He turned to see a woman staring at him from the yard next door. She was in her seventies, gray haired, with a plump frame and wearing white sweatpants, a long-sleeved dark blue shirt, and orthopedic shoes. Glasses dangled from a chain around her neck.
They all showed their credentials.
She put on her glasses and drew closer. “The FBI! Has something happened?”
“And your name?” asked Andrews.
“Dorothy Steadman.”
“Have you lived here long?”
“Over fifteen years.”
“What can you tell us about Ms. Lancer?” asked White.
“I don’t really know her all that well. I’m long retired. So our paths don’t cross very often.”
“When was the last time you saw her?” asked Decker.
“I saw her drive off this morning. I believe she works in Miami.”
“Did she seem normal?”
“Yes, I mean, nothing looked out of the ordinary.”
“Have you spoken with her lately?” asked Decker.
The woman considered this. “Oh, a few days ago. She was taking a walk. This was in the evening. We chatted for a few seconds. The weather, that sort of thing.”
“She have many visitors?”
“Not that I’ve seen. I mean, occasionally.”
Andrews took out his phone, brought up a screen, and held it up. It was a picture of Alan Draymont. “This man?”
The woman said, “Yes, Ihaveseen him. He’s been over to see Alice many times, at least that I’m aware of. I assumed they were dating.”
“Did they seem romantically engaged?” asked White.
“Not particularly so. I just assumed. Has…has something happened to Alice?”
“We’re trying to find out. What else can you tell us about her?” asked Decker.
“She lives quietly. She keeps to herself. Never spoke of having children. I thought she had something to do with law enforcement.”
“Why’d you think that?” asked White.
“I saw her getting in her car once, and she had a gun on her belt.”
Andrews handed her a card. “If you think of anything else, please give me a call. And if you see Ms. Lancer back here, please alert me right away.”
“Alert you? Is she in some sort of trouble?”
“Like we said, we’re trying to find things out,” said Decker. “Thanks.”
As they got back into the car White said, “So Draymont and Lancer were maybe a couple?”
Decker said, “Draymont gets murdered, and Lancer fakes a fainting spell to get out of answering our questions. This is not a dating issue. This is something more than that.”