distraction of seeing the comings and goings in the neighborhood . She continued surveying the room. To the right, against the far wall, was their old newspaper worktable. Jamie would have used the table to look at galleys or layouts, but of course now there would be no new layouts. Next to the table were an overstuffed chair, a lamp, and an end table piled with magazines. Carrie knew Jamie spent time reading in this chair and was half-tempted to go and relax in it,