New Year's Eve Murder Read Online Free Page B

sense of who she is and where she comes from.”
    â€œThat’s very nice.”
    â€œIt is, yes. Are you looking for anything special?”
    â€œI’m never sure what I’m looking for,” I admitted. “When I see something important, it usually leaps out at me. I don’t think I’ll find anything here if these are all old keepsakes.”
    Ada opened the top center drawer. “She keeps some pens and pencils here and there should be a pad somewhere.” She closed the drawer and opened one on the left side that I hadn’t looked in. “This is it.” She pulled out a pad of white paper with “Notes from Susan Stark” printed in black across the top. “She uses this for informal notes. She has a lot more in Kevin’s apartment.”
    It didn’t tell me much. I looked quickly through the remainder of the drawers, but I was starting to worry about Jack alone in the car with Eddie. What I was worried about, I couldn’t say. Jack had become a wonderful father overnight, so full of patience that I was astounded.
    â€œMay I take a page from the pad?” I asked.
    â€œOf course.”
    I ripped off the top page and held it with the photograph. Then I took a quick look around the room. On the night table was an electric clock. I picked it up. The alarm was set for seven. “Did Susan get up at seven when she went to work?”
    â€œAbout that time.”
    â€œI don’t suppose you heard the alarm yesterday morning?”
    Ada shook her head. “I know it sounds strange, but this is a very solidly built house and I’ve never heard Susan’s alarm, not when she was a schoolgirl and not in recent years.”
    â€œWhen did you get up yesterday?”
    â€œMaybe eight. Ernie wanted to go in for a short day, and I made breakfast for us.”
    â€œAny dishes in the sink?” I asked with faint hope.
    She shook her head. “I wish I could say something that would be helpful.”
    â€œDon’t worry about it. I’ll be in touch, Ada.”
    â€œThank you.” She started out of the room and I followed her.
    â€œWill you give me the names and phone numbers of Susan’s friends? And where she works?”
    â€œI’ll give you what I have. Kevin can probably give you much more. He’s more up to date on who Susan knows.”
    I was pretty sure Jack had asked Kevin but I said, “I’ll give him a call.”
    Downstairs, I waited while Ada wrote. I walked to the windows in the living room and looked out on the street. I could see Jack in our double-parked car. He was sitting at the wheel without moving, which meant that Eddie wasn’t crying. A car came from the left and I watched as it swerved to pass Jack’s car. It wasn’t as tight a squeeze as all that.
    â€œHere’s the best I can do.” Ada gave me a sheet of paper. “Her best friend since public school, her phone number at work, and the name of the person she works with most closely. She’s with a new magazine called
Single Up.
This last name is a teacher she had in fifth grade whom she’s stayed close to, Mrs. Halliday. I guess they just clicked when Susan was ten. She may be retired now, I’m not sure. Susan has lots of other friends, but their names wouldn’t be in my address book.”
    â€œI understand. Thank you, Ada. We’ll do the best we can.”
    She nodded and smiled tightly. On impulse, I hugged her. Then I went outside to the car where half my family slept and the other half kept watch.

3
    â€œKevin said something was bothering Susan.”
    We were driving home and Jack had begun to tell me what he had learned this morning.
    â€œIs that what they were talking about in the car when he drove her to the Starks’?”
    â€œIt may be. He wasn’t all that forthcoming.”
    â€œI’m glad you got a chance to talk to him alone. He was resentful that I was asking him