"We'll climb out, but be careful. Let me close the screen back up and we'll look for a way down," I said. With a boost, I helped her out and onto the roof. I then pulled myself out and closed the window behind me. Thank god, the screen went back into place easily.
The window exited onto the roof with one of those little arches. Lisa climbed up the roof to the top of the window arch, out of sight. I followed her, holding the appointment book we had found between us. Before we could further our plan of escape, the window opened back up. We froze, staring at each other.
"What is it?" Murphy asked.
"I thought I heard something," the other man said. "I don't know what it was, but it sounded like it was upstairs."
"Nothing in the office, here or the attached bathroom. The screen is still on the window so it must have been squirrels or something," Murphy said. "Let's get back to work."
"Yeah..."
The window closed, and we both sagged with relief but kept quiet for a few minutes, just in case. When we felt safer, we slid down the roof and I found a metal pole, probably from an old TV antenna that was long gone. I handed Lisa the book and slid down safely. She dropped the book and her purse before sliding awkwardly down. I caught her and we ran for the car. I didn't feel safe until we were blocks away with no signs of pursuit.
"That was too close," I said. "I somehow don't see them being very forgiving of our taking the evidence."
"Shit," she said. "We shouldn't have taken it but what the hell were they doing waiting so long? They should have looked everything over on Saturday. There should never have been anything for us to find. Now we're really committed because we can't just turn it in. If my boss is involved, I can't be sure who to trust now. Do you think Calvin was running a covert investigation on Zed?"
I shrugged. "It's possible and might explain some things. Where next?"
"I need time to read through this and decide what we do next." She considered while I drove. "While we are down here, do you mind if I check on my mother and get some clothes?"
I shook my head. "No, I don't mind. Clothes first?" I smiled at her nod. "Good, I've been wanting to see how the other half lives."
"My place, then. Turn left." She directed me to a small two bedroom house not too far from the beach. Following her directions, I drove past it and parked a half block away.
"Let's both go in, and we can be out in a few minutes," she said as she climbed out of the car. "I'll toss a few things in a bag while you watch for trouble."
* * * * *
Her house was neat and orderly. There was a collection of what looked like family pictures on a small table near the door. While she gathered some things, I looked them over. Her mother was an older version of her. In the ones with Lisa, I would judge Lisa was a late teen. There was also a dark haired boy in the family shots. He had a quiet, somber air about him, almost withdrawn. That must be Arthur, her black-sheep older brother. Thin and gaunt, his eyes were like the tar pits in California, absorbing everything that touched them.
I shook my head. All teens seemed like a different species. I took a walking tour of the rest of the house. Tasteful furniture and bright colors. Very nice.
I hadn't been sure what a single woman's house would look like beforehand but this seemed to suit her busy lifestyle without being barren. The walls had a series of landscape prints in nice frames. Mountains, forests and waterfalls dominated the style, but there was one of a single oak tree in a field, standing tall and alone. In my mind, that one suited her best. It was a bit crooked on the wall, so I leveled it out.
When I looked back over the room, I noticed it was a little like the picture, the clean lines of the layout were off by just a little bit. The couch was a little forward on one side, and the love seat had one cushion out further than the other. It looked like someone had searched the room and had not been very careful in putting things back in order.
"Lisa! I think the living room was searched. We need to get out of here," I called up the stairs.
"Same here," she shouted back. "I'm ready." The stairs clattered as she ran back down with a small overnight bag over one shoulder. "Let's go and keep an eye out for people watching us."
I felt like I had a target on my back when we bolted from the house. Was that a curtain falling into place across the street? That woman walking the little dog; was she watching us a bit too closely? The dry cleaning van up the street was it... I shook my head. I was being paranoid. Taking a deep breath, I slowed my pace. Lisa slowed down with me and we walked calmly to my car.
Once we were moving and I could look into my rearview mirror I started feeling better. I breathed a sigh of relief. "It looks like no one is following us. I'll make some more odd turns just to be sure, though."
When we were both moderately certain we were safe, she gave me directions to the nursing home where her mother was staying.
In the parking lot, I put my arm around her. "Your mom seemed pretty young in the pictures at your house. What happened?"
She shook her head. "A stupid car accident about a year and a half ago. The doctors say she has recovered from the injuries but she's in coma and won't wake up. I tell people that she doesn't know her own name but that's not really true. She's just asleep. All they can tell me is that she may wake up any day just as normal as she was before, or she may never wake up at all. They really don't know. The brain is a huge mystery to the doctors. I come and talk to her every day, if I can. This weekend is the longest time without me stopping in, and I feel bad about it." She looked at me. "I really think she can hear me."
I nodded. "I've heard something like that before. It surely can't hurt. I hope she wakes up soon." I held the door open for her.
The lobby was filled with older people, sitting in chairs or wheelchairs and watching TV or talking to friends or family, and some staff people manning the desk or moving among the residents. Two bird cages, a fish tank and a single cat were scattered around the room with them.
"You mentioned that your mother changed her will and that your brother stopped hanging around. Do you mind if I ask what that's all about?"
Lisa shook her head. "I don't mind. Arthur has always been a bit of an odd duck. Loner in school and at home, too. He got involved in one of those right wing groups that thinks the government is illegal and should be overthrown. One of the militias, I forget the name. He got arrested several times for damaging city or county property with his nut case friends. Mom always bailed him out of jail. Then I got my first job as an ADA in Dallas, where we lived, and he freaked out. We had this huge knock down, drag out fight and he was pretty wild. He scared both of us but my mother stuck to her guns and threw him out. Then she re-wrote her will so that I was the primary beneficiary of her estate. Daddy left her pretty well off so it can pay for the expensive care she gets. It would be hard on my own. When Arthur found out he had a screaming cow. For the life of me, I can't imagine why he followed us down here. He keeps claiming it's because he's family, but I think he hopes that if he waits around, Mom will wake up and change her mind."
I scratched my chin. "If we weren't already pretty sure Calvin was the first target, he'd make a pretty good suspect."
Lisa laughed. "Puh-leeze! Arthur plan and execute a plot this complicated? The sun will go out first!" She waved to the nurses, leading me down a hall and into one of the rooms on the right side. There were two women in the room, both in bed. I knew the younger one was Lisa's mother from the pictures but she looked so different now. Lying as though asleep, her face was slack. The older woman was watching a soap opera on the television with the sound coming out of her remote control. The older woman smiled and they exchanged greetings.
Lisa pulled up a rolling chair and sat down beside the bed, taking her mother's hand into her own. "I'm sorry I didn't come by this weekend, Mother. It's been a real bear of a week." She looked up at me. "I want you to meet someone. This is Ted Stansbury. He and I have started dating." She smiled at me and then looked back at her mother's face. "I only just met him, but he's special. I can tell. I think you'll like him."
