“It just seems very coincidental that Junior was charged with burglarizing my parents’ home, and then in quick succession he and my father are killed.”
“That was actually my idea,” said Dorothea proudly. “And the reason I’m here. I got to thinking about this last night. What if somebody is using this string of murders to hide the killings of Bobby and Junior? And if so, it must be connected to what was stolen.”
“That’s actually something we’re considering,” admitted King.
“See!” exclaimed Dorothea, pointing at her husband. “I told you!”
“All right, Dorothea, all right,” Eddie said. “So you think it’s possible, Sean?”
“Anything’s possible,” said King vaguely. “Will your mother be home today?”
“Yes, but the funeral’s tomorrow. A lot of people are coming in for it.”
“Then we’ll talk to her after that. What time’s the service?”
“Two o’clock. There’s a service at Christ Church and burial’s at Kensington. You’re welcome to come, of course.”
Dorothea hunched forward. “So do you have any leads, anyone you suspect so far?”
“It’s an ongoing investigation, Dorothea. We can’t comment on that,” replied King.
“I just thought that if we helped you, you might fill us in on things,” she said bluntly.
“Sorry, it doesn’t work that way. But since you’re here, I have a question to ask you. You visited Bobby in the afternoon on the day he was killed?”
Dorothea stared at him blankly. “That’s right. So what?”
“What was the purpose of your visit?”
“He was my father-in-law. I wanted to see how he was doing. It wasn’t the first time, and I was there long before he was killed.”
“And that night you went to Richmond. What time did you get there?”
“I don’t remember. It was late. I went to bed.”
“What hotel?”
“The Jefferson. I always stay there.”
“I’m sure you do. And I’m sure they can give us the exact time you arrived.”
“What the hell are you getting at? I came here this morning to try and help you, not to be interrogated.”
“And I’m trying to help you. If you were at a hotel ninety miles away when your father-in-law was being killed, you have an ironclad alibi. I’m sure the FBI has already checked into this as well.”
Dorothea stared at King for a few more moments, then rose and stalked out. Eddie thanked them both and quickly followed. King and Michelle watched through the window as they went to their cars.
Michelle said, “You don’t think she was at that hotel at ten o’clock, do you?”
“I think she was somewhere she doesn’t want her husband to know about. And I’m sure Bailey has already found that out but not bothered to tell us. Her answer about seeing Bobby before was total B.S. I checked at the hospital.”
Michelle watched as Eddie climbed in his car. “I wonder how a nice guy like him ended up with a witch like her?”
King looked at her and smiled. “Going sweet on Eddie Battle?”
Michelle’s face flushed. “Get serious, Sean.”
“Do you have anything planned for tomorrow afternoon?”