Missing Pieces(62)

“Hello,” Sarah said, and the librarian looked up. He couldn’t have been much older than twenty-five but wore a name tag that said Max Malik, Library Director.

“Good morning,” Max said warmly. “What can I help you with?”

“Do you have a copy machine where I can scan these papers and transfer them to a thumb drive?” Sarah asked.

Max came out from behind his workstation. “That looks heavy,” he said, nodding toward the box. “Can I carry it for you?”

“No, I’ve got it,” Sarah said, pulling the box more tightly to her. Max led her to the copy machine, showed her how to scan a document and save it to her thumb drive, and then how to delete the document from the copy machine’s memory.

“That’s a big box,” Max observed. “What are you copying?”

“My aunt recently passed away,” she said, which was technically true. “These are documents related to her estate.” She thanked him for his help and waited until he had returned to his desk before opening the box. It was slow, monotonous work. One by one, she pulled each item from the box, made a copy and then returned it to its original place. Periodically, another library patron would need to use the copy machine, so Sarah would step aside and try to wait patiently until they were finished, all the while keeping her eye on the front entrance, sure that Jack or Dean or even the sheriff would walk through the doors.

Three hours and about ninety dollars later, Sarah had scanned all the documents, including the photos and the transcripts of the audiotapes that Margaret had given her. She returned quickly to her car and was just placing the box back into the trunk when a sheriff’s car drove slowly past. Sarah made eye contact with the driver, the same deputy who had taken Amy into custody. Sarah gave a half wave and slid the box the rest of the way into the trunk. Had the deputy seen what she was loading into the trunk? Had he been able to read Lydia Tierney’s name written on the side of the box?

Sarah climbed into the car and closed her eyes, half expecting that he would turn his vehicle around and order her to open the trunk. When she was certain that he wasn’t going to return, she doubled-checked that the thumb drive was tucked safely inside her purse and then pulled out her phone to call Margaret.

“I’ve been trying to call you,” Margaret said by way of greeting. “Where are you?”

Sarah debated whether or not to tell Margaret that she had just scanned the contents of the evidence box that Margaret had stolen for her, but decided against it. She didn’t want to cause Margaret any more worry than she already had. “I’m in town,” she said vaguely. “What’s going on?”

Margaret lowered her voice to a low whisper. “I’m at work, so I can’t talk long. Something big has happened at Hal’s.”

“Jack said that the sheriff’s department wasn’t finished with their search and that we weren’t allowed to go back there just yet. Do you know what’s going on?” Sarah glanced at the clock on the console. It was twelve thirty and the wake was set to begin at three. She needed to get back to Celia’s house and change.

“No. The sheriff’s not saying, but I do know that they called in a state forensic team from Des Moines. They’re on the way over there now.”

“Why would they need a different forensic team?” Sarah asked, suddenly on alert. They must have found something more than the few droplets of blood that Sarah had seen on the steps. Did it have something to do with the fluoroacetate? “Margaret, do you have access to Julia’s case file? I know the medical examiner released her remains back to the family. Is there any mention of the official cause of death?”

Margaret was quiet on the other end.

“I’m sorry,” Sarah said in a rush. “I shouldn’t be asking you to do more than you already have.”

“No, no. I want to help, I really do,” she said, as if trying to convince herself. “Let me think a second. Hold on a minute,” Margaret said. “I’ll see what I can find out.”

Sarah heard Margaret set the receiver down and the click of a keyboard. Had they found the poison at the farm? That wouldn’t make sense if Amy had been the one to kill Julia. Wouldn’t the poison have been found at her house? Jack had made it sound as if Gilmore wouldn’t allow them to leave Penny Gate because of what they had found at Hal’s farm.

“Are you still there?” Margaret asked breathlessly a few minutes later.

“I’m here,” Sarah said.

“I can’t believe it,” Margaret said.

“What?” Sarah asked, urging her on but already sure she knew the answer. “What does it say?”

“It was poison. I can’t believe Amy would do that.”

“The sheriff is sure that it was Amy, then?” Sarah asked, wondering how Jack’s meeting with Amy’s attorney had gone.

“He must,” Margaret said. “He arrested her. She was arraigned this morning. No bail.”

That meant that Amy would miss Julia’s wake and funeral. As appalling as it was to think that someone would have beaten Julia at the top of the stairs in her own home, it seemed even more horrific that someone would deliberately poison her while she was lying in a hospital bed.

“I’ve got to go,” Margaret said in a hushed tone as if someone had come within earshot of her side of the conversation. “I’ll see you at the wake tonight.”