Page 34 of Charmed Forces

“He didn’t say, so it could be either man. Garrett couldn’t remember the wife’s name either, only that she was a hairstylist.”

“Add her to the list of people we still need to speak to.”

“Done. It’s time we had a talk with Alice.”

“Agreed,” said Solomon. “I spoke to my contact at the courthouse but they said they needed to consult the docket as there are so many cases billed. The courthouse won’t be open until morning so that’ll be my first move if we don’t get any names beforehand.”

“What about your less upstanding contacts?” I asked. Solomon had a friend who was deeply involved in the criminal underworld. Although he’d been instrumental in helping us previously, I remained cautious about asking too many favors. Duncan O’Malley had never been anything but decent to me, but who knew when it would come back to bite us? Especially in a case as sensitive as Daniel’s? I preferred not to owe any favors to O’Malley.

“If you mean whom I think you mean, I asked him already and he’s going to snoop around. He doesn’t have any direct knowledge yet but he’ll let us know if he picks up any chatter.”

I jogged downstairs, beckoning Alice to follow me upstairs. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it with her arms crossed. After a moment, she yawned. “Sorry, it’s late and I’m getting tired. Have you found out where Daniel is?” she asked.

“We don’t know his exact location yet,” said Solomon, which I figured could be the truth. I wondered if Fletcher and Flaherty had Daniel in a place so secure even Solomon couldn’t guess.

“If you do find him, please help him. He didn’t do this,” she said.

“We know,” I assured her. “No one believes he did.”

“What did you call me up here for?”

“What did Daniel tell you about the case he was working on?” asked Solomon.

“Not much. He doesn’t usually though, nothing beyond the basics. I do know it was a witness protection case. He told me that because it meant he would be away longer hours for a few days and I had to arrange for help with the kids. Not that it matters now.”

“Did he tell you whom he was protecting?” I asked.

“No. He’d never do that. That’s allneed to knowkinda stuff that Idon’tneed to know.”

“Did he tell you what the case involved?”

“No.”

“Is there anything youcantell us? Anything you might have overheard?”

“Daniel was careful not to bring his work home with him. All I can tell you is he seemed to think this case was just a routine job. He didn’t seem worried or anxious about it or suddenly want to update his will or anything like that. He did say it would all be over in a couple days after the witness testified.”

“So they were scheduled to testify this week?”

“That’s what he said. He told me as soon as they did that, he was handing it off but he didn’t say when or to whom.”

“What about Dan’s partner? What do you know about him?”

“Pete? He and his wife, Suki, came around a couple times and we’ve been over to their house too. She’s a good cook and they live right near a huge playground so we took the kids there and had coffee without the guys.”

“Do they have kids?”

“No. They’d like to have them but they want to save up some more money and Suki wants to feel more established in her career. She wants to open her own salon one day.”

“Where do they live?”

“Only a couple miles from us. Do you know the playground on Acadia Avenue? They bought that run-down place on the corner and are making it over bit by bit.”

“The one with the pink shutters?” I asked.

“That’s the one, although the shutters are gone now.”

“Do you know if they’re encountering any financial difficulties?” asked Solomon.