“But they were moving to France at the time,” said Decker.
“Yes, well, all I can say is that wherever they went, I’m not sure they would have stayed together.”
“Did you ever notice that Stuart McClellan might have been infatuated with Maddie Dawson?” asked Decker.
“Stuart? Well, I didn’t know him all that well. But my take on that man was that the only person he was infatuated with was himself.”
They left Crutchfield’s office and headed back to the SUV. Along the way, Decker said quietly, “You know, Alex, sometimes the cases that seem the most complex are the most simple.”
“I wouldnevercall this case simple.”
“Oh, but it is,verysimple. We were the ones making it complicated. But we had help there, from some unusual sources.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning we got played big-time. Now it’s our turn.”
LATER,DECKER ANDJAMISONwalked into Joe Kelly’s office at the police station.
He looked at them. “Where have you two been lately? I’ve had some thoughts on Ben Purdy and where he might be.”
“Forget about Purdy,” said Decker. “We need a search warrant and we need it now.”
“For who and what?”
Decker told him and Kelly’s eyes widened at the answer. “Can you tell me why?” he asked.
“I can tell you enough to get the judge to issue the warrant. For the rest, I’d much prefer to show you.”
Later that evening, with a warrant in hand, they drove over to a large, well-kept house on the periphery of downtown London and knocked on the door.
“The car isn’t in the driveway,” said Decker.
“She may not be home,” said Kelly.
“Well, the warrant allows us to enter,” said Jamison.
Decker picked the front door lock and they went inside.
He didn’t head for the bedrooms upstairs. Instead he made a beeline for the laundry room. Hanging there on a peg was a bag marked “dry cleaning.”
He rummaged through it and pulled out the slacks and blouse. “We’re very lucky they haven’t been cleaned yet.”
Later, from a closet shelf, he snagged a pair of pumps off a shelf and checked the size. He nodded to himself.
Kelly said, “Now can you tell me what this is about?”
“As soon as we get these clothes analyzed, you’ll know about as much as me.”
* * *
Late that night Decker sat in the SUV in downtown London with Jamison in the passenger seat.
Jamison was shaking her head in disbelief. “It’s still mind-boggling,” she said.
He glanced at her. “You ready to do this?”
She touched her Glock. “Ready.”